Nesting success!!

Woodduck box inspection

I took the dogs hunting tonight for a short hunt.  I got home from work and had to do something with the hounds, so we headed into the magical world of the duck marsh.  I never pulled up on a duck.  Some hen woodies flushed on the way in and I was loaded, but I felt like giving the local hens a break.  In turn, the rust stayed in the gun barrel.  Oh well.

 

A flock of about 50 woodies flew over the marsh and were heading south.  They looked like they were going somewhere to feed.  I'll have to do some scouting to find out where they were going.  I had Drake, the yellow lab, in the boat and that was an experience.  He's old and his breathing sounds like a freight train when he gets winded or excited.  For 45 minutes I heard the train's chugging until he finally tired and laid down.  He is almost completely deaf, but at times he must have heard me calling, so he'd stand back up, start panting, and get excited all over gain. 

 

I don't have any bragging pics to share, but on the upside I checked a woodduck box I built about a year and a half ago.  Inside there were duck feathers!  Last year I had installed it poorly (it was leaning at about a 60-degree angle) and there was a larger bird of prey feather, probably a hawk, inside the box.  Birds of prey need places to nest and contribute to the marsh's health, but I'd rather have a woodduck make a home out of the box.  I have another box that I'd like to check, but may wait until winter when the water is frozen. 

 

The boxes are installed on private land and I gave them to the landowner in appreciation for letting me hunt and trap on his land.  The landowner isn't a hunter, but he does enjoy watching wildlife.  The box I still need to check is in front of his house and was put there in hopes he would be able to watch a brood come of age in the summer.  Letting landowners know you appreciate their generosity can go a long way towards access. 

 

Take a kid hunting!