Diy Hide project.

For quite a while now I’ve been fancying trying using a hide. Things began to take shape when my son was cleaning his bedroom and he gave me an old igloo tent (one of those with the fibre glass rods joined with elastic. ) I’ve been doing quite a bit research googling hides the tent material is blue and silver and although I have seen a article where someone sprayed the material camo colours I think it would be to cramped for me.I am going to use the fibre rods as up rights, and I sort of visualise the camera tripod leg being part of the frame work. I have ordered a piece of camouflage material 3m by 1.5m. I’ve also ordered a camouflage poncho that I can use in the construction it will also be useful on a day to day basis due to the amount of rain we get.As to where I’m going going to set up I’ve been walking in a wooded area, I’ve heard owls nearby on a morning and what I think is woodpecker. I’ve seen deer tracks in the mud and there seems to be quite a few animal pathways criss crossing the area. I’ve also found a squirrel feeder fixed to a tree half full of nuts and stuff.

My camo net and poncho arrived on Friday so Saturday I was up and out bright and early. I set up my hide which was ready really just a screen that I was standing behind a pheasant came into view squawked and flew straight away other bird were blackbirds and blue and great tit nothing I could not photograph through my dinning room window. Meanwhile in the distance and in the direction of the lake I could hear the honking of geese, “Why am I standing here while all that’s going on over there?”As the area lit up I began to tell myself it was not a very good spot to set up a hide to close to the bushes for photos. So after about three hours I packed up and headed for the lake and got some photos of birds in flight and a pair of Reed Bunting.Next day went out in the afternoon to a different area nearby I had added tent pegs to my hide kit. Today I made a much better hide I just used the tent poles to make a frame and put the net over the frame I tied one opening shut with string leaving a hole for viewing through and to darken it down I hung the poncho around the back squeezed myself in and waited. After a while I could hear but not see pheasant and for some reason all the birds decided to sit singing in the bushes behind me so again not a great success.I think the hide will be a better hide when it has been used a few more times so much emphasis is put on being down wind etc. And I’m sure the net will probably stink of chemical newness.