As I'm wrapping up the season, me and the blind partners are always looking to improve for next year. Looking for some feedback on rice blind covers. Does anyone have experience using Gibson blind covers or something similar? What are your thoughts on visibility out of them? We currently are running a homemade type cover but there can be improvements. Any feedback or recs are much appreciated...
Blind Cover
- Thread starter Twobra
- Start date
freefall
Elite Refuge Member
To flip or not to flip....
This blind is bent conduit with hog wire attached. Then it's grass and weeds cut from the same check attached to the panels. They do not flip. We use bundles to pull up and over coverings to close in the holes as needed. I don't like big gaps. We have bundles and loose bush that goes on the lids when only 1 or 2 guys are hunting. The brush in between shooters is tall as well to fill in the dead space between us. It works.
I hunt another blind that's just Gibsons. They work too but we're Definitely spotted more than this style. But you can do similar brushing to.thr Gibsons to fill in gaps. Also brush up along the fronts and sides. Create walking paths and stick to them to not knock things down.
I make small wooden lattice pieces and attach brush to them all over in different positions. This helps the brush survive the storms.
Both styles work. It's all preferences and what level of work you want to put into it.
Being critical of my own work, I'll have a lot more brush clump lattices on the check 80 yards both ways to keep the brush in tact and the same height as the blind so as the storms beat the check brush down I don't loose it all and end up standing out too much.
This blind is bent conduit with hog wire attached. Then it's grass and weeds cut from the same check attached to the panels. They do not flip. We use bundles to pull up and over coverings to close in the holes as needed. I don't like big gaps. We have bundles and loose bush that goes on the lids when only 1 or 2 guys are hunting. The brush in between shooters is tall as well to fill in the dead space between us. It works.
I hunt another blind that's just Gibsons. They work too but we're Definitely spotted more than this style. But you can do similar brushing to.thr Gibsons to fill in gaps. Also brush up along the fronts and sides. Create walking paths and stick to them to not knock things down.
I make small wooden lattice pieces and attach brush to them all over in different positions. This helps the brush survive the storms.
Both styles work. It's all preferences and what level of work you want to put into it.
Being critical of my own work, I'll have a lot more brush clump lattices on the check 80 yards both ways to keep the brush in tact and the same height as the blind so as the storms beat the check brush down I don't loose it all and end up standing out too much.
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hunt'ngreen
Elite Refuge Member
Can't see any of those pics. Robert... might just be me...
freefall
Elite Refuge Member
Fixed it.
snipe a duck
Elite Refuge Member
The Gibson covers work well. When we've used them we've been able to set them to be able to see out of them but stay hidden well. Biggest piece of advice is to use cover that matches the profile of the rest of the check.
Most people don't set Gibsons up correctly. They are meant to fold over the top of the blind and you sit underneath. People complain my check is mowed, then use very little grass, and other material and blend in to check.
The broom grass you can buy, not tried it but would have to paint it to match conditions would eliminate the open holes.
Normal season don't worry about it much as I float two tubs out to the blind - one gear and one a tub of cover we cut that morning or if have time and energetic especially later when cold and wet, I will cut a weeks worth. So use that to cover the holes, put on whatever flippies they have to cover the blind from overhead.
The broom grass you can buy, not tried it but would have to paint it to match conditions would eliminate the open holes.
Normal season don't worry about it much as I float two tubs out to the blind - one gear and one a tub of cover we cut that morning or if have time and energetic especially later when cold and wet, I will cut a weeks worth. So use that to cover the holes, put on whatever flippies they have to cover the blind from overhead.
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3B209
Elite Refuge Member
Ran into a guy who made his own gibson style covers using re bar and Bent conduit. They were pretty slick and he said really cheap to make.
hunt'ngreen
Elite Refuge Member
Made my flips out of 3/4" metal conduit, radius bent corners, plastic coated wire 2x3" screen over them. They don't weigh much, flip open when you rise with minimal contact. Tie on johnson grass, rice straw to match road/check. Adjustable angle on them, you can leave peek holes thru it, works fine for us.
hunt'ngreen
Elite Refuge Member
Yep... in a club few years back, all older guys in it, they said they used gibsons, everybody set up a blind. They all set them back from the blind, still had a black hole of death for the birds to look at from above...
Made my own cover similar to the Gibson covers for my goose pit. I used a conduit bender and made four of them for this 4 man goose pit. Used foundation stakes on the pivot points. Drove 3/4 inch conduit into the ground around the blind and insert the foundation stakes into those to have a solid point for anchoring. Wire is attached with cable ties. I use 3/4 inch black elastic woven at intervals thru the wire to insert cover.
I have a gas hedge trimmer that I cut cover from another location on the property to insert in the elastic to make the blind blind into the check. Can peek through the cover to watch birds. Easy to push open and shoot!
I have a gas hedge trimmer that I cut cover from another location on the property to insert in the elastic to make the blind blind into the check. Can peek through the cover to watch birds. Easy to push open and shoot!
