Harry I think you can skip the mud. I would simply cover it in burlap stapled down. The burlap will kill any shine and last longer than mud. Screw small eyelets into the boat through the burlap. Do it so you can make a zig zag patterns of nylon decoy line everywhere above the water line and over the burlap. Then ziptie bundles of grass to the decoy line unitl the boat is covered in grass.

More ideas
 

Hi Harry.
Steve Kleist here from northern Minnesota.
You did a great job on your duck boat. Attached (I think) is a photo of one of my duck boats a few days before freeze-up. The boat blind is down in this photo.
Pete's idea about burlap is a good one. I have tried that also but if you expect ice, the boat may get quite heavy, but it is a great way to reduce shine. Flat camo paint on the hull will work also if it is under some vegetation. I like to use fabric covered shock cord which can be purchased in any length that you like from a local hardware store. I use light machine screws with a nut holding a loop through the hull then lace the shock cord though the loops (pretty tight) then weave local vegetation under the cord. Machine screws are better than wood screws if they extend inside the hull. I also use a light boat blind with about five or six 1/2 " dowels on each side as vertical removeable supports held onto the hull with plastic "U" shaped 1/2" pipe wall clamps. A foot high or shorter tennis net is attached to the dowels with hog rings and vegetation is attached to the net with more hog rings. The blind can be removed for rowing and motoring. I paint the bottom of each end dowel and "U" clamps with a different color to make set up in the dark a little easier.
I hope you can follow this. Send me a PM if you'd like more info.
Best Fishes, Steve Kleist

Here's the best advice I can muster Harry - Get that thing to the water and shoot some ducks!

All Good, Dean

I built one years ago decking a Sear's fiberglass row boat. It worked very well and was almost unsinkable using a spray curtain. Gotta have a spray to shield the cockpit in rough water.

Hick

Hick,

It is good to hear from you. I was trying to rig a pup tent as a spray shield the other day. It serves two purposes; to keep the water out and to hid your face and head. If I can get it out of the pony pasture today it is going into the water.

Harry

She is very stable and calm. After I pulled her off the trailer and rolled into her she was the perfect lady. I had to row in circles to break ice until I got into the lake. She is very responsive to oar. I was going to put the outboard on but discovered a leak in the hose to the tank. I had the 10 gauge D and some #5 Niceshot, but no ducks.

Harry, That is one great boat. Congratulation's on your maiden voyage. Glad all went well....except for the duck's....:whistle:

I don't know a whit about duck boats, but I'm glad to hear from Mr. Hick.

nice job on the boat test, the duck should be there soon, getting cold up here ! :crying:

Scott,

The ponds for the most part are frozen here and the lakes have ice around the shore line. Rivers and moving creeks are open. We will welcome your ducks as they pass through. Ours have headed south as well.

Harry