Duck Food

AR Dave

AR Dave

New member
This is the best Rice Crop we've ever had. This picture was taken just before turning the pump on yesterday. The pic doesn't do it justice, it's a ways down to the other end. Wish I could stop those tall Coffee Bean Plants (don't know real name) from growing up in the middle. There is Brown Top Millet all along the right side. That rice is loaded - so happy to see winter started in the Dakota's. :thumbsup: This is our Mallard Hole.....
 
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There is a blind under that Oak Tree in the far left corner. If you look closely, you can see the bushes are brownish, right on the edge of the rice, out in front of tree. I also left that cluster of grown up stuff midway (left side) just incase they start landing mid pond. But the main blind (built last year) is behind the truck, this end is our favorite now. Over the years, we've moved around. Notice the shadows, works better with the sun behind us. The electric poles, for water pump, are in back right corner. Will get a flooded picture.
 
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Speaking of North Dakota ducks. I took Highway 200 across ND right through the prime pothole country. No ice on the ponds yet. DUCKS! on every pond and many ponds had hundreds, mostly Mallards. Must have had a heck of a hatch. :thumbsup:
 
Always wondered just how folks in southern states could raise a agricultural crop. Then flood it and hunt migratory waterfowl over it. In the north, we would be ticketed so fast for hunting over bait it isn't even funny. The law says you are able to hunt only over a field that has been harvest for 10 days and only under normal farming practice. Raising grain, then flooding it, is not normal farming practice. You got me
 
onpoint said:
Always wondered just how folks in southern states could raise a agricultural crop. Then flood it and hunt migratory waterfowl over it. In the north, we would be ticketed so fast for hunting over bait it isn't even funny. The law says you are able to hunt only over a field that has been harvest for 10 days and only under normal farming practice. Raising grain, then flooding it, is not normal farming practice. You got me
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There is a general federal guideline about baiting, it has been discussed for years, each state has a slightly difference version. You are correct that there is a waiting period 10 days, it actually says, " the field or place must have been free of bait for 10 days!). Rub is when is that? Around here, it's considered a season ban on hunting till a new growing season begins. There is a difference, in planting wildlife plantings, which we don't intend to harvest as a crop. It is seeded, and flooded without legal ramifactions becouse it was not disturbed, no seed deliberatedly scattered. If the field is harvested, then residual grain, born on the water, is legal. In the south, there is some ambiguity about rice, because it is flooded as a standard agricultural practice. The USDA bought leases, and a lot of them, in Texas, and crayfish cultivation last two years to waylay the ducks and geese which normally winter in the gulf marshes, because of BP oil spill. Assuming it might destroy the populations. We do in a normal year, use japanese millet, flood it, and hunt it. This year drought, no successful germination, or died on the stem, We do have water 60+/- about 1/2 full now for a Oct 27 th opener. We had a ton of Bluewings for teal season, and they are still here!
 
oldandnew said:
There is a general federal guideline about baiting, it has been discussed for years, each state has a slightly difference version. You are correct that there is a waiting period 10 days, it actually says, " the field or place must have been free of bait for 10 days!). Rub is when is that? Around here, it's considered a season ban on hunting till a new growing season begins. There is a difference, in planting wildlife plantings, which we don't intend to harvest as a crop. It is seeded, and flooded without legal ramifactions becouse it was not disturbed, no seed deliberatedly scattered. If the field is harvested, then residual grain, born on the water, is legal. In the south, there is some ambiguity about rice, because it is flooded as a standard agricultural practice. The USDA bought leases, and a lot of them, in Texas, and crayfish cultivation last two years to waylay the ducks and geese which normally winter in the gulf marshes, because of BP oil spill. Assuming it might destroy the populations. We do in a normal year, use japanese millet, flood it, and hunt it. This year drought, no successful germination, or died on the stem, We do have water 60+/- about 1/2 full now for a Oct 27 th opener. We had a ton of Bluewings for teal season, and they are still here!
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The best part is that the next year if that millet (and whatever goodies are present) volunteer you are allowed to shred it prior to hunting it. Our club in TX (before I moved) did a whole lot of moist soil disturbance. Our best trick was establishing native submergent vegatation. Sago is great for GWT and Redheads, Water Naiad for gadwall, widgeon, etc., muskgrass for GWT and BWT, etc. The submergent stuff once establish will regenerate each flood cycle. I have a photo someplace of 6 acres of overgrown smartweed we got going one year that we slaughter BWT on.
 
