Floating Blind Advice

I have recently been granted access to a farm pond located 500 yards

from a major North Carolina lake. The pond is packed with various

types of ducks during migration and usually has a few flotillas of

Buffleheads, Mergansers, Ring Necks and Pintails that stay the entire

winter. I plan to build a floating blind this spring and test it on

the year round Canadian Geese. I will moor it in a shallow area in

the fall so it is viewed as a permanent feature by the ducks. The

pond has no natural vegetations surrounding it as it?s in the middle

of a wheat field.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good floating blind

design? Any good plans?

Also, I will be floating in the middle of the pond while

photographing (arriving before dawn). Does anyone have any

suggestions of how to gracefully exit the blind without permanently

spooking the ducks? I don?t want them to begin associating the blind

with humans but don?t see how to avoid it unless I stay in from

sunrise to sunset.

This link will get you started. http://www.web-nat.com/bic/ont/tips24.html

I suggest you also post the question at www.naturescapes.net and www.naturephotgraphers.net

A key to the design is whether you plan to get into the water and whether you can stand on the bottom of the pond as you move around. If you need a boat type blind, that is a whole other proposition. Most of my friends who do this just get into the water with their tripod, full waders and camo. Joe Smith

Scott,

Tim Fitzharris shows how to build a hula-hoop floating blind in his book, The Audubon Society Guide To Nature Photography. He has illustrations as well. He also discusses other types of blinds and I found it a good book to have.

As Joe mentioned, it makes a difference whether you can stand or you need to float. We have a 3 acre pond on our property and I bought a float tube to access the ducks on it. Unfortunately there was no control when the wind was blowing.

Then there is the issue of dragging all this extra equipment along.

If you can leave the gear at your pond for easy, ready access it becomes much easier.

I had my wife sew a ground blind together for me and I made the frame from 1" poly pipe and tees for easy set up. Of course the birds were laughing at me while the blind was under construction and disappeared when I entered. You have to have extra viewing slots to look out and find subjects to photograph. At 500mm and a 7 degree angle of view the bird pretty much has to be just right. Not only dead in front of you but within your focus distance with the sun in the correct position. I'd find myself inching the blind forward but could only move it so far as I had to move the camera/tripod as well and the five gallon bucket I sat on.

Ultimately, I found shooting from a car/window mount the best option but of course it doesn't float. I wish you success. Fitzharris's floating blind shots had that something that said they were unique.

I currently work a pond at a friends house and sometimes the birds spook when I arrive but soon settle in as long as I remain quiet and move slowly. They just don't swimm right up to me either.

cheers,

And you can't use a flash fill set up, too many holes.

Check out Cabela's and other hunting supply outfits for the Blinds they offer as well as materials that would apply to your needs. I do know they sell a material that looks like grasses in mat form it might make your construction easier.

Cabela's is at: http://www.cabelas.com/

You might also look at their Pop up type blinds much better then you can make at home.

Good luck and stay warm.

If you do a search of photo.net for floating blinds you will see

plans I have posted as well as comments others have made.

As to entering and exiting what I usually do is after I enter the

blind I just sit for a good length of time until the pond activity

returns to normal. Then I start very slowly moving around the

pond.

God's light to all

Chris

Chris,

Those are very nice blinds. What was your mode of propelling them and how stable were they?

cheers

Bill,

The one covered in cattails is the Fred Flinstone Blind. It is powered by using

your feet and walking onthe bottom. In deeper water I use fins. This blind is

superb and can travel into water that is 2-3 inches deep.

The float tube blind is more effective in water that is 2 ft deep or deeper. It is

not reccomended for bigger water where there is a lot of wind as some have

already noted. It is however easily transported where the Fred Flinstone is

not. The float tube blind is also really easy to set up and begin using. I use

bicycle flags from Wal Mart or Kmart to hold up the blind material.

God Bless

Chris

I

Bill,

I forgot to address the stability problem. The Fred Flisone Blind is extremely

stable as it is built on a flat 4 x8 sheet of styrofoam that is 6 inches thick. It has

a sort of desk like frame that the photographer sits under. I bolted a ballhead

to that. The floatube one is less stable. Though IS really helps. It is more

weather and water condition dependent. You sure can get really close to

waterfowl with them though,

Chris

About four or five years ago we had a great thread going on floating blinds

and the people that were building them. It would be really beneficial for

people to post pictures if what they ended up building. I'd really like to see

what they came up with

God bless

Chris