Wood Ducks

K

Kevin B

Well-known member
Went down to my duck camp this morning to service my wood duck boxes. Opened the first one and to my surprise a hen had already set up house! Bout fell over into the swamp! Good times:)
 
I don't know where your camp is but I just counted 20+ Woodies at Ausable Point on Lk. Champlain. Plus 1000 divers rafted up "offshore". Just a couple Redheads and Cans mixed in with Scaup and Ringnecks. Gadwall and Teal too! Spring is close....
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Hey Bill, great to here! The camp is in North Lawerence,St Lawerence county.Cold morning snowed on us most of the time. We saw one woodie lots of snow's and canada's. The pond is just opening up. Here in Paul smiths I'll be trout fishin thru hard water for another month!!
 
I went to my favorite chicken ranch Sunday up near Portage Wi and there were a few around. Nothing around my place in Madison but since we're in April this week end I'll put up my box Sat

Hand to take it down last fall when a swarm of honey bees moved in. Got a qurt of honey out of it.
 
Went down state in sussex co.Delaware to pick up some decoys, while there I stopped off at my favorite turkey hunt area with my lab,while walking the path thru the wooded area we jumped a group of 5 woodies in a little pot hole ,but did not here or seen any turkys yet. This was on ash wensday march the 9 th. So yes I do think the have started nesting already.
 
Gary G. - I have an old duck box that bees took over. I am allergic too bees so I'm leaving it alone. Is there a safe way to get the honey out ? I would think its empty now ? I don't know much about bees, can you tell ? I'll bring my epipen. lol Just wondering....
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Wood ducks showed up last night.

Regarding the Bees, I didn't do it myself. I contacted a local bee keeper and he came over and took it down. A month later he brought the empty box back and the quart of honey. You should be able to to the same.
 
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My hunting partners and I have been installing new boxes this winter.
Have yet to find a hen using the boxes, but it's early in our area. The ice just broke up last week and now another 7-12" of snow predicted for Thurs into Fri.
Can't wait until the boxes begin to produce.
 
Would strongly encourage everyone installing and maintaining wood duck boxes to use predator guards. No sense creating the habitat only to feed the racoons and snakes
 
K P,

You beat me to that point. Boxes, especially those on the shore, are easy pickings for coons. Another thing to consider is doing your boxes back to back. Studies have shown that hens like to nest near where they are born and don't mind living in the condo behind Mom's house. Saves putting up as many posts.

Bill
 
I use aluminum roof flashing to make my guards, formed into a cone . I had read not to put boxes in sight of each other to prevent egg dumping by hens. Do you mount yours back to back without any issues? I was also informed the boxes should be 5 feet off the ground to stimulate the chicks to feed when they drop. All of my boxes produced last year, the cones definitely work.
 
I live in a sub division about a quarter of a mile from the nearest water and I put one about 16 ft up in a oak tree in the front yard. Every year we have woodies in it.
 
Will wood duck nest away from water? I have a pond aprrox 1/4 mile away plus the farmers field behind my house usually has a water hole most of the year, if it's wet year. If I put a wood duck house in my yard (tad bit over 5 acres) would it attract woodie? I know they chicks need to drop from the nest as part of leaving the nest,but do they have to drop into water or dry land be ok?
 
Robert, I live about a mile away from the Missouri river& I have an old sycimore tree the woodies nest in every year if I keep the squirrel killed out of it. I'v only seen the little ones drop out of it one year out of 20. Its a 60' drop, they bounce once then scramble to mama& away they go. I don't know if they make it or not, but the adults are back every spring.
Dennis
 
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