2022 -2023 Duck Season Thread!!!!!!

[Gclyde12]

DUKFVR, Pin Oak, Les and others that hunt private land....talk to me about how you manage pressure on your place. There was a good thread on THF about this so I thought I would bring it up on this thread as well.

Do you have rest ponds that don't get disturbed? If so how big of an area is it?

How many hunting locations do you have and how do you rotate areas?

How often do you hunt each location?

I'm just thinking about how much land is needed and how big a rest aree is needed to hold ducks consistently during the season.

Thanks for the replies.

This has always intrigued me as well and have been curious on what the guys on here with high success rates views are. Also been super curious on the ballpark cost per acre to pump water assuming using a well.

[bboswell]

Depends on number of ducks. We just have a small place & limited by what we can do ,because of farmer & rice rotation in Garwood. I believe in resting most of the week if possible. We mostly hunt public nowadays. Easier to stay on birds for us.Lots of work,but worth it to me. My place in young county has 2 good ponds on 250 ac. I hunt 1 and then the other. Then rest both for at least a couple of days. If birds are scarce, I rest for 4-5 days then. When my ponds are full & food has grown good, I have no problem keeping some on my place with rest. Buy the most land you can ,with the most habitat you can find. I would rather have a smaller place with good habitat over a big place with marginal habitat.

Wise words

[bboswell]

DUKFVR, Pin Oak, Les and others that hunt private land....talk to me about how you manage pressure on your place. There was a good thread on THF about this so I thought I would bring it up on this thread as well.

Do you have rest ponds that don't get disturbed? If so how big of an area is it?

How many hunting locations do you have and how do you rotate areas?

How often do you hunt each location?

I'm just thinking about how much land is needed and how big a rest aree is needed to hold ducks consistently during the season.

Thanks for the replies.

Lots depends on surrounding habitat and hunting pressure. Where we hunt near Anahuac we have prime habitat and a good amount of hunting pressure around so short rest works. My place in Fisher County has good habitat but no pressure so we set up early, get one maybe two good groups and then they just go sit on the neighbors pond….

[DUKFVR]

This has always intrigued me as well and have been curious on what the guys on here with high success rates views are. Also been super curious on the ballpark cost per acre to pump water assuming using a well.

At current prices it is costing us about 450.00 a day to run a diesel powered well.

[Baygall]

East Texas public river bottom. Lots of ducks this year.

[ATTACH]1111917[/ATTACH]

[150class]

Just finished fixing a gate valve and brushing in some blinds in Anahuac. Only say 10 birds but I could only see 50 yards in front of me with this fog…

[Les]

DUKFVR, Pin Oak, Les and others that hunt private land....talk to me about how you manage pressure on your place. There was a good thread on THF about this so I thought I would bring it up on this thread as well.

Do you have rest ponds that don't get disturbed? If so how big of an area is it?

How many hunting locations do you have and how do you rotate areas?

How often do you hunt each location?

I'm just thinking about how much land is needed and how big a rest aree is needed to hold ducks consistently during the season.

Thanks for the replies.

The property I help on is 5500 acres. The habitat manager and owner work VERY hard to ensure the compartments have quality duck food. They only allow 2 groups to hunt per day and move around a lot. We have permanent blinds but most times we use temporary blinds that can be placed where the ducks want to be. (Takes about 10 minutes to set them up and we take them when we leave.) Some of the compartments are so large, it works out that both groups can hunt the same compartment, so the rest of the ranch is at rest. They also prepare compartments that are ready to be flooded as the season goes along. Matter of fact, last Friday we just turned on the water to one that is loaded with all kinds of quality duck food and have a few more ready for later this month to start adding water. We also have roost areas that are never hunted.

This ranch could hunt easily 6 groups at a time but prefer to keep it small. The good of that is "most" times there are plenty of birds. Some might not care for the price tag but there is so much to do on this ranch besides just duck hunt. The owner is wonderful and so dedicated to preserve the ranch and its wildlife that he put it in a conservation easement.
5 miles of Colorado River doesn't hurt either.

Oh.. There is a hunting club and another large property owner nearby that both do a tremendous job of managing their habitat.

[Les]

East Texas public river bottom. Lots of ducks this year.

[ATTACH]1111917[/ATTACH]

Very nice!

[Les]

Just finished fixing a gate valve and brushing in some blinds in Anahuac. Only say 10 birds but I could only see 50 yards in front of me with this fog…

I bet. It was pretty thick here in Baytown this morning...

[unclefish]

The property I help on is 5500 acres. The habitat manager and owner work VERY hard to ensure the compartments have quality duck food. They only allow 2 groups to hunt per day and move around a lot. We have permanent blinds but most times we use temporary blinds that can be placed where the ducks want to be. (Takes about 10 minutes to set them up and we take them when we leave.) Some of the compartments are so large, it works out that both groups can hunt the same compartment, so the rest of the ranch is at rest. They also prepare compartments that are ready to be flooded as the season goes along. Matter of fact, last Friday we just turned on the water to one that is loaded with all kinds of quality duck food and have a few more ready for later this month to start adding water. We also have roost areas that are never hunted.

This ranch could hunt easily 6 groups at a time but prefer to keep it small. The good of that is "most" times there are plenty of birds. Some might not care for the price tag but there is so much to do on this ranch besides just duck hunt. The owner is wonderful and so dedicated to preserve the ranch and its wildlife that he put it in a conservation easement.
5 miles of Colorado River doesn't hurt either.

Oh.. There is a hunting club and another large property owner nearby that both do a tremendous job of managing their habitat.

That's awesome....big time stuff. I'm wondering if a person could have a good sized rest pond on a 150-200 acre property and have a couple of hunting ponds (with food) and accomplish the same thing on a much smaller scale by hunting them 1-2 times a week. I think it would be possible if you are on a good flyway and manage it carefully.

[CTR0022]

How hunting pressure been on public this year? Has it recided with people going back to work. Or is it still at covid levels with people all over the place.

[Medina19]

How hunting pressure been on public this year? Has it recided with people going back to work. Or is it still at covid levels with people all over the place.

Not as bad as covid but still decently crowded

[MooseontheLoose]

Headed up to the Panhandle for the ditch parrot opener this last weekend. Been doing this hunt for 14 years.

Tried to duck hunt on a small playa but the hawks wouldn't leave me alone. Had pairs of mallards working a couple times then they would slide off when the hawks would fly through . Frustrating. Ended that hunt with a single drake wigeon.

Found a different hole later with a couple geese in it, so we just jumped it. Ended up with a couple. The juvie was acting really weird and something was off with it. Wasn't sure what the deal was, but after watching it for a few minutes I decided to shoot it too to put it down.

Parrot pic was from mid-day Saturday. Between that afternoon and Sunday, we added about another 20 birds to the pile. Fun stuff.

[CTR0022]

Headed up to the Panhandle for the ditch parrot opener this last weekend. Been doing this hunt for 14 years.

Tried to duck hunt on a small playa but the hawks wouldn't leave me alone. Had pairs of mallards working a couple times then they would slide off when the hawks would fly through . Frustrating. Ended that hunt with a single drake wigeon.

Found a different hole later with a couple geese in it, so we just jumped it. Ended up with a couple. The juvie was acting really weird and something was off with it. Wasn't sure what the deal was, but after watching it for a few minutes I decided to shoot it too to put it down.

Parrot pic was from mid-day Saturday. Between that afternoon and Sunday, we added about another 20 birds to the pile. Fun stuff.

Be careful, it is likely avian flu.

[DUKFVR]

Me & a couple of friends had a good hunt today. Lots of teal around.