If you want to decoy geese, you are going to need to learn how to conceal your blind. Waterfowl are very smart and if they see something out of place during an approach, they are very likely to avoid the area. Therefore, if you are using a blind, you need to learn the best ways to conceal it in a variety of settings. If you are the reason geese are avoiding the area, you will not only have to explain to the wife why she needs to go food shopping tonight, but you may also find yourself in front of a lot of angry goose hunters (who just happen to have loaded shotguns)!

Basic Blind Concealment Tips

Just as in sales, location is everything when it comes to placing the blinds on your Missouri goose hunting trip. Pick your spot carefully and make use of the natural terrain of the area. Ideally, pick a spot that allows you to get as low as possible, more or less making the blind even with the terrain to help reduce shadows and make the blind less visible to the geese as they are flying overhead.

You are going to need to cover and brush the area when your blind is completed, but you will need to use brush away from your hunting area. However, keep in mind you must use brush that looks identical the brush around your blind. If not, the area will look out of place to the geese and could possibly keep them from landing in your hunting zone.

In terms of the blind itself, you are going to need to rough it up a little before placing it if it is brand new. Unfortunately, the stores do not display or sell them in “hunting” condition. They look great coming out of the box but if you use them like that, they will stick out like a sore thumb. Before taking it on your trip, “mud it up” a little bit to get that factory shine off it.

Concealing Your Blind on Different Terrains

Depending upon the time of the year and location, you may face different terrains and conditions when setting up a blind. You will need to know how to address every scenario to keep your blind concealed properly:

•   Cornfields – the best scenario for a duck and goose hunter is a field with knocked down stalks. Concealing the blind is fairly easy in this setting as you can dig out an area and cover the blind with the knocked down stalks. A plowed field presents a bit more of a challenge, though, as you are going to have to match the blind to various patterns of the terrain by stuffing the straps with stubble and mudding the outside of the blind to match the ground.
•  Green colored fields – not an ideal situation for a traditional camo blind, but not impossible to hide, either. This will take a lot of work and time in preparing both the area and the blind. Assuming you are in a group, split everyone up and have half the people spread out to gather vegetation to stuff the straps and cover the blind and have the other half prepare the actual area for the blind. Observe the area from a distance to ensure that you have created an area that perfectly blends into the terrain.
•  Mud – this is not pleasant for a lot of people, but with some practice, you can become invisible. The key here is in using mud from the area where your blind will be created so it blends in perfectly. You can apply the “local” mud to the blind with a brush to completely cover it. If there are patches of vegetation in the area, use this as well to blend in. •
• Peas or Soybean fields – the challenge here is the height of the cover. In most cases, the vegetation will be low to the ground, which means your blind also needs to be low. Because the vegetation is so small, it is not as easy to use on the blind. However, you can use “local” mud to cover your blind and then add the vegetation to it that way (meaning that you are using the mud like glue). This also presents a challenge in that it may cause the blind to collapse under the weight, so you really need to be careful to ensure the blind remains stable during the process.
• Snow – this may actually be the easiest of all conditions to conceal your blind. While they do sell covers, they do not always blend in when seen from a distance above the ground.  In a case where a snow cover won’t work, invest in a case of snow flocking. Yes, almost the same stuff you spray on your windows and tree during Christmas. It better matches the color and texture of snow and it is actually very easy to clean off the blind when you are done.

In whatever situation by paying close attention to the surrounding area and brushing your blind properly you can be assured the geese won’t spot you on your next Missouri goose hunting trip.