# mallard duck preserve hunts in n ga



## topdog (Nov 17, 2017)

Has anyone on here been to one of these? I see south fork and wiley on line. I would like to take my 11 yr old to introduce him to duck hunting for a Christmas present. Any advice on these would be appreciated.


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## king killer delete (Nov 17, 2017)

Respond with respect folks.


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## chase870 (Nov 17, 2017)

Not so sure that's where to introduce a kid to duck hunting, as you will get plenty of shooting and the preserve birds are easy to kill. It might give him unrealistic ideas about the sport. That said take him and let him kill as many as he wants, I have killed a bunch of preserve birds and they take a load of steel like anything else


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 17, 2017)

Please do not support these kind of operations.


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## tucker80 (Nov 17, 2017)

PM sent


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## swampstalker24 (Nov 17, 2017)

I agree with chase...  A preserve shoot will introduce him to killing not hunting.   If thats the goal then go for it.  If you want him to appreciate and respect nature and understand that hunting is much much more than just pulling a trigger, a canned hunt might not be the best starting place.


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## Long Cut (Nov 17, 2017)

Went on a dove shoot at South Fork and the most birds shot by 1 person (out of 100) was 5.... never duck hunted with them nor do I ever care to. 

Maybe their duck hunts are better but im over them personally


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## T-N-T (Nov 18, 2017)

I'd spend the money on a hotel near a swampy WMA that allowed duck hunting and try for some Woodies.  

I don't care one way or the other about the preserves. They are a business and that's fine. But I promise the satisfaction level will be higher if you do it a different way


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## across the river (Nov 18, 2017)

Long Cut said:


> Went on a dove shoot at South Fork and the most birds shot by 1 person (out of 100) was 5.... never duck hunted with them nor do I ever care to.
> 
> Maybe their duck hunts are better but im over them personally



That is because they don't buy and release tame doves.


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## jasper181 (Nov 18, 2017)

Why is that? 



Duckbuster82 said:


> Please do not support these kind of operations.


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## jasper181 (Nov 18, 2017)

Not sure where you are located but Dorchester shooting preserve south of Savavannah is good, the ducks fly good and it's as close to wild birds that I've seen. You get 12 birds per blind, you get a guide and dog. 



topdog said:


> Has anyone on here been to one of these? I see south fork and wiley on line. I would like to take my 11 yr old to introduce him to duck hunting for a Christmas present. Any advice on these would be appreciated.


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## CaptPaul (Nov 19, 2017)

I think this is a good way to get a youngster involved.  Its just like fishing, if I could up the odds in my favor taking a kid fishing I always did.   Get them hooked first then build the passion around it.   Good luck!


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 19, 2017)

jasper181 said:


> Why is that?



They have a negative impact on the environment and wild ducks. And it is not hunting, it’s using live decoys, which is against the law etc.


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## jasper181 (Nov 19, 2017)

I respect your opinion but I've never understood this argument, if done responsibly there should be no impact on wildlife. Usually the guys that say this will not bat an eye at shooting released pheasant is Sodak. As far as live decoys a preserve has a complete different set of rules from season dates, limits and steel is not required.


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 20, 2017)

jasper181 said:


> I respect your opinion but I've never understood this argument, if done responsibly there should be no impact on wildlife. Usually the guys that say this will not bat an eye at shooting released pheasant is Sodak. As far as live decoys a preserve has a complete different set of rules from season dates, limits and steel is not required.



No impact on wildlife? Do you not think that they leave the farm they are released on or that wild birds come into the corn ponds? Do you not think that they will try and bread with others ducks or be bread by other ducks passing on bad genes? Do you not think that when they interact with these other birds that they pass on diseases? Look at all the hybrid ducks people post up and call farm ducks. Different season dates and rules great, you think that they only shoot release birds? If any other bird is shot other than releae birds that would be shooting over love decoys. I don’t care about pheasant or know anything about them and the impact of release birds on the population of wild pheasant.


