Photographic Hides/Blinds

[Beretta]

Having seen the price of photographic hides in the UK I though you UK photographers might want to consider buying a hunting blind from the US. They are streets cheaper and basically do the same thing.

For example.

Shooting Blind (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/horizontal-item.jsp?id=0033217416980a&navCount=10&podId=0033217&parentId=cat540014&navAction=jump&cmCat=null&catalogCode=QS&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat540014&hasJS=true)

Another one (http://www.wingsupply.com/shop/Scripts/prodViewSKU.asp?SKU=HB004)


$49 is 28 UK Pounds.

Also check out the sales occasionally you can get them even cheaper.

[retep d]

Hi Beretta, I've checked out your suggestion and looked up Hunting Blinds on the web - you are right! The only challenge I have is no one wants to ship a hide to me in the UK. Any Ideas?

Having seen the price of photographic hides in the UK I though you UK photographers might want to consider buying a hunting blind from the US. They are streets cheaper and basically do the same thing.

For example.

Shooting Blind (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/horizontal-item.jsp?id=0033217416980a&navCount=10&podId=0033217&parentId=cat540014&navAction=jump&cmCat=null&catalogCode=QS&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat540014&hasJS=true)

Another one (http://www.wingsupply.com/shop/Scripts/prodViewSKU.asp?SKU=HB004)


$49 is 28 UK Pounds.

Also check out the sales occasionally you can get them even cheaper.

[Corvus Corax]

Hi Beretta,

Fantastic products but i have the same problem as Retep - no one wants to ship to the UK.

Will see which of my mates is coming over next & try to convince them to find room in a suitacase to bring one back as that is the only way around the issue i can think of.

[hillie]

retep d / Karl,
After seeing Beretta's post I ordered the Yukon Snipers Blind online from Cabelas.
I placed the order on Monday 25th July and it was with me in Northern Scotland on Monday 1st Aug. I'm sure a southern UK location would have had it by Friday. Total cost was $49.99 for the blind. Air mail postage was $35 and I was hit for £10 Import / VAT. So total cost was £58. Service from Cabelas was first class with a parcel tracking system showing you where the item was at all times. The product quality was fair, made in China as a lot of things are now days. Erects and folds away in a flash by means of two endless metal hoops. My main use will be around the garden so I,m sure it will give me a few years of service.
Thanks Beretta for the tip off.
John

[Corvus Corax]

Thanks John,

will give it a go

[snowyowl]

On the subject of blinds, I built a blind at the back of my property, overlooking a stretch of tidal river. It's all wood (essentially a box) 5'x4' by 5' high. I haven't found it very effective. I left slot shaped openings on three walls, the width of the blind and about 1' deep. I think that my openings are too big and that the birds are seeing me inside but the opeinings in the few blinds that I've visited and in ones that I've seen picturres of seem much deeper. Anyone with experience of permanent blinds that can give me some advice? I planned to use it for photography. I see ducks fly by and landing upstream but never close to the blind.

[retep d]

[FONT=Arial]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Nice one Hillie, I'll oder one tonight - many thanks Peter D



retep d / Karl,
After seeing Beretta's post I ordered the Yukon Snipers Blind online from Cabelas.
I placed the order on Monday 25th July and it was with me in Northern Scotland on Monday 1st Aug. I'm sure a southern UK location would have had it by Friday. Total cost was $49.99 for the blind. Air mail postage was $35 and I was hit for £10 Import / VAT. So total cost was £58. Service from Cabelas was first class with a parcel tracking system showing you where the item was at all times. The product quality was fair, made in China as a lot of things are now days. Erects and folds away in a flash by means of two endless metal hoops. My main use will be around the garden so I,m sure it will give me a few years of service.
Thanks Beretta for the tip off.
John

[retep d]

Hi John (Hillie)
Just to let you know that I took delivery of my Yukon Tracks Hide today. Very pleased with the service from Cabela's, 7 days from order to delivery with shipment tracking via UPS. I seem to have fare a little better than you as I was only hit for £5.06 in Duty!

My next challenge is going to be how to get the best from the hides use. How do you utilise your hide? Do you 'bait' the area or do you a sit and wait and grab whatever opportunties that come your way?

Many thanks for your advice and also to you Beretta for your initial suggestion you've saved me around £120.00.
Regards
Peter D

[hillie]

Peter,
Glad it worked out ok. I have ordered a few things from the States over the last few years and I am always impressed with the service and the cost. Biggest item was some woodworking sash clamp heads weighing 56lb (25kg). Ordered on the Sunday and delivered on the Thursday and a third of the cost of UK prices.

