When I want to spend a day hunting duck or goose without having to compete with large numbers of other hunters searching for the best spots in Colorado’s State Wildlife Areas, I drop in to the Minturn Anglers hunting shop in Vail and sometimes Denver, Colorado. For a very modest fee, I can rent an established blind for a day in a location on the Eagle River, knowing that Minturn guides have identified it as a best site for the birds I want. What could be easier?

Sometimes when I’m in my blind waiting for the next flock to appear, I imagine the design possibilities of building my own blind. What could I do if I had longer term access to a productive hunting spot and a few (or more) thousand dollars to spend?

I’ve heard of blinds being built with back rooms, flush toilets and complete kitchens. Some hunters have gone so far as to install electric lights and heating systems. I’ve seen photo layouts of hunter’s blinds fitted with sleeping quarters, televisions and even theatre seats. Would I include internet access, I wondered?

Being of a more practical nature, I came back to the basics. If I were to build one, I’d want the blind to be hidden and large enough for my buddies and me to be comfortable. The plan is still coming together, but here are some aspects I’d incorporate in my hunting blind:

• A 8X10 foot structure set on concrete with floor boards slightly apart to allow for drainage
• Treated plywood walls covered in weatherproof fabric
• A roof that provides headroom
• Camouflaged drop down shooting panels
• Comfortable chairs
• Concealing the structure with olive paint, camouflage netting, vines weeds and other vegetation
• Tying saplings to posts around the structure to simulate naturally growing trees

The possibilities are endless, and the task a pleasing one. In the meantime, as I dream about my hunting blind construction, I am enjoying a very comfortable and successful hunting session from inside my Minturn Anglers blind. Gotta go – I hear the honking!