# Trying to bring mallards to pond?



## bass hunter d4 (Feb 24, 2009)

I am kinda new to the duck hunting thing, can someone tell me or explain to me how to get mallards into a duck pond in montezuma, ga. The pond is surrounded by woodlands with many acorns and i was just wondering if it is even possible to bring mallards there.  The pond is clear for the most part it is real swampy though.  We have seen and shot wood ducks and hooded merganser but no sign of mallards. Thank you for ur help!!!!!!


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## Jhunt (Feb 24, 2009)

Mallards (the real migratory kind) aren't very common in Georgia.   Quite a few feral ones in areas (generally closer to more populated areas).


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## chase870 (Feb 24, 2009)

corn, whole kernal corn, and hope for a superhard freeze durring the migration


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## JerkBait (Feb 25, 2009)

youre in the wrong state for the mallards. gotta go west.


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## wingding (Feb 25, 2009)

this is about all you can do for a mallard


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## redneck_billcollector (Feb 25, 2009)

I know back in the 80s we used to get mallards south of you  down in worth county right below lake blackshear.  Had a bunch of duck ponds on some land that was surrounded on three sides by the flint.  There was a big bend in the river, and had close to 1000 acres we hunted within that bend.  We had mallards, gadwall, widgeon, teal and even got a couple of pintails there one winter. The land was sold back in the late 80s though and never got to hunt it again. I hunt some land up near smithville now (not to often though) that gets some mallards, mainly teal and ring necks though.  Off course all those places are ate up with wood ducks too. Both of those places aren't far from you, I saw a map once that showed a mini flyway on the flint (hence the ducks on worth county property) and on the smithville property there is another mini flyway along a creek that drains into the flint, it is a series of beaver ponds and man made brushy ponds that goes for miles.  While mallards aint common here like out in the mississippi flyway, at times they can be here and you have good shooting.  I have seen "funnels" of mallards in georgia, but that is the exception certainly not common. I think one of the reasons hunters dont see the mallards here in their duck ponds, is that if some do find the ponds, the hunters are gone by the time they get there, they get a limit of woodies, then go, the mallards show up a good bit later in the morning, they roost on the bigger lakes and fly out at sunrise to feed (at least that is how it was explained to me back when I started hunting ducks in ga, in the 70s).  If I were to make another duck pond, I would want to be not to far from a big lake, on a major river flood plain.  There are a good many ponds over near eufalla that get big ducks too that I have hunted.  How far is your property from the flint?  If it is not too far, you might be able to get some, plant smart weed once it is established, it will draw ducks, once they find it, and if there are any in your area.


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## JSpinks (Feb 26, 2009)

Go to your local feed store and buy some.  Either feed them well or clip their wings and they will stick around!


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## MustangMAtt30 (Feb 26, 2009)

Frost waterfowl sells them.


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## clent586 (Feb 26, 2009)

MustangMAtt30 said:


> Frost waterfowl sells them.



.......and if you shoot one of them with a band, you can get your name on their website!


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## clent586 (Feb 26, 2009)

We get migratory birds here but the majority of the time it is after our season closes. A friend of mine has a very unique place close to me. It has been managed for waterfowl extensively in the past but for lack of an explanation, it has went to the wayside. No tame ducks were planted...ever. Last day of the season...Redhead, Black, Widgeons and had Pintails in the impoundment but no shots. If they would put 3 weeks to the end of our season and take away the first 3 it would be alot better I think. Just my $.02


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## Nitro (Feb 26, 2009)

All it takes to get Mallards here is two feet of snow and zero degree temps for a week solid - from the Canada Border to Ringgold, GA.

When that happens, you will see wild Mallards everywhere in Georgia..

A Mallard duck is one of the hardiest, most weather resistant Puddle ducks there is. Cover his food with snow and freeze up his access to water and he will head South.