I have tried various methods of photographing birds. I have two feeders in the garden, both surrounded by trees. I sit around the areas and just wait. Recently I have tried baiting logs and setting my camera up on a tripod with a remote. When I do this I usually get the camera set up so I frame a known area, that way when birds land you know they will be in shot. It takes an hour or so for the birds to accept the set up. I was setting this up last Saturday when a young robin landed in the trees in front of me and I managed to fire off a few shots hand held. My first picture posted on this site. My second photo was a woodpecker which I have been trying to get a shot of for some time. I mistakenly said it has been around for a couple of years, but after checking, I now know it’s a juvenile. There has been a adult male around for 2 years or so.
I have tried the hide a few times but the weather has been terrible at the weekends, it must have some kind of trigger effect, every time I get it out it’s rained within 5 minutes. It’s a good job it packs so easy. I will keep you posted how I get on with it. Let me know how you do.


John

[Corvus Corax]

Hi Guys,

Well, my hide arrived yesterday & like a little kid I was out in the garden yesterday evening playing "be the bush", hehehe.

Like Peter the courier only hit me for £5.88 duty - I have no idea if the duty has something to do with the exchange rate on the day of receipt - and I am super pleased with both the Yukon hide and Cabela's level of customer service, it really does put the majority of stores in the UK to shame.

I agree with Hillie that practising in the garden with well placed feeders is an excellent learning method, it will improve your confidence no end before you venture out into the wild.

Many thanks Beretta & Hillie you have saved me loads.

[retep d]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your input. Thought you might like to see my first efforts from the hide. I've been feeding my local flock of Goldfinches on niger seed for some time now, so I proped up an old teasel next to the feeder, the birds queuing for the feeder had somewhere to wait and it looked more natural.

[hillie]

Peter,
Good shots. They do look more natural

[helenol]

Quick question about the Yukon Snipers Blind, how large is the "window"? Are they adjustable, in that you can zip them up to produce just enough room to stick the camera lens through? They look to me to be a little large?

Are you setting up your camera on a tripod inside, or handheld?

Thanks.

[helenol]

Anyone?

[Nigel G]

Anyone?

;) Looks like they are too busy playing in the garden Helen !!!!

[helenol]

LOL! Reminds me of the Monty Python sketch where the bush was blown up in the middle of the field!

[retep d]

Quick question about the Yukon Snipers Blind, how large is the "window"? Are they adjustable, in that you can zip them up to produce just enough room to stick the camera lens through? They look to me to be a little large?

Are you setting up your camera on a tripod inside, or handheld?

Thanks.

Hi Helen,
Apologies for the delay in responding - been away.
There are three 'windows' and a 'door' each of which have three zips so you can adjust the openings to suit your needs.
I have used my tripod (Benbo Tracker) and a small collapsible stool and there is still plenty of room for camera bags etc.

Peter

[retep d]

Helen,

I've taken a few pics of the Hide to hopefully show how the 'windows' work/look.

[retep d]

It looks like I'm not the only one who appreciates my new hide - me thinks there's a conflict of interests :eek!:

Peter

[helenol]

That's great Pete, thanks for the info. Oh dear, I can see where my 2 cats will be straight away!

[Corvus Corax]

Hi all,

apologies for the non-response, Nigel was nearly right about playing in the garden, I was actually playing in the countryside (I was ringing all weekend & have only just got back to the computer).

Nice photo's of the Goldfinch Peter - looks like you are onto a winner - one bonus of having the cat INSIDE the hide is that the birds will be a lot happier & more confident OUTSIDE the hide. hehe!

Did a quick set up test when my hide arrived & it looks plenty large enough for my Manfrotto 055 and a small stool plus my photo backpack (plus 6'3" of me), so no worries there - other than the usual despairing looks from my better half.

One thing I do plan to do is fit adjustable screens inside the windows - I have a few old mossie nets (both green and black) and intend to cut sections larger than the fully open window apertures, sew both colours to a piece of hooky velcro in order that they are removeable then contact adhesive the furry side of the velcro above the inside of the windows - with ties added this means I can leave the windows open for ventilation and all round view (plus cooling if we ever get any nice weather) and roll up the screens on the window I am shooting from, plus choose the best colour to match my surroundings.

With my usual scrim scarf & camo lens covers, this should reduce bird disruption to a minimum.

Will let you know how I get on soon, providing my neighbours don't think I have finally lost the plot entirely & call in the men in white coats!!!.

[helenol]

Received mine yesterday. Very impressed with it, considering the price.

Paid just short of £10 import VAT.

Karl - Apparantly, it all depends on the goods, and what category the person at this end decides to categorise them in, which will determine the final amount you pay to the courier. Not a good system at all, but there you go.

[Pelerin]

Hi Helen,

I followed in the footsteps of the others and sent for a blind, not the Youkon Sniper version, but the -wait for it - "AMERISTEP OUTHOUSE BLIND", this one was $59.99 and is ??? showerproof.Strangely it looks exactly the same as RETEP D s version.

