layout blinds (season opener update as promised)
- Thread starter Workin Man
- Start date
I have a SUB and love it. Only downsides to the layout blind that I can see, are climbing in and out, and you can't really see behind you. No real reason to be in a hurry to get out anyway (unless a 12 pounder is falling on you, then well, take it like a man), and not seeing behind you is worth being able to see them in front of you at a distance of feet. First time me and a couple friends tried them, I called the first pair of ducks too late, by the time we sat up my friend had to duck as he almost had a mid air collision with a nice mallard.
As said, stubble them up really good and they just vanish. I find them quite easy to shoot from, but angle them a bit, so assuming you are right handed, the geese will be coming slightly off your left side instead of off your toes, makes shooting a bit easier. I don't think the particular camo pattern is too important if you mud em and then use lots of stubble. Also make sure you stubble in with chaff from the field your hunting, don't go into a pee field with bright yellow whoop grass, (yes I've seen it done, and no it didn't work).
Features you really want from my experience are:
A full floor, if you don't have that you'll have everything full of dirt.
2 doors that split down the middle, that way you can sit up through them and they fall open, a single door is a pain to get open before you start shooting.
Stubble straps are essential for camoing in properly.
If you don't like looking through the screens on them, make sure you have a good camo face mask
Specific to the Sub, it can fold right down, and I do for storage, but it's nice if you can just leave it assembled, it fits easily the back of a short box truck with a tool box, as the foot bag folds up to shorten the overall length. I can actually fit two of them and some decoys in the back of my truck, without taking them down.
On any of them, in colder weather, an extra layer of insulation under the blind, or under the seat at least would probably be a good thing to keep the cold ground from getting to you, otherwise they cut the wind well, are quite comfortable, and the big trouble is staying awake. They are certainly the most comfortable way to goose hunt that I have tried.
If size of the SUB concerns you, I'm 6 foot and 220LB and I find it quite roomy, maybe a little cramped for calling, but I still manage.
As said, stubble them up really good and they just vanish. I find them quite easy to shoot from, but angle them a bit, so assuming you are right handed, the geese will be coming slightly off your left side instead of off your toes, makes shooting a bit easier. I don't think the particular camo pattern is too important if you mud em and then use lots of stubble. Also make sure you stubble in with chaff from the field your hunting, don't go into a pee field with bright yellow whoop grass, (yes I've seen it done, and no it didn't work).
Features you really want from my experience are:
A full floor, if you don't have that you'll have everything full of dirt.
2 doors that split down the middle, that way you can sit up through them and they fall open, a single door is a pain to get open before you start shooting.
Stubble straps are essential for camoing in properly.
If you don't like looking through the screens on them, make sure you have a good camo face mask
Specific to the Sub, it can fold right down, and I do for storage, but it's nice if you can just leave it assembled, it fits easily the back of a short box truck with a tool box, as the foot bag folds up to shorten the overall length. I can actually fit two of them and some decoys in the back of my truck, without taking them down.
On any of them, in colder weather, an extra layer of insulation under the blind, or under the seat at least would probably be a good thing to keep the cold ground from getting to you, otherwise they cut the wind well, are quite comfortable, and the big trouble is staying awake. They are certainly the most comfortable way to goose hunt that I have tried.
If size of the SUB concerns you, I'm 6 foot and 220LB and I find it quite roomy, maybe a little cramped for calling, but I still manage.
- Location
- Back in the Peace Country
Well I can't comment for anyone else, but I hate blinds that require you to lay down, and I hate shooting from such a position...
I usuallay get in the tall grass and cattails with some good camo and have tremensous success... In more open fields, I lay on my belly in the wide open,..(just don't look up)
It all depends on where you are shooting...
I prefer natural cover when it's available
I usuallay get in the tall grass and cattails with some good camo and have tremensous success... In more open fields, I lay on my belly in the wide open,..(just don't look up)
It all depends on where you are shooting...
