 Photography Blinds
These blinds can be very convenient with their fast set up and out of the weather capabilities. I like this type of blind for photographing ducks and herons on beaver ponds in the spring of the Leaf-O-Flage: This is nothing more than camouflage material with jagged cuts throughout. Camo Burlap:
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year.
However, some of the more wary birds will shy away from them unless properly
set up. The first step is to get landowner permission. Now watch the pond from
a distance with binoculars to select an active spot. One of my favorite beaver
ponds is hour glass shaped. By placing the blind in the narrowest part of this
hour glass, I am assured that any ducks passing from the upper to lower pond,
or vice versa, will be relatively close. If possible set the blind up with some
sort of backdrop. A side hill or a group of trees behind the blind will help
break up the silhouette of the blind. You should also look for any dead branches in the
area to stick in the ground around the blind, Dead grasses can be attached to tie down loops
and laid on the top of the blind. The longer the blind is left in
one spot, the more tolerant the local wildlife will become. The blind pictured here is marketed
by Ameristep, however you may choose to shop around. Several sizes and
styles are offered by Cabela's. I like the Ameristep Doghouse. The shadow guard (black interior) works great for wary subjects, as it keeps
the inside of the blind very dark. I will sometimes cover my blind with, army surplus
tank cover. This allows me to weave dead grass and dead cattails from the surrounding
area into the tank cover. 
The piece that I use is approximately 16 ft x 5 ft. This stuff is great when
calling wildlife to within camera range. It is very portable and rather quick
to set up. Critters that can be lured by the use of a call include fox, coyote,
hawks, owls, turkey, ducks and many more. Armed with camera, calls, and a piece
of foam to sit on, I pick a likely spot and sit on the ground with the leaf-o-flage
wrapped around myself and my gear. The lower you can get to the ground, the
better. Not only is your silhouette less obvious but it also allows a more eye
level view in the resulting photos. Clothes pins can be very handy for securing
the material around the lens, tripod, and yourself. Leaf-o-flage was a brand name that I can no longer find however, you can find some great alternatives
in outdoor supply catalogs like Cabela's. Go to Cabela's web site and do a search for blind materials. ( It comes in many colors to match your
surrounding terrain.)
Camouflaged
burlap has many of the same attributes as the blinds mentioned above, but at a lower cost. I have
used the standard colored burlap and spray painted it to match the surroundings.
You can either build a wooden frame and wrap the burlap cover around all the
pieces to carry it to your destination or you can build a makeshift frame out
of dead branches tied together with jute, and then drape the burlap over and
around. Use safety pins or fine cord for attaching grasses to the outside of
the burlap. This, of course, isn't nearly as fast a set up as either leaf-o-flage or a tent blind,
but it works great if your going to be set up for a couple of weeks.