# Food Plots for Ducks



## Chris Horsman (Mar 17, 2011)

I just joined a lease with 2-3 pretty big swamps with lots of openings in them. My idea, if legal, is to plant along the edge of the swamps for the ducks. I want to encourage them to stay and breed rather that just to hunt them.
What would you plant and when. What other improvements would you do beyond nest boxes. Thanks for any and all advise. Of course if this is not legal please disregard....


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## FOD (Mar 17, 2011)

How much sunlight?That's gonna be your main concern.


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## duckhunter2010 (Mar 17, 2011)

your best bet will be to plant japanese millet in late summer. it takes about 90-105 days to fully mature so plant accordingly. Mossy Oak biologic also makes a food plot mix specificlly made for waterfowl that will grow better in a moist environment. the millet will need a little drier seed bed but is a little cheaper. if you want to go a little farther with it, you can build a "3 log drain" or a "clemson pond leveler" to lower your water levels and really get some food in there for them. ducks eat alot more than you would think so in order to hold them its gonna take a good bit of food. this is perfectly legal. if you go to youtube and search for planting for ducks, Freddie King, aka outdoorvideomaster has a video of Rusty Creasy planting rice inside his flooded timber. if you have any more questions or want to know about the drain systems, shoot me a pm.


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## Duckslayer1 (Mar 17, 2011)

If u can drain it rice is the best, but u have to control the water level


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## SMASHINFOWL (Mar 17, 2011)

or hydrllia..thats pretty good too....and if you get realy bored you can gather up a bunch of water oak acorns and throw em out ..woodducks love em...


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## bbducks (Mar 17, 2011)

If you plant it is legal. Do not put anything in there that was not grown there. And if you plant it you can't do anything to it like knock it down or bush hog it. If you want it legal just plant and leave it alone.


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## waddler (Apr 9, 2011)

Whatever you plant, the ducks will be longgone before there is any feed produced. If you want them to stay (mallards) and raise in your ponds, put out CORN regularly starting the day after season closes and keep it up. There is not much for them to eat in Feb and March.


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## Skyjacker (Apr 9, 2011)

Chris Horsman said:


> I just joined a lease with 2-3 pretty big swamps with lots of openings in them. My idea, if legal, is to plant along the edge of the swamps for the ducks. I want to encourage them to stay and breed rather that just to hunt them.
> What would you plant and when. What other improvements would you do beyond nest boxes. Thanks for any and all advise. Of course if this is not legal please disregard....



I wouldn't waste your time with that idea.  Go find a pond that has duck weed on it.  Let a biologist confirm that it is duckweed.  Getyourself a baby pool in the back of your truck and put the duck weed in it, transport it, and spread it around in your swamp. Needs water obviously. Much simpler and cheaper than trying to plant in conditions that are not optimal AT ALL.


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## Chris Horsman (Apr 9, 2011)

Thanks Skyjacker, but is it legal to move aquatic vegitation from lake to lake? Isn`t that why they encourage people to clear they`re boat trailler after loading/unloading boats?


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## king killer delete (Apr 9, 2011)

*back in the old days*

we would break a beaver dam and hand broadcast  wild jap millet and in 2 days the beavers would have the dam fixed. It all seemed to work.


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