habitat enhancement for ducks

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sadie1
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habitat enhancement for ducks

Postby sadie1 » Tue Dec 24, 2013 8:01 pm

We bought some land on the yazoo river last summer and after hunting it last year and some this year, I have finally got my mind wrapped around how it drains and seen how ducks somewhat use it. I would love to have someone from the state come look this winter at it while its at full pool to give me some recommendations. I am guessing it would be the nrcs or whatever the acronym is now, but I would really like to know who I am calling beforehand( like a name), so I wont fall thru the cracks. Does anyone know who I need to talk to specifically? Also curious about cost share options or if thats not available, how could I go about changing some areas to make the place more attractive to ducks. Thanks
DanP
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Re: habitat enhancement for ducks

Postby DanP » Tue Dec 24, 2013 8:20 pm

I'm not state or fed but that's what we do. Be glad to take a look.
Dan@deltawildlife.org
www.deltawildlife.org
sadie1
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Re: habitat enhancement for ducks

Postby sadie1 » Wed Dec 25, 2013 10:06 am

I would love for you to. I am curious what it cost or how it is charged. Is it consulting, or management plan development...I looked at your website and it says you are a non-profit organization, so before I end up spending thousands of dollars on something,I just want to know where I stand, so to speak...Basically, we have 160 acres and on a 1-10 scale, the duck hunting is a 3, maybe a 4, maybe a 2, depending on what you consider a good hunt. My neighbor has a 7 or 8. He does have a couple 6-7 acre impoundments, whereas I only hold an acre to 3 acres depending on rain. I have a 8 acre brake that is hardly used by anything but the occasional wood ducks. I was wanting to see if it could be developed by putting a control structure on it so that I could get some vegetation growing in it. I think they don't use it because its too deep for dabbling and there is really nothing to dabble for anyway, just buckbrush, but I have not seen a mallard go in there in my 2 years of hunting there, not even look at it. I would have thought that they would use it at least as a resting area, but that doesnt seem to be the case. It doesnt really have a deep edge, meaning its more bowl shaped with the largest depth in the center, so it may be hard to do. But these are questions that I need an experienced person to look at. Last year I killed a few ducks and this year I disced the low areas of a field thats holds water and planted brown top and jap millet, as well as having a good stand of smartweed come up, and it seems that this year the ducks are less interested in it than last year. It may be that the number of ducks in the area is lower right now than last year, but I just want to be gaining ducks year over year versus losing ducks. I am not the guy that has to kill a limit of ducks every time I go, but I do like to see ducks, and especially like to see them circle a few times, even if they don't come in. Right now they pass right over and decoy to my neighbor's land. You can tell they consider his impoundment to be a food source and that is where they are planning on going from the get go. It may be just the lay of the land and they have been going there for years, but if there is something I can do to improve my situation, I would like to.
DanP
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Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:38 am
Location: Leland

Re: habitat enhancement for ducks

Postby DanP » Wed Dec 25, 2013 12:27 pm

Basic membership to DW is $45/year. Our members can request management consultations and it does not cost anything more than the annual membership. I'm one of two certified wildlife biologists on staff and also a registered forester. Like I said, be glad to take a look just drop me an email and we can line something up.
sadie1
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Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2005 9:29 pm

Re: habitat enhancement for ducks

Postby sadie1 » Wed Dec 25, 2013 12:43 pm

Boy that sounds great. I will be in touch. Thanks

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