I also got a T shirt and a cap and I paid £11 vat/dutyfor the 3 items.

Going back to the blind/hide it is amazing at how quick it is to put up and take down and how light it is to carry.
Regards Pelrin.

[helenol]

HI Pelrin, Yes, it's the names that I like. I bet the courier wondered what the hell we were up to - Snipers Blind! In large writing. No wonder he didn't charge much duty.

Ah yes, the putting it up bit. I found out the hard way how fast it puts itself up!

Taking it down took a little more doing, but got the hang of it.

[Corvus Corax]

It looks like these blinds are really starting to catch on!

Pelrin - I think that maybe one company makes these hides & different companies then "badge" them under their own name, so it could be yours & the Yukon are the same.

Helen - I am intrigued by "I found out the hard way how fast it puts itself up!" - was this an indoors event? do tell.

Following another weekend of field work (literally in a field) I am happy to report just how robust these hides are, the curtains are fitted & work a treat, minimal bird disturbance & excellent shots of Dipper & Kingfisher obtained plus one dry birder & kit following a HUGE thunderstorm - thank goodness I had pitched the hide amogst a hedgerow and not in the wide open field!!!!

Have fun everyone.

[helenol]

Helen - I am intrigued by "I found out the hard way how fast it puts itself up!" - was this an indoors event? do tell.

Er, yes it was. Well, it wasn't intended, I took it out of the bag, and it took on a life of its own - indoors. I wont tell you what my other half said. Along the lines of "Why didn't *********** outdoors"? |:||

[Pelerin]

Karl,
I have not really had the chance to try mine out, but I did notice that it did get hot, and your idea of putting up the camo scrim as curtains for venting is a good suggestion, any other observations/short commings you might like to pass on to the rest of us.
Regards Pelerin.

[Corvus Corax]

OOPS! - just count yourself lucky your other half allows birding bits indoors (I am strictly confined to the garage & garden) - ah well it all adds variety to a relationship, hehehe!

Pelerin - I agree that without ventilation the hide will become uncomfortable quite quickly in hot weather (living in Wales this is not something I need to worry about) and whilst the windows allow for excellent airflow I feel the addition of mesh screens reduces the chance of disruption to birds.

These hides are light, really light, and as such are prone to the effects of the wind - Peter's photos show the "skirt" around the bottom of the hide into which I have fitted large plastic reinforcing grommets, 3 per side, which allow me to spike the hide down using large plastic tent pegs. Both items are available from all good outdoor / camping shops.

Lack of any sewn in groundsheet means you need to keep an eye open for water ingress during bad weather if you intend leaving rucksacks / bags on the floor (another option is to turf over the skirt on the outside but this is only worth considering if you are going to have the hide set up several days).

I cannot find anything negative to say about the hide, it is cheap, light, well made, quickly assembled (as Helen found out), spacious and weatherproof - what more can you ask for?

[Pelerin]

Karl,

Many thanks for the very usefull info, especially the "rising damp".

Regards Pelerin.

[postcardcv]

Quick question for all you blind users... what sort of dimensions are they when packed away? My sister is going to the US next week and I was considering getting her to bring one back for me... but don't want to ask if will end up filling her suitcase.

[deborahp]

Quick question for all you blind users... what sort of dimensions are they when packed away? My sister is going to the US next week and I was considering getting her to bring one back for me... but don't want to ask if will end up filling her suitcase.

The larger blinds being discussed here could easily fill a suitcase. They weigh roughly 10 lbs and have spring/ steel frames. You can get some idea of the options available here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/103-6641859-4499067?_encoding=UTF8&node=3413441&no=3412851&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I've seen these at Walmart and the boxes they come in are quite large. The blinds don't look easily portable, but I plan to try one anyway.

In the meantime, a package of the camo blind material (which actually costs only half as much as indicated in that ad) is plenty to drape a tripod and camera or bins, and it only adds 380 grams to a backpack. Together with a matching camo hat, sweatshirt, pants, and backpack, I've found birding prospects are greatly improved vs. regular clothing if you don't plan to sit in one place for as long as you would with a blind.

The material is something she could easily bring back without filling her suitcase if you'd have any use for it.

[hillie]

Postcard, the box is just over 2ft square. As Deborah says they are endless spring steel frames. I'm not sure if you would be able to further reduce the size. I will try when I get home tonight.

[snapper]

Received mine yesterday. Very impressed with it, considering the price.

Paid just short of £10 import VAT.

Karl - Apparantly, it all depends on the goods, and what category the person at this end decides to categorise them in, which will determine the final amount you pay to the courier. Not a good system at all, but there you go.If you ask the company when you order stuff from the USA to mark it as a gift you will not have to pay the duty. Regards Snapper.