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## jasper181 (Nov 20, 2017)

I can't speak for other places but at our plantation we don't allow any other ducks shot other than the green heads and being where I am it's the only ones you will see so it's not hard to guess. As far as birds getting lose, we have a good enough setup that the birds don't leave, we know how many are released, if there are any left at the end of the season they are killed. You also prove my point, you said you don't care about pheasant, so it's only important if it's important to you, good to know 



Duckbuster82 said:


> No impact on wildlife? Do you not think that they leave the farm they are released on or that wild birds come into the corn ponds? Do you not think that they will try and bread with others ducks or be bread by other ducks passing on bad genes? Do you not think that when they interact with these other birds that they pass on diseases? Look at all the hybrid ducks people post up and call farm ducks. Different season dates and rules great, you think that they only shoot release birds? If any other bird is shot other than releae birds that would be shooting over love decoys. I don’t care about pheasant or know anything about them and the impact of release birds on the population of wild pheasant.


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 20, 2017)

Whe. I say I don’t care about pheasant, it means I don’t hunt them, I don’t study them. But if the mallards you release are having a negative affect and I don’t care about pheasant, it does not make what you are doing right. Where is your preserve at, what is the name of it?


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## GSURugger (Nov 20, 2017)

Tame migratory birds are a cancer to the sport.  They spread disease to actual wild flocks.  Please do not support this.


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## swampstalker24 (Nov 20, 2017)

IMO hunts like these just perpetuate the "everyone gets a trophy" and instant gratification themes that plauge our kids these days...  Not saying there is anything wrong with it but just prolly not the best way to introduce a kid to the sport.


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## Long Cut (Nov 20, 2017)

Look at how EHD, CWD really spread.. through penned deer. Not a biologist but if it could happen to deer it could happen to ducks


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 20, 2017)

Tammies are fed feed with antibiotics to help fight outbreaks, they carry diseases into the wild.


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## across the river (Nov 20, 2017)

jasper181 said:


> I can't speak for other places but at our plantation we don't allow any other ducks shot other than the green heads and being where I am it's the only ones you will see so it's not hard to guess. As far as birds getting lose, we have a good enough setup that the birds don't leave, we know how many are released, if there are any left at the end of the season they are killed. You also prove my point, you said you don't care about pheasant, so it's only important if it's important to you, good to know




 I don't hunt released quail, pheasant, or mallards(on purpose) but there is a huge difference.  The survival rate of a released quail or pheasant is extremely low.  Even if the bird does survive, the impact it has on wild populations is negligible based on studies, because a released pheasant or quail isn't going to show up in the next county, much less next state over like a duck.  Any cross breeding would be localized, if it did happen to occur.  A mallard, however, is prone to fly off.   When skeeter branch used to actually band birds, we killed a handful of those birds in locations a long ways from where they were released. We killed another banded one with a Frost band on it that came from NC I believe it was.  If it still exists, look up the Frost waterfowl band database, and see how far many of those tames traveled.  A lot of them end up a long ways from where they were released.   The biggest impact around here is many of the released mallards end up on the coast or in Florida or along the gulf coast and cross with mottled ducks.   If you think tammie  mallards don't have an impact, you are fooling yourself.


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## across the river (Nov 20, 2017)

Here is just one example for you.  I promise there are plenty of more like this, so don't tell me your  "plantation ducks" don't impact ducks in other places.

http://frostwaterfowl.net/database/new/reoutform.asp?ID=7115


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## Mexican Squealer (Nov 20, 2017)

Tamies are the devil.


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## bullit (Nov 24, 2017)

Suggest spending a little more money and time... take him on a guided hunt in Arkansas or similar. Get another father / son to join you and it can be a very rewarding experience. But then I've been on some real good ones and some that were duds, not the guides fault, just dealing with migratory birds.


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## Uptonongood (Nov 29, 2017)

I’ve hunted release pheasants in order to train my dogs so it was only dog training and not hunting.  As stated, release bird shooting is not hunting and as long as the parent emphasizes that, go ahead.  The truly sad part is the unlikelihood that a youngster in Georgia or most other states, will ever get to experience really good waterfowl hunting without a guide on leased property.  It has become a sign of the times.


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## Cadcom (Nov 29, 2017)

Wiley Creek is a nice enough place to take a kid. Breakfast is excellent and they have blinds that a kid would enjoy. No it is not an "actual duck hunt" but it is a good time and kids love it. I won a hunt from my local DU event - it was a good time. I would definitely take a kid if interested.


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## M00d (Nov 30, 2017)

Another option is to check out chris scalley with river through Atlanta. They guide duck hunts pretty close to Atlanta and to my knowledge its all wild birds but they do a pretty good job of getting you on them. Its wild duck hunting in Georgia so there is no guarantees, but he is incredibly knowledgeable and I can't think of a better way to get a kid into the sport


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