I prefer natural cover when it's available
- Location
- Near Coldwater, Ont
Let us know about your first time out, and whether you had to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the blind to get it open the first time the honkers were dropping around you.
Good luck to you!
Doug
I ordered one today from SIR ( checked out the other recommended dealers, but they either didn't have the FA SUB or were more expensive once shipping, exchange rate, etc was taken into account). I'm gonna guess that if hand to hand combat was required with this particular blind, it wouldn't have gotten so many recommendations. I will be giving it a try/ practice in the backyard before the season opens though. Looking at the size specs for a lot of the blinds out there, a lot of them seem very narrow (27" to 30" wide) and I think I would find them cramped and claustrophobic as well. This one though, is 3' wide and over 7' long while still keeping a low weight and profile. If I like it after backyard trials and decide not to return it, I will mud it as was recommended ( my cover up suit is also mudded).
I will update once I get it and give it a try.
Jim
- Location
- Near Coldwater, Ont
My blind arrived today and as I mentioned, I am posting my first impressions. It took about 5-10 minutes to assemble the first time (I didn't read the directions). I'm pretty sure I could do it a bit quicker with some practice, but I don't think it would be a lot of fun in the dark, just prior to legal shooting light on opening morning. I will be doing as Scar270 advised and leaving it set up during the season, or at least set it up the day before a planned hunt. I have two trucks, both full-size with 8' boxes so space isn't much of an issue for me. Fully folded it would probably fit in the back of most SUV's or mini-vans. I think I would have to fold down the rear seat in my wife's Sunfire though if I wanted to put in the trunk .
The camo pattern on the one that SIR has on sale is Mossy Oak Duck Blind, which is pretty dark and won't match the majority of hunting situations where I will be using it, but it does have "stubble straps" on it so you can attach stubble out of the field you are hunting to make it blend in. I did eventually find the instructions and read through them and the manufacturer recommends mudding the blind as was mentioned by Deertaker.
I haven't had a lot of time to try it out yet. I set it up in my living room (too dark outside) and only sat in it for a minute or so. I didn't find it cramped at all, and there is a mesh area over your face, so it didn't feel too enclosed, but I only sat in it for a couple of minutes at most. That overall impression could change after sitting in it for 4 hrs straight or more, but I'm pretty sure it isn't going to be an issue for me. The doors opened effortlessly, the motion of sitting up and lifting your gun pushes them up and out, couldn't be easier. That's about all I can say about it for now. I will give another update after opening week.
The camo pattern on the one that SIR has on sale is Mossy Oak Duck Blind, which is pretty dark and won't match the majority of hunting situations where I will be using it, but it does have "stubble straps" on it so you can attach stubble out of the field you are hunting to make it blend in. I did eventually find the instructions and read through them and the manufacturer recommends mudding the blind as was mentioned by Deertaker.
I haven't had a lot of time to try it out yet. I set it up in my living room (too dark outside) and only sat in it for a minute or so. I didn't find it cramped at all, and there is a mesh area over your face, so it didn't feel too enclosed, but I only sat in it for a couple of minutes at most. That overall impression could change after sitting in it for 4 hrs straight or more, but I'm pretty sure it isn't going to be an issue for me. The doors opened effortlessly, the motion of sitting up and lifting your gun pushes them up and out, couldn't be easier. That's about all I can say about it for now. I will give another update after opening week.
I use an Avery Finisher that are supposed to be the #1 blind sold, here is a quick pic, I am 6'2" and halve lots of room in there.
Over my left shoulder is a yellow lab in front of her mutt hutt, if you look closely you can see the back of it is open so she can go right through.
We shot 3 limits of 12-14 lb. Canada's that day, so they don't work too bad.
Over my left shoulder is a yellow lab in front of her mutt hutt, if you look closely you can see the back of it is open so she can go right through.
We shot 3 limits of 12-14 lb. Canada's that day, so they don't work too bad.
That is just way to easy,spend a few thousand on a blind and decoys that have been individually feathered by hand,buy 30 dollars a box double super duck load and only then will you be a true hunter.
