Building the Ultimate Legacy Duck Blind

This video documents the journey of building the ultimate, legacy duck blind. Set on the edge of a marsh between a small lake and a wood duck roost, it was built to withstand the test of time and to provide hunting opportunities for generations into the future. A few very unique building techniques are employed, as this isn't just your average duck blind built to simply make it thru the next duck season. Enjoy the journey...........

[@privatepilot4064]

My Dad was a charter member of Ducks Unlimited. He did a lot of duck hunting back in the 50s. I’ve got his Browning Sweet Sixteen. Awesome bird gun. Grew up in Michigan but haven’t lived there since 1988. Hunted and fished all over the state. Enjoy your videos.

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

Thank you!

[@johnvrabec9747]

You had me at "Northern Michigan". One of most favorite places on Earth. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your fellowship.

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@nickmantello8702]

Awesome 🦆duck blind very touching ending to your video

[@mlhjr90]

Great video, like the message at the end about legacy and what you've passed along to your kids.

[@rufasgutz7656]

What a wonderful view on life and the inevitable nature held therein and I'm certain your kids and with luck grand kids will have many many years of success in that wonderful blind. God bless you sir.

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

Thanks very much for your positive comments!

[@jameycosby3965]

Very nice blind. Congratulations you have left a legacy for your children and grandchildren.

[@bangswitch6587]

I often talk to my coworkers about being part of watching a sunrise unfold. Many of them have never witnessed first hand the beauty of a sunrise in the wild. The fall smell ar duck season, the slight fog lifting off of the water on a cool fall morning, the dew that formed overnight inside the duck blind that coats everything, the sky as the sun starts to brighten, the sound of wings and the very faint whistles as the first pair of ducks fly low overhead, which starts the adrenaline pumping ..... So many people never had the opportunity to behold something do simple yet so powerful. Beautiful narration, video, & the love of waterfowling. God bless!

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

I'm so glad someone else 'gets it'! Thanks very much for your comments, much appreciated!

[@henryrodgers3409]

Wow . Thank you for a beautiful video . You certainly don't do anything part way . First a beautiful cabin and now a beautiful duck blind . I went duck hunting once and it wasn't my thing . Just too much work . LOL . I'm more of a deer hunter . Very lucky to have a great friend like Craig . Same goes for your wonderful family . You are a man with many talents and that includes your friend Craig . Love your videos .

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

Thank you Henry. I appreciate your kind comments!

[@baconweave5159]

This channel is exactly what I needed right now. Excellent videos

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@watchyourtonex6989]

I don't even duck hunt but I am really interested in this build lol

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

Thank you!

[@klk0195]

Very impressive build and video!!

[@B0obJunior]

Dude, incredible!

[@alexalmon395]

Well done…right on!

[@bakervinci163]

Attention to detail, works in your favor every single time. Maybe not to the degree you want, but it works.

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

Very true! Thanks

[@charlesmeyer9006]

Good job!

[@mothergoose4231]

good stuff

[@sowhat5939]

very nice

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

Thanks

[@ftaggies8863]

Fantastic video and thanks for doing it. Curious as to how the come alongs work and how you installed them. Any photos? Also, if you wanted to add a dog ramp and dog platform, how do you think that could be incorporated?

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

The come alongs have worked great, thus far no problems at all! Sorry, no photos but they were heavy duty type purchased from a big box supply store. Adding a dog ramp would be very easy to do, simply cut a hole in the front panel. I'd suggest putting the end of the ramp on floats and hinge the back of the ramp to the blind so that as the water level goes up and down the ramp will follow w/o need to adjust it. Good luck!

[@erinmonahan6178]

Very cool build, thanks for sharing. Can you link to where you got the floor-mount gun boots? I've done a little sleuthing and can't seem to find a similar thing. Thanks!

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

Erin, this is what I used: www.amazon.com/Assperatus-secure-Blinds-Vehicles-Hunting/dp/B016WMZOL4

[@allenwithers9389]

Nice blind! How did you set the post in the mud? Did you have to vibrate them or did gravity take them on down. Also was there any settling in the post after the fact?

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

Allen, you likely noticed in the video the tripod we used to raise the steel posts vertical before we set them into the water/ice.......we did that because the steel posts weighed several hundred pounds. When lowered into the water and mud, they sink on their own. There are couplings that connect several pieces of steel post together, so as we did this, it added more and more weight. After building the deck, adding more weight, there was a little more settling, but ironically not much. We adjusted the deck to be level with the come alongs and then built the blind. AFter season #1, there was only about a 1-2" change in the supports......not much, and easily adjusted with the come-alongs. Since year #1, no change at all! When you put 5 people in the blind, you add 1000# which is lots of weight so the posts really hit a dead stop! We thought about footings (12"square)on the bottom of the supports but decided that they were more likely to hang up and slowly sink year after year.

[@bakervinci163]

Beautiful blind. Having built 100’s of blinds, the only problem I see is you have limited yourself to one or two wind directions. You guys need a small surface drive motor.

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

I only own a portion of the lake, and by law the blind has to be 'grounded' on my property. The good news is that our prevailing winds are from the West and North, so the way the blind is situated birds land into the wind and approach you head on!

[@bakervinci163]

Great blind. Having built 100’s of blinds, the only issue I see is you have limited yourself to only one or two wind directions.

[@Michigan_Backwoods]

Thank you! Unfortunately, any permanent blind limits you to only one perfect wind condition. In this case, the prevailing winds from the North which create a migration flight are from our back, putting the landing ducks coming into our face......but, prevailing winds are only prevailing when they prevail, and they don't always prevail on my schedule! :)