Lay out blind tips

[MJ1657]

Thought I'd start a thread to share some lay out blind tips and tricks. 

What's everyone's thoughts on how well hidden do you have to be. I realize the more the better but as we all know its not always possible to be invisible.

 

I've had some successful goose hunters tell me the most important part is to eliminate sharp lines and shadows. 

Thoughts? 

[fivebucks]

Lay out blinds are great but if you do nothing with them they stick out like a sour thumb.  We've had times where we are early to the field and brush them in great with field stubble and we have no birds flares.  The times you don't get it brushed in good enough we have flock after flock flare and we get marginal shots if any.  If they are flaring it is well worth taking the time and scaring some birds to get yourself brushed in good.  Even better is to bring a shovel and dig down a shallow pit.  We also wear our turkey hunting face masks.

[TylerS]

I quit using my layout blinds in fields that aren't really full of junk or corn. For short-worked fields or bean fields, I just bring burlap and cover up with shell decoys. Not nearly as comfortable, but you throw virtually no shadow and blend in way, way better. 

Early in the season you can get away with sticking out. But later on, or when dealing with stale birds, the layouts never leave the truck. 

[BoxMN]

We aren't pros, but also like to cover them as much as possible, bringing a rake along helps to collect material faster and easier.

We also set silhouettes very close to the blinds to try to help break up the outline a bit. Not sure if it helps, but it seems like it does.

At my age I just can't lay in a field without a blind!

[Kettle]

I got one last year for the first time prior to that I  did a lot of hunting without them and got birds.  I bought a used one from an outfitter and it was dirty and muded well which was good.  It is also a lower profile one, not as nice as as my buddies that is GM brand but his sticks out like crazy.  We hunted mainly last year in a few cut wheat fields and got lessers and mallards.  We tried the same fields for snows but they stuck out too much.  With a layout I don't think I would hunt snows or pressured birds unless there was a lot of corn stubble or barley swath. They are nice though, we as well wear masks to avoid the shine of our faces.  I have a pretty small lab and she lays next to me she sticks her head out down by the feet where I cut a hole folded the material  over and sewed it.  She hops out of the doors after I open them and shoot.  Man with her in there it gets like 70 degrees inside when it's like 40 outside, kind of nice.  If I have the opportunity to kneel next to a bail I still will take that over the layout.

Kette 

[Ufatz]

If I parked my fat arse in a lay-out blind I'd still be there the next day.   Would take a boom truck to get me up and moving. Y'all boys don't know yet what it's like to get old and fat!  Ha Ha Ha.

Next pit I get into will have a headstone on it.

Have fun you guys.