Food for ducks….

[bigbasschaser09]

Saw the first blue wings of the year Saturday while replacing batteries in the camera. Hopefully they keep stopping by on their way down come mid September.

 

[MudDucker]

I'll wait until the week before season to check my pond for teal. Each year they come that week and leave 2 days before opener.

 

[Mexican Squealer]

Getting closer….

 

[antharper]

Looking good !

 

[Mexican Squealer]

Chiwapa and chufas….first year planting Chiwapa and love it more every day….honestly don’t think I’ve found a plant/cover source/ bedding area that deer bed in more than this. It loves water, grows strong and doesn’t seem prone to lodging (we will see), provides great cover for all wildlife and puts out one heck of a seed head. If you have soil that is tough to dry out or a spot that is prone to flooding, I highly recommend it. Seems to be the perfect hedge between corn and other hot crops that may succumb to flooding/drought etc…we have it all over the farm in different stages. Like most millets, you hate to see it mature too early (black birds and every other bird know to man wear it out)….staggering it all summer helps to insure you have seed if the songbirds work too hard on it. It thrives with water on it and will likely be insulated enough to protect it from that first frost….we made golden millet all the way till the end of December last year as long as it was flooded. Any plots that weren’t flooded or barley flooded burned up as you would expect.

 

[Core Lokt]

What species/kind of ducks do you get there? We are mainly ringnecks on the big lake but do occasionally get a few different ducks.

 

[bigbasschaser09]

Chiwapa and chufas….first year planting Chiwapa and love it more every day….honestly don’t think I’ve found a plant/cover source/ bedding area that deer bed in more than this. It loves water, grows strong and doesn’t seem prone to lodging (we will see), provides great cover for all wildlife and puts out one heck of a seed head. If you have soil that is tough to dry out or a spot that is prone to flooding, I highly recommend it. Seems to be the perfect hedge between corn and other hot crops that may succumb to flooding/drought etc…we have it all over the farm in different stages. Like most millets, you hate to see it mature too early (black birds and every other bird know to man wear it out)….staggering it all summer helps to insure you have seed if the songbirds work too hard on it. It thrives with water on it and will likely be insulated enough to protect it from that first frost….we made golden millet all the way till the end of December last year as long as it was flooded. Any plots that weren’t flooded or barley flooded burned up as you would expect.
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Looks awesome! is the chufa planted or are you managing for the nut grass?

 

[Mexican Squealer]

@bigbasschaser09 thanks! Everything in the pic is planted but we do have plenty of wild sedges too

 

[Mexican Squealer]

@Core Lokt we get mostly puddle ducks and a good amount of divers too. I’ve had the place since 2018 and we have killed 14 species each year except last. We were a few species shy of the usual…teal make up the biggest bag but we shoot w little of everything.

 

[marshallknight]

@Mexican Squealer Thanks for the advise about Chiwapa. We were looking for something to plant in our wet areas. I just googled it and if I'm reading correctly after it gets about 12" tall it can handle standing water?

 

[Mexican Squealer]

@marshallknight yes Sir, it thrives with water on it…Golden millet does well too.

 

[cowhornedspike]

Any duck food left since the hurricane?

 

[Mexican Squealer]

@cowhornedspike , just got back from checking on things and thankfully the food made it through another one. Corn is broken off in some holes but luckily it broke off above the ears and we are no worse for the wear. Mature millets have some wind blown patches but is good overall. Rice holes and young millet plots are green and loving the moisture. Smartweeds and Barnyard grass is thriving. Looks like another storm on the way…

 

[Mexican Squealer]

 

[Gut_Pile]

Lots of food right there

Hope yall kill em