AR Dave said:
This is the best Rice Crop we've ever had. This picture was taken just before turning the pump on yesterday. The pic doesn't do it justice, it's a ways down to the other end. Wish I could stop those tall Coffee Bean Plants (don't know real name) from growing up in the middle. There is Brown Top Millet all along the right side. That rice is loaded - so happy to see winter started in the Dakota's. :thumbsup: This is our Mallard Hole.....
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That's puddle duck heaven. If the birds are early and by pass us by because of the drought here, ( we are 16" under normal this year, .01 inch in October so far, might have a chance tonight), you will be eaten out by puddle ducks before your season starts. The BW teal got everything we had. Every time I see your posting I have to go look. I am also intrigued by the vision of Ark.-Plane- Mena, of years past! ;). Good luck on the ducks, you got a nice project, It takes more work than most people realize, believe me I know!
 
oldandnew said:
That's puddle duck heaven. If the birds are early and by pass us by because of the drought here, ( we are 16" under normal this year, .01 inch in October so far, might have a chance tonight), you will be eaten out by puddle ducks before your season starts. The BW teal got everything we had. Every time I see your posting I have to go look. I am also intrigued by the vision of Ark.-Plane- Mena, of years past! ;). Good luck on the ducks, you got a nice project, It takes more work than most people realize, believe me I know!
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You fellars are going to give me an anxiety attack! :cheers:

oldandnew, how far north are you? Maybe you should migrate down with those ducks this year? You are so right - I've bush hogged, sprayed, cleared so much brush this year. You know exactly what we are doing, we won't touch (manipulate) the rice, millet, or corn crops, just flood them. And we are not going to flood this Rice Pond or the Millet Field until Dec, to keep those Puddle Ducks off our hard work. :10sign:

We are so excited this season - everyone has taken different properties and we've gotten so much accomplished. We are going to begin flooding a 100 acre field we have (when I get home), it's the Sanctuary, has soybeans in it. I'll video these properties, from the plane, so you can really appreciate it - have to finish my Beaver Hut first though :D Out Habitat Expert, I refer too, he's coming with a fancy camera to photograph the thousands of ducks that come spiraling in near dusk. It's the neatest aerial show I've ever seen. Well you can tell I get chatty when it comes to this subject :rolleyes:

My partner video'd this from his Cell Phone today - It is 7 acres of Millet, with a landing zone right down the middle. Notice how we're growing the crops (flood a couple of inches now & then through the summer), then bush hogging (cleaning) the banks, 30yds out, all the way around. Behind him is planted Pines we can hunt out of or there is a pit blind on the west end (left). Side benifit, when he and I go check for ducks, I take my rifle. Shot last year's buck in those Oaks, across field, just before video ends. And there's those aggrivating Coffee Beans just before the camera shuts off.

I'm not figuring out how to attach the 20 sec video - can it be done?
 
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AR Dave said:
You fellars are going to give me an anxiety attack! :cheers:

oldandnew, how far north are you? Maybe you should migrate down with those ducks this year? You are so right - I've bush hogged, sprayed, cleared so much brush this year. You know exactly what we are doing, we won't touch (manipulate) the rice, millet, or corn crops, just flood them. And we are not going to flood this Rice Pond or the Millet Field until Dec, to keep those Puddle Ducks off our hard work. :10sign:

We are so excited this season - everyone has taken different properties and we've gotten so much accomplished. We are going to begin flooding a 100 acre field we have (when I get home), it's the Sanctuary, has soybeans in it. I'll video these properties, from the plane, so you can really appreciate it - have to finish my Beaver Hut first though :D Out Habitat Expert, I refer too, he's coming with a fancy camera to photograph the thousands of ducks that come spiraling in near dusk. It's the neatest aerial show I've ever seen. Well you can tell I get chatty when it comes to this subject :rolleyes:

My partner video'd this from his Cell Phone today - It is 7 acres of Millet, with a landing zone right down the middle. Notice how we're growing the crops (flood a couple of inches now & then through the summer), then bush hogging (cleaning) the banks, 30yds out, all the way around. Behind him is planted Pines we can hunt out of or there is a pit blind on the west end (left). Side benifit, when he and I go check for ducks, I take my rifle. Shot last year's buck in those Oaks, across field, just before video ends. And there's those aggrivating Coffee Beans just before the camera shuts off.

I'm not figuring out how to attach the 20 sec video - can it be done?
Click to expand...

I am in Kansas City. I now I'll have to go and send some of my own pictures! We don't have any crops but some opportunistic smartweed. The good news is we hammered the heck out of cattails, and pencil reed. We will need to do that again, repeatedly, for all time. We have pintails an BW teal now, and have had since mid august. Not a lot but more than ususal this time a year. Squaw Creek, Mo. has around 20,000 ducks there, about 80 miles northwest. I have a place near Newport, Ark. to try someday, NW along the Cache River. I am going to try to make it, late season. It's about 450 miles give or take.
 
Still have sticks to fill in, but I will get it in the dry this week - if I can find enough sticks. :)
 
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