DIY Duck Hole Update

[AgBow25]

Good news is it looks like Millet is taking well on the Dam and some of it in the edges of the pond. I threw out some smartweed 2 weeks ago into the pond but the heavy rain still has most of it floating. A couple sprouts here and there in pond. I have a lot more to plant: turner seed waterfowl mix (millet,rice,smartweed) in the actual pond but will wait till probably July so it doesn't keep getting flooded out before it can grow.

Any tips or advice? First time doing this

[3rdCoastHunter]

Looks great - following along as I hope to do this one day - can you add some color to how big your reservoir is? Where it is in relation to the nearest larger body of water etc.?

[DUKFVR]

Good Deal! hope it continues to grow!

[unclefish]

You may not see much smartweed germinate this year. Its got a hard seed coat that has to be broken down by cold stratification or by scarring the seed.

In general its hard to have a great stand of both smartweed (moist soil native vegetation) and a crop like millet/rice in the same small impoundment unless you can separate it with a levee. They have different flooding and timing requirements.

[AgBow25]

Looks great - following along as I hope to do this one day - can you add some color to how big your reservoir is? Where it is in relation to the nearest larger body of water etc.?

I have a small 1 acre pond next to it that i can drain it into. That pond is about 5-6 deep so it holds a good amount of water. Usually 2 good rains will fill the duck hole up it only fills up to about 6-10 inches of water. The whole duck hole is about .75 acres.

[npe001]

Looks good, The only time I planted millet on our pond at the property it flooded out the next week with a hurricane. lol havent planted for ducks since.

[js4242]

You may not see much smartweed germinate this year. Its got a hard seed coat that has to be broken down by cold stratification or by scarring the seed.

In general its hard to have a great stand of both smartweed (moist soil native vegetation) and a crop like millet/rice in the same small impoundment unless you can separate it with a levee. They have different flooding and timing requirements.

Regarding the smartweed stratification - you can buy seeds that have had it done. https://www.riverrefugeseed.com/wild...ania-smartweed

Would love to see how you're transferring/controlling water.

[Gumbo Man]

I’m likin the way your rolling !!

[Sippy]

We do this for a living. What type of control structure do you have to regulate water level, or are you able to pump in and out?
http://environmentalsolutions.com

[AgBow25]

We do this for a living. What type of control structure do you have to regulate water level, or are you able to pump in and out?
http://environmentalsolutions.com

I put in a 4" PVC Pipe through the dam that drains into my other pond. When i want the duck pond to hold water I have a 90 degree pvc connection that i attach to the drain end with a longer piece that i can tilt to up or down depending how much water i water to stay in.

This was the easiest/cheapest way to do after the research i did.

[AgBow25]

I could also pump in and out if need be.

[Tex21]

The day after the season is over take a few hundred pounds of corn and dump it in there. If ducks are in the area/flying over they will find it.

[Benno]

The day after the season is over take a few hundred pounds of corn and dump it in there. If ducks are in the area/flying over they will find it.

That sounds like a good idea the day before season starts.
(Sarcasm for you slow ones)



Just curious, since it’s a low level pond and you have ability to flood it, why not rice?

[trainwreck203]

That looks like a good time! Interested to see the results come fall.


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[Tex21]

DIY Duck Hole Update

That sounds like a good idea the day before season starts.
(Sarcasm for you slow ones)



Just curious, since it’s a low level pond and you have ability to flood it, why not rice?

If it’s large enough to plant rice and hunt over it that’s not a bad idea. Putting corn on it right after season is just for the simplicity of a major attractant/food source to get ducks use to coming to that spot.

I’m not sure it works but a bunch of the big clubs in arkansas do this to imprint ducks for the next season


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