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Final Approach Eliminator Cargo Blind Product Review

Final Approach is pretty close to a household name in the waterfowl world. Guys like Sean Mann, David J. Douville, Hunter Engel, Scott Lovell, Bill Saunders, Shawn Howell and many many more great Pro Staff and Field Staff live breath and sleep waterfowling and there are no days off for this obsession these guys bring to the table. Prior to the 1980’s hunting out of layout blinds in fields for geese did not even exist. Since the early 1990’s companies like Final Approach have been tweeking designs and building newer blinds that are better and better.

Blinds are not cheap for goose hunting and you only really want to buy one and use it until it literally falls apart. This year I took a look at a ton of blinds that would allow me to hunt a new lease in Westmoreland County, Virginia. The property is covered up with geese just off of the Rappahannock River and I had a Tundra Swan tag in my pocket as well as an opportunity for ducks along side of one of the creeks. I needed a good layout blind and I knew I would often be hunting by myself during the week so I needed a way to haul my gear in to the field especially on the wet days.

I settled on the Final Approach Eliminator Cargo Blind and I hunted with this blind all season. I used the blinds along creek sides, Field Edges and wide open in the middle of broccoli fields. I never had a day where we did not get shots at waterfowl in some shape or form. I never did get my Tundra Swan, but I had some really great moments chasing them and I even had them circle twice but without a close shot at such a majestic bird, I never had the opportunity to fire.

Through it all the ECB(Eliminator Cargo Blind) was there to help me carry in my decoys, my shotgun, my shells, my pack and sodas and on two seperate occassions a sleeping bag so I could actually stay warm in the snow and heavy winds that we had here in the area. The blind is well made, overall pretty easy to set up and easy to use. The blind comes with wheels that allow you to fill the blind with your gear and roll it into the field.

Taking 48 shells, a Remington 870, shells, gear and cameras are heavy and the blind and all of the straps and the wheels really held up will in the snow and mud. There were times, I wished for ski’s instead of the wheels and I would of really appreciated some bigger wider tires on this set up but the wheels held fine and worked for 95% of the places I wanted to go. I would still love to see some big fat rubber tires that would of gotten me through the mud a little easier. No matter how much gear you get into this blind it balances well and it has a certain zero gravity point where the load balances pretty well and you can pull it pretty well.
The blind is got good camo but you need to mix and match grass, stalks and leaves and even snow to the blind to get it to blend in well. Final Approach has created some skirts for this blind including a white one for snow and while I have not picked up any of those, this year I may pick up a couple for those fields that I hunt without much extra grass and stalks.

The blind comes with really great straps and it is pretty easy to get it covered up.

My only complaint about the blind is where your feet go into the blind they could of created a small set of poles to allow you to prop up the area to easily put your feet and gear. With size 13 boots, I noticed that my feet moved around as I lifted my head to look around through the mesh window and I think it cost me some birds. I soon learned to drop my gear bag at the foot of the blind and it lifted the ends so my feet never really moved the outside of the blind.

If your looking for a new layout blind, I suggest you check out the great selection at Final Approach a look.

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Kevin Paulson

Kevin Paulson is the Founder and CEO of HuntingLife.com. His passion for Hunting began at the age of 5 hunting alongside of his father. Kevin has followed his dreams through outfitting, conservation work, videography and hunting trips around the world.

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