How to Build a Duck Blind for a Boat? (Scissor-style Blind)

The beautiful duck decoys, deadly shotgun, and perfect duck calls will all become useless without a good hide. The moment the ducks spot you, your chance starts to run low.

Fortunately, you don’t need an expensive blind kit to hide from ducks, there are many simple duck blind plans you can do by yourself, such as a beavertail, scissor-style, or Jon boat duck blind. In this article, I will guide you through how to build a duck blind for a boat!

What You Need

To build a scissor-style boat duck blind, you’ll need:

You should also prepare these tools:

Steps to Build a Scissor Blind for Duck Hunting

Step 1. Install the base of the frame

To start, decide where you want to place your blind. Do you want it to cover the entire length of your boat? Or do you want to fit it in the middle part only?

When you have decided, mark the four corners you want to put on the base of the frame. Then, use the screwdriver to install a U-shaped bracket in each corner. They should form a right-angled rectangular.

Don’t mount the brackets too far forward or backward. We understand that you might want to cover as much of your boat as possible, but trees and water obstacles can damage and rip off big blinds.

Step 2. Make four pieces of EMT conduit to form the “scissors”

Now, measure the distance from the center of one bracket to its opposite, following the width of your boat. On the 3/4″ EMT conduit you prepared, mark the length you just measured and cut accordingly.

You should place the pipe cutter on the mark, lock it, and rotate it to cut. Repeat this step to make four pieces of EMT conduit of the same length.

If you want to build a PVC duck boat blind, you can replace the EMT conduit with PVC pipes.

Step 3. Secure the four conduits to the U-shaped brackets

On one end of a conduit, measure in one inch and drill a hole. Place one bolt through the drill hole and secure the conduit to the U-shaped bracket. Repeat this step for each piece.

Try lifting the conduits and folding them down to see if they move smoothly. This is the base of your DIY pop-up boat blind.

Step 4. Add the roof to the frame

Place one 90-degree angle conduit on top of each straight conduit and connect them using one screw coupling. Make sure the angled pieces face the length of your boat and the curve points downward.

Measure the distance from the angled conduit on the bow to the one on the stern. Cut two pieces of straight conduit following that length. After that, push two screw couplings to both ends and connect them to the angled conduits.

This video will help you visualize the frame:

Step 5. Install the wire lock pins

When you lift the frame, it will form an X shape on both ends. Place a wire lock pin where the conduits intersect and tighten it. When you finish, pull the lock pin to fold it down.

Step 6. Paint the frame (optional)

You can leave the frame bare or coat it with brown exterior paint. The coat will prevent the metal from corroding and make it invisible to the ducks.

Step 7. Hang the camouflage netting

With a measuring tape, measure from the top of the frame to the bottom of your boat. You can cover the roof or leave it open for clear shooting sights.

Cut the camouflage netting accordingly and hang it using zip ties. You should use one zip tie every six inches to ensure the netting won’t collapse.

To better blend into the surroundings, cover the entire blind with grass. You can buy man-made grass or use natural grass on the landscape, but always beware of mold and insects. The aim is to make your blind look as natural as possible. Homemade duck boat blinds work best when they thoroughly blend into the surroundings.

The grass can make it difficult to set up and close your duck boat blind frame. So, avoid adding too much. You don’t want it to slide down and drag into the water.

Step 8. Finish up

Your DIY duck boat blind is done! Other conduit duck boat blind plans might take you half an hour to set up, but a scissor-style frame will take less than five minutes to pop up and close. The blind can cover up to three people, so don’t forget to invite some friends on your next hunting trip.

Go ahead and finish it up by trimming the zip ties and spraying paint to cover them. You can add a door for your dog.

The door is now ready for your dog to go in and out. Fasten the velcro when you want to close it.

Conclusion

With your dog at your feet, coffee brewing in the back, shotgun by your side, and blind to cover it all up, you will gather captivating hunting experiences. If you find our guide on how to build a duck blind for a boat helpful, please share it with your fellow hunters. Or maybe, ask a few friends to join you in this DIY project.

William Hart

Working to create content for Marine Talk has always been a fascinating experience. I get to travel, absorb knowledge about boating, and tackle all the issues when we sail into freedom!