Sinkbox
Encyclopedia
A sinkbox is a specialized hunting blind
used by waterfowl
hunters and consisting of a weighted, partially submerged enclosure large enough to hold one or more hunters and suspended from a floating platform. It is placed into calm water in locations where the chosen game bird is likely to appear, and the hunter waits, with the waterline at approximately shoulder height, until the birds are close to the sinkbox.
Sinkboxes were typically used by market (rather than sport) hunters for duck
or other waterfowl in both the United States
and Canada
until 1918, when the practice was banned in the United States with the passage of the Migratory Bird Act of 1918. Cast-iron sinkbox decoy
s — often painted — were used as ballast, to disguise the sinkbox, and to attract game close to the hunters. Sinkbox hunting, though still practiced in Canada, is largely a relic of the past, and the cast-iron decoys are popular among antique collectors.
Hunting blind
A hunting blind is a cover device for hunters, designed to reduce the chance of detection; ground blinds are an alternative to the traditional Treestand, movements in a well-designed ground blind can virtually be undetectable by the game....
used by waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
hunters and consisting of a weighted, partially submerged enclosure large enough to hold one or more hunters and suspended from a floating platform. It is placed into calm water in locations where the chosen game bird is likely to appear, and the hunter waits, with the waterline at approximately shoulder height, until the birds are close to the sinkbox.
Sinkboxes were typically used by market (rather than sport) hunters for duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
or other waterfowl in both the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
until 1918, when the practice was banned in the United States with the passage of the Migratory Bird Act of 1918. Cast-iron sinkbox decoy
Decoy
A decoy is usually a person, device or event meant as a distraction, to conceal what an individual or a group might be looking for. Decoys have been used for centuries most notably in game hunting, but also in wartime and in the committing or resolving of crimes.-Duck decoy:The term duck decoy may...
s — often painted — were used as ballast, to disguise the sinkbox, and to attract game close to the hunters. Sinkbox hunting, though still practiced in Canada, is largely a relic of the past, and the cast-iron decoys are popular among antique collectors.