Why Layout Blinds Suck

Why Layout Blinds Suck

Layout blinds suck. There I said it. It is something that waterfowl hunters have known, but no one has had the guts to say out loud, because of how blasphemous the statement sounds. Don’t get me wrong, layout blinds are also great. They give you the opportunity to get up close and personal with birds coming into the decoy and are usually fairly portable. Other than that, they are terrible. If you want to take out a first time hunter and guarantee that they will never come back, do it in a layout blind.

History of Layouts

The invention and development of the layout blind came as no surprise. When it comes to waterfowl hunting there are certain truths that stand the test of time with the most obvious being that you can’t kill them if you can’t get to them. Birds, whether on water or on land, prefer landing in open spaces as opposed to landing close to vegetation. Before the addition of the layout blind, hunters were forced to hug tight to fence and tree lines hoping that they could call birds in close enough to get a shot off. You can be successful doing this, but eventually you’ll be left watching birds land in the middle of the field while you are stuck on the edge.

Layout blinds put you right in the heart of the action. Their low profile design allows them to seamlessly disappear in some of the most wide open landscapes out there. In fact, if you brush a layout blind to absolute perfection you can even fool a farmer into thinking you are just part of his field. Add to this the excitement of birds sometimes literally landing on top of you and you have yourself a great tool in the toolbox. But overall comfort is lacking with most layouts and they add unnecessary strain on a lot of hunters.

Comfort

Despite the benefits of layout blinds, such as their weight and size, they still are not the most enjoyable way to hunt migrating waterfowl, especially later in the season. They lack any essence of comfort with even some of the higher-end models leaving you wishing you were using a classic A frame. They can’t be that bad right? Let me tell you about it.

Firstly, with layout blinds you find yourself lying in whatever it is that the ground might be like at the time. In most cases this is usually fresh sloppy mud that tends to get everywhere and is a pain to clean. Secondly, if there is any form of precipitation coming down, which is a constant in waterfowl hunting, you will be pelted in the face for however long you dare to endure. Finally, when it comes to true late season hunts, you can kiss any ideas of staying warm goodbye. The blind’s, and your back’s, constant contact with the ground means that you will be leaking heat into the mud and stubble beneath you.

Increased Difficulty

Hunting from traditional blinds does not take much intuition from a set-up stand point. You find vertical vegetation, if lucky, and brush accordingly until it blends in with its surroundings. With a layout you have to take into account that you are brushing in a different, horizontal, plane. On top of this, every time you open your blind doors or remove your blanket you are losing brush, so that as the hunt progresses you are becoming less and less hidden. No bueno.

Shooting also becomes more complicated in layout blinds versus traditional ones. Instead of standing up into a more practical shooting position, you are forced to sit-up and shoot above your head. This poses an issue within certain populations, and I have personally seen guys give up a hunt after realizing they couldn’t sit up in time to take any ethical shots. Lastly, there are plenty of horror stories of people shooting off their toes because of the required positioning of your shotgun while waiting between volleys, so caution is a must when hunting out of layouts.

Final Thoughts

Are layout blinds the scourge of the earth? Definitely not, but I would rather spend a day without seeing ducks in a box blind than a day with some shooting in a layout. The quirkiness of their design tends to be what limits their ability to provide comfort. Add to that the number of safety issues as well as some hunters issue with shouldering from a lower position and you have more than enough reasons to throw that overpriced sleeping bag in the garbage for good.

If you’re an avid waterfowl hunter looking for comfort and convenience, you certainly should check out 12 Point’s QUACK SHACK.