How do you make a duck blind?

You poke it in the eye with a stick.

What were you expecting?

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

It’s that time of year again.  There’s a little cool snap in the air, a little less humidity, and it’s time to either freshen up or build your duck blind.  Some of you might recall our duck hunting adventures from last year–Termite was learning the ropes!

This year he wanted to make his own blind rather than use a “boat blind” like we did last year.  He had his spot chosen from last year and knew just what he wanted to do, which was prepare a blind he could drive his boat into and hunt from rather than have to disembark and unload all his gear.

The idea sounded good, and it only took him a couple days to talk me into helping him out.  Turns out, I didn’t have a tour Saturday, so I really had no excuse not to help him.  I mean, my boat was still in the water, and we could launch his little boat easily enough.  So, we picked up his buddy and off we went to find the raw materials.

Lest you think these are just noxious roadside  weeds, let me set your straight.  These cane we call roseau (rozo) are phragmites, or common reed.  There’s a gold mine here for any industrious teens who don’t mind a little hard work, blisters, and sore muscles.  Currently, they sell for $10 a bundle of 100.

My older sons, who had each other for help and encouragement, cut roseau cane by the hundreds for a few years in a row when they were teens.  Back then, the price was only $5 a bundle, but one October, they made about $1600 cutting and selling roseau cane to hunters to build their duck blinds.  Believe me–they earned every penny.

But I digress. We’re talking about Termite now–the baby of the family and an entirely different breed of kid.  Okay, he’s spoiled, but I’m not the only one who has contributed to that debilitating condition.

Termite and K-Dog set to work right away with their cane knives, while I sat nearby in the truck reading.  Yes, you heard me correctly.  I decided to just relax for a change!  (Photo blurry = operator error!)

Once they had three bundles, they loaded them into the back of the pickup.

Back at Camp Dularge, they took them from my truck and loaded them into my boat.  After we launched Termite’s small boat, K-Dog rode with me and the roseau . . .while Termite decided to play chicken with this guy.  PLEASE watch where you’re going, son.

After about a ten-minute boat ride, we were outside our entrance.  The boys used their noodles and decided that putting the bundles on this earthen dam would be the best way to get the roseau onto the lease, since my big boat can’t fit through the gate.

I saw you squinting, trying to read those signs.  I made it easy for you!  Pay no attention to those signs.  We don’t!  All kidding aside, that sign does not apply to us because we pay (along with a dozen other folks) to hunt this section.  Hopefully, the signs keep the poachers out.

And then they headed through the gate, while I waited in my boat timing them to see how long it would take them to . . .

go around through the hunting lease and back to the other side of this earthen dam (ten minutes) . . .

where they then loaded the bundles into the small boat.

And off they go.  Two boys and three bundles of roseau cane, heading out into the marshy wilderness to create a place from which Termite will ambush waterfowl in the days to come.

Like any good mom, I issued all the usual cautions:

“Don’t fall overboard.  K-Dog, don’t drop your cell phone in the water.  Call me if you need me.  Don’t cut your hand off with that cane knife.  Watch out for snakes.  Don’t go riding all over the lease.”

I thought I might go cruise around for a bit and look for fishy water or photo ops; but the beauty of the day and the need to relax won out.  I tied up to a tree, stabbed the Cajun anchor, and pulled out a book.  After that, I lay down and closed my eyes.

And before I could finish my day-dream, they were finished.  K-Dog got in the boat with me, and we headed back in.

“Come on, Mom, let’s race!”

No fair!  How can I race you and take pictures?  Truth is, that little 9.9 HP engine outran my 75 HP!  Does that surprise you?

I’m sorry I don’t have a photo of the blind.  That will come at a later date when I’ve had a chance to go out there in the small boat with him.

After we returned to the camp, it was time to play musical boats at Camp Dularge.  We took his boat out of the water and parked it at the camp.  Then we  hooked up to my trailer and took my boat out of the water and parked it at the camp.  And the mudboat had to be jockeyed around to make room for these two boats.  Let’s just say, I got my exercise jumping in and out of the truck hooking up to and unhooking from boat trailers!

You know, it turned out to be a beautiful day, even though I thought I was going to town and meet up with Dotter and do some girlie things like shopping and eating.  The day got away from me, but I have no regrets.  The stores and restaurants will still be there another weekend, but duck season just wont’ wait, will it?

And you all know, I would never, ever poke a duck in the eye with a stick, right?

BW

PS  It’s time for our Community Coffee winner from the previous post.  The winner is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

8

Timestamp: 2009-11-08 22:26:34 UTC

Comment number 8 is newcomer, Kristina Long!  Congratulations!  Please visit Community Coffee and choose a travel tumbler and email me your mailing address pronto so that can go out to you this week!