Playing the wind in layout boats

Darren Digby

Taking advantage of the marshes’ low cover can yield impressive results, even on pressured public areas.

With your safe shooting zone somewhat limited when using these small boats, setting up properly with given wind conditions becomes paramount.

"Ideally, I set up with the wind at my back, just as you would in a regular blind," LaFleur said. "A crosswind can also work OK for me, but my favorite is a wind blowing straight out so the birds come in right to me."

Though many hunters will tend to shy away from a wind from the back to prevent birds from seeing the blind, the layout boats are far better concealed to allow for in-your-face shooting from a low profile.

Considering the unpredictability of blue-winged teal landing patterns, however, LaFleur relies more heavily on his decoys than wind direction to position landing birds this time of year.

"A lot of times, we don’t have much wind during teal season, so I just focus on positioning the boats so that my hunting partner and I can cover as much of the decoy spread as safety allows," he said. "You just never know where those little rockets are coming from, so you have to be ready when opportunity presents."