Hunter Tip
by Bill Mays
Wing and Clay Editor

A good percentage of the rice is now harvested and it’s time to start getting your rice blinds ready for the upcoming season. I have had a rice blind for over 20 years and we have set our rice check up for easy walking to the blind and a mud free tank. We have always taken rice straw and covered the check from where you park your ATV to the far end of the decoy spread.

This not only makes for sure footing while traveling to the blind, it makes the blind mud free and a comfortable warm place for the dog to lie. If you use blocker fences to cover the hole, gradually build up the rice straw so the blocker fences are not too high above the check.

If you have never used blocker fences Gibson Duck Blind Covers are the perfect blind blocker fences for covering that black hole and increasing your success rate. www.gibsonduckblindcovers.com. 

Hunters can purchase bails of rice straw and it is very inexpensive. It’s usually between 3-4 dollars a bail and it takes about 25 bales to cover 150 yards of check surface. We used to be able to pitchfork the rice straw on throw it up on the check, but today’s harvesters don’t leave much in the fields anymore.