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## MustangMAtt30 (Feb 27, 2009)

clent586 said:


> We get migratory birds here but the majority of the time it is after our season closes. A friend of mine has a very unique place close to me. It has been managed for waterfowl extensively in the past but for lack of an explanation, it has went to the wayside. No tame ducks were planted...ever. Last day of the season...Redhead, Black, Widgeons and had Pintails in the impoundment but no shots. If they would put 3 weeks to the end of our season and take away the first 3 it would be alot better I think. Just my $.02



I agree about our season being set up that way but they say the birds start pairing up to mate in begining in February.



Nitro said:


> All it takes to get Mallards here is two feet of snow and zero degree temps for a week solid - from the Canada Border to Ringgold, GA.
> 
> When that happens, you will see wild Mallards everywhere in Georgia..
> 
> A Mallard duck is one of the hardiest, most weather resistant Puddle ducks there is. Cover his food with snow and freeze up his access to water and he will head South.



I've seen them still hanging around in good numbers up in Ohio when it was two degrees and just about everything was frozen up.  You are right, they are very tough birds.


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## clent586 (Feb 27, 2009)

Nitro said:


> All it takes to get Mallards here is two feet of snow and zero degree temps for a week solid - from the Canada Border to Ringgold, GA.
> 
> When that happens, you will see wild Mallards everywhere in Georgia..
> 
> A Mallard duck is one of the hardiest, most weather resistant Puddle ducks there is. Cover his food with snow and freeze up his access to water and he will head South.



There you ahave it folks..........no need for anymore reponses. Mods, can we close this thread!


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## redneck_billcollector (Feb 28, 2009)

Duck hunters in Georgia have been complaining about the dates for our season as long as I can remember.  Back in the 70's and early 80's that is all you ever heard, if only we could hunt all of Jan. and through Feb.  Well, unless something drastic happens with the way the feds think, that aint gonna happen.   

I have seen great change in our seasons, our limits (both tightening and loosening) over the years.  I have seen years where if you didnt limit on mallards, something was wrong, and years that if you saw a mallard you were something special.  I lived to hunt ducks in the mid-70s and gave all my hunting equipment away during the 80s, only to buy a bunch more a few years later.   

The problem for us in georgia is that we can do everything by the book and not have ducks and do nothing and have tons of ducks, in other words, all you can do is create the habitat and hope the ducks find it, or the ducks even find georgia, for that matter, that year.  Short stopping has always been a hot topic and some states actually tried to stop other states from doing it (maryland is an example) but, because the ducks respond to things only ducks know about, we can only build, and hope they will come.


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## clent586 (Feb 28, 2009)

Sounds good!


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## mike new (Feb 28, 2009)

Dates are the same in every state.  They are set by the Federal fish and game guys. 

The only secret to attracting and keeping ducks is open WATER and FOOD!!!!!!!!!! 

As  Jeff Foiles would say if you are gonna kill ducks then you better have food.  After all the ducks fly south in search of food beacuse all of their resources have froze up not because they get a little cold.  Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ----Edited to Remove Profanity ----, it has been freezing cold when I have hunted in GA (busting ice with a baseball bat so ducks can land in open water) but I dont see the ducks flying to MIAMI!


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## clent586 (Mar 1, 2009)

mike new said:


> Dates are the same in every state.  They are set by the Federal fish and game guys.
> 
> The only secret to attracting and keeping ducks is open WATER and FOOD!!!!!!!!!!



Dang man, you mean I could have kept blasting gesse until Feb. 15th like the guys in Colorado? I could have started shooting ducks on October the 11th like in Washington State? And oh crap......I started duck hunting in Georgia a week early, because in Alabama it started on the 27th not the 22nd!

Dates are not the same in every state.....just to let you know. Amount of days are not the same as dates. Not picking a fight because I only have one demerit left in my account, but yall need to do a little research before posting some of these statements.

And as far as Mr. "Float the Forth" Foiles statement, they have to get here first. Which if they do, is after OUR season closes. The End


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## MAC DADDY FREAK NASTY (May 3, 2009)

Ive got 4 pair on my property and across the road on that pond hope they stay. Till quack season.


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