Delta Wildlife Foundation

[SoftCall]

I need some help on a project and would like some advice from someone who knows something about the DWF and what services they provide.

I have 80 acres of timber 2 miles west of Chotard Landing on Steele Bayou. The land is covered up with deer but I would like to convert about 20 - 30 acres to a good duck hole. There are 2 primary sloughs running through it and they drain the adjacent property as well. The sloughs are primarly timbered in opossum hall and cypress and the flats and ridges are covered with oaks.

I can hold water with culverts but I need to keep drainage in mind for my neighbors. I also need some assistance with levees and it will require some clearing to put them in. The canopy needs to be opened or completely cleared in some places.

The property holds mallards when the water is high (approx every 4 years) and is about 2 miles from Mahannah as the crow flies on the opposite side of the bayou.

Is it worth trying and what do I need to do in order to qualify for any type of DWF assistance, WRP, etc.

[Wingman]

What the heck is a "opossum hall"?

Wingman
ISAIAH 40:31

[SoftCall]

It's a scrubby looking f@rt@$$ kind of tree. Looks like a chunk of buck brush but one click up on the desirable scale.

I am not aware of any nutritional value that they have for any wildlife. They grow in the slough and obviously do well in standing water.

That's the best I can do to explain. My Grandfather always called them that but I doubt you'd find them under that name in an arbor foundation book.

[Wildfowler]

Softcall, you've been scratchin' around with this idea for a while now, haven't you? If you can get someone else to pay for it, I say go for it. I'll even come down and help you shoot when all the ducks show up. Being so close to Mahannah, my guess is that you will need all the help with the shooting that you can gather.

Opossum Hall, huh? A Possumhaw is a tree that's very conspicuous in Winter with its small red berries, along leafless gray twigs. The berries provide food to Opossums, raccoons, other mammals and songbirds.

Are you sure those aren't Swamp Privets growing on your place? Swamp Privets are more common in that area. They withstand repeated flooding, are useful for erosion control. And most importantly, wild ducks consume the fruit. That is, according to my trusty Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region.

My guess is, you've got a crop of Privets growing on your place. The two trees are similar in appearance, I could see how they could easily be confused with one another. But please try and refrain from using such fowl language.

Enjoy!!

[SoftCall]

Your kidding! A privet...sounds good to me. All I know is that they are in the way!

Anyway - I am thinking that the hole where we blasted the mutant cotton mouth is the best place to be. Seriously Wildfowler...picture that spot head high in corn, jap millet, egyptian wheat, browntop...surrounded by cypress and oaks. After the hunt, everyone can retreat to the shack (needs some work or a torch).

PS: Bring a rifle for our twice a decade deer hunt.

[SoftCall]

and the "leafless gray twigs" description pretty much sums it up. So there you have it Wingman - Possumhaw (per our resident expert). Thank god no one dropped him on his head when he was a youngster or he would be a member of the Sierra Club.

[SB]

Sounds like swamp privet to me.

You can get assistance from many directions: Delta Wildlife, Wildlife MS, DU, USFWS, MDWFP and the NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Service). All of them can get you free pipes and water control structures through the MS Partners (except NRCS) for qualifying landowners. The NRCS can do the topo survey for you, tell you where the levees need to go, what size pipe is needed and levee specs. all at no cost.

The area you describe sounds like a bona fide wetland. Be careful before doing any site disturbance before you find out about its wetland status. That is a whole nother ball game.

The NRCS and FSA (Farm Service Agency) handles WRP and CRP.

[SoftCall]

Thanks for the info SB. I am not worried about the wetland issue. Anderson Tulley cut the ever living crap out of timber on two sides of me a couple of years or so ago. My opinion is that I'll be improving the wetland status...but someone else's may differ.

I am going to start with DWF this week. Thanks for the scoop!

[SB]

Timber harvest is allowable in a wetland. The clearing of timber and filling of wetlands (creating a levee is filling in a wetland) is not allowable without a permit. You made mention of clearing the site of swamp privet and opening the canopy to plant a food crop might be considered destroying a wetland. I just wanted to give you a heads-up, so you could proceed with caution. Best regards,

[Wildfowler]

Softcall, you must have stayed up late last night thinking about this.


Hope your head feels OK this morning!!

[jbeam17]

hey just to make it easy, give the office at the Corps a holla, and request a 404 permit...they will come and look at it for you. if ya need the #'s or any other help just email me [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Double_R]

Sounds like the makings of an incredible duck hole. What SB is refering to is a 404 permit to do work like that in wetlands...fines for 404 permit violations are usually very costly. I'd run the project up the flagpole with all of the folks SB listed and see what's out there. You may likely be able to get a pipe and a survey out of the deal but to the best of my knowledge, the emphasis has been to cost share or perform work related to the restoration of former forested wetlands, such as bean fields, and not so much creation of duck holes in existing stands of timber. Once you get some technical input, you may find that the levees you're talking about can be afforably constructed without financial assistance.

[peewee]

Softcall, is your land next to Bell Hunting Club.

[Crowell]

Since I deal with wetlands and the corp in commercial real estate daily, believe me what you and I consider improving existing wetlands, may be determined to be destroying wetlands in the eyes of the Corp. Heed the above advice and deal with the Corp. before you start building levees. Just another opinion.

[Wildfowler]

What's a rifle?