Scott Uehling's Waterfowler's Boat Blind has a frame of electrical conduit, which is bent and welded into shape.

Scott Uehling of North Platte, Nebraska designed and built a boat blind during a six-week period of time during the summer and fall of 2006. The blind is built onto a 16-foot aluminum johnboat, which is powered by a 25 hp Mercury outboard motor. He calls it the “Waterfowler’s Boat Blind” and the blind is approximately 14 feet in length and five feet in width, with a two-foot long platform across the bow of the boat. The platform is used for decoy storage as well as for a place for a retriever to sit during a hunt.

The exterior frame is constructed of 1⁄2-inch electrical conduit, which is welded together using a 110-volt arc welder. The frame on the right side of the boat is approximately eights inches lower than the left side. The higher left side allows hunters ample room to sit beneath it, protecting them from the elements and from being spotted by waterfowl looking over the decoys from behind the hunters. The conduit frame is painted with a flat green aerosol paint to prevent the glare of reflected sunlight from potentially alerting incoming waterfowl. The lower elevation of the right side provides easy viewing for hunters when ducks and geese are decoying low to the water.

The outer shell of the blind is made from a vinyl tarp material and it was cut and sewn together by an upholstery shop. The shell was equipped with grommets around the perimeter that allow the shell to be fastened to the frame by using zip ties.

Nylon netting was attached to the outside of the vinyl shell by the use of zip ties. The netting provides a thin layer of material into which grass and tumbleweeds can be inserted or attached with zip ties or string.

The shooting port has eight separate flaps connected by zippers. There are a total of four hunter positions so each hunter has two shooting port options.

The blind has two doors. One door is positioned in the middle of the bow. The other door is positioned in the back of the boat at the left side of the motor. The doors are large enough for hunters to enter and exit easily while dressed in waterfowl hunting clothing and carrying their gear.

The Quaker Wacker: hunt-ready.

Four swivel seats are positioned on the left side of the boat, but they are placed rearward enough to leave adequate space near the bow for the dog to sit. Two catalytic heaters, one at each end, provide warmth for the hunters. There is also a single-burner stove in the middle of the boat for cooking and for providing additional heating when it is needed.

Battery-powered lights are placed throughout the interior of the blind, providing enough light for hunters to ready their equipment in the darkness before a hunt begins.

“This boat and blind has been tested and used on several occasions over the past hunting season,” Uehling said. “So far, the blind has stood up to all of the elements. I am anticipating many years of enjoyment from the blind I built with help from my dad.”