Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations More about waterfowl on your ponds

nice thread guys!

BAITING/WILDLIFE PLOT: i plant corn/milo in my marshes when the local farmers plant their crops in surrounding fields (novel idea, i know?!?). i try to do a really good w/ soil prep, primarily roto-tilling. i plant corn/milo in large blocks (1-3 acres) w/ my 2-row.

to create "landing zones", heavily broadcast millet (all varieties) in a couple different patches the same day as planting the corn/milo. fierce competition soon after germination will choke out most of the corn/milo. also, early millet plantings will often reseed in time for the migration.

mowing, vehicle tracks, even stomping down a patch is an unncessary risk (THIS IS SUPPOSE TO BE FUN!).

HABITAT: w/ some exceptions, waterfowl prefer wide open space. imo, the more the better.

TIPS: my corn/milo is not clean. i don't do any post-emergent herbicide (ex. spot spraying cockleburs) and only root-till for pre-emergent weed control.

good luck.

That warden is either terribly mis-informed (and plain wrong) or a card carrying member of PETA.

The ONLY crop that you can't hunt over, provided that you don't manipulate your crops in any artifical manner, is Japanese millet. If you read the regs ... here in TX, Millet can NOT be hunted over until the SECOND season after planting.

Taken from http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/season/2006/waterfowl/methods/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A hunter MAY hunt any migratory game bird: :

over standing crops, standing flooded crops and flooded harvest crops;

at any time over natural vegetation that has been manipulated.

Natural vegetation does not include planted millet. However, planted millet that grows on its own in subsequent years after the planting is considered natural vegetation;

where seeds or grains have been scattered as a result of normal agricultural practice;

on or over a normal soil stabilization practice;

on or over lands or areas where seeds or grains have been scattered solely as a result of a normal agricultural practice or pre-harvest manipulation of an agricultural crop, except waterfowl and cranes may not be hunted where grain or other feed has been distributed or scattered as the result of:

pre-harvest manipulation of an agricultural crop; or
livestock feeding;

over crops or natural vegetation where grain has been inadvertently scattered as a result of entering or leaving a hunting area, placing decoys or retrieving downed birds;

using natural vegetation or crops to conceal a blind, provided that if crops are used to conceal a blind, no grain or other feed is exposed, deposited, distributed or scattered in the process.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A hunter MAY NOT:

hunt migratory birds with the aid of bait, or on or over any baited area;

hunt over any baited area until 10 days after all baiting materials have been removed;

hunt waterfowl or cranes over manipulated planted millet, unless the millet was planted not less than one year prior to hunting ;

hunt waterfowl or cranes over crops that have been manipulated, unless the manipulation is a normal agricultural post-harvesting manipulation in accordance with official recommendations of State Extension Specialists of the Cooperative Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

No person may place or direct the placement of bait on or adjacent to an area for the purpose of causing, inducing or allowing any person to take or attempt to take any migratory game bird by the aid of baiting on or over the baited area.

or
livestock feeding;
over crops or natural vegetation where grain has been inadvertently scattered as a result of entering or leaving a hunting area, placing decoys or retrieving downed birds;
using natural vegetation or crops to conceal a blind, provided that if crops are used to conceal a blind, no grain or other feed is exposed, deposited, distributed or scattered in the process.
A hunter MAY NOT:

hunt migratory birds with the aid of bait, or on or over any baited area;
hunt over any baited area until 10 days after all baiting materials have been removed;
hunt waterfowl or cranes over manipulated planted millet, unless the millet was planted not less than one year prior to hunting;
hunt waterfowl or cranes over crops that have been manipulated, unless the manipulation is a normal agricultural post-harvesting manipulation in accordance with official recommendations of State Extension Specialists of the Cooperative Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. No person may place or direct the placement of bait on or adjacent to an area for the purpose of causing, inducing or allowing any person to take or attempt to take any migratory game bird by the aid of baiting on or over the baited area.

This sounds like a good topic for a Pond Boss article...very confusing.

Gator

To Cappy and all who sent pictures....you are making me long for November!!!!

Nice hunting Reg excerpt, Cappy. It's good to know that the obfuscatory abilities of hunting regulation writers remains constant despite changing species or states.

I don't know about that, Theo ... but they (the writers) sure can confuse things that are otherwise pretty simple.

Kinda reminds me of two Blondes looking at each other from opposite sides of a small pond. One shouts across to the other ... "How do you get to the other side of the pond?" The reply was shouted back ... "Duh, you silly! You ARE on the other side of the pond!" :rolleyes:

In Mo you can hunt Jap. Millet on first planting. I quit planting it though. I found smartweed to be a better attractor.

Guys,

Thanks for all the great information. I am planting this mixture:

http://www.easttexasseedcompany.com/page9.html

Is this a good mixture for a general application like mine?

Gator

Here is a picture of my german shorthair at my brothers wetland.

I don't know much about ducks, but it seems that all I get at my lake are divers. Is there anything I can do to attract more puddle ducks?

Shallow water and vegitation are the best attractors for puddlers. Puddle ducks like to be able to feed off the bottom with their butts out of water.

A great way to get puddlers is to attract your local ducks first.Install nesting boxes and hoops,make it duck friendly(corn) and let the ducks come to you!.

If your not going to hunt them through milo out in the shallows. They seem to be able to see or smell that stuff from 100 miles away. I did that two years ago and in two days I had about 200 redheads in the pond feeding away.