Hello Waterfowlers:

I'm currently looking for land in the North Texas area. My dream is to find a piece of property with a nice solid water source along with flat level crop land. My thought is to take a 1-2 acre parcel of the crop land and dig out about 4 inches of soil. The idea would be to be plant millet or some other waterfowl ag crop and then flood it from the water source prior to hunting season. Not sure how long it will take ducks to find it - but I'm guessing once they do, it should be a fairly nice spot.

Has anyone tried this? Any pointers? Anyone need a lot of dirt?

You will want to be on a flyway regardless of what you plant.

instead of digging it out i would just build a berm

You may be right. Was thinking that digging it out might hold water better.

Hate to bust you're bubble but it's never gonna happen. Unless you gave uber deep pockets and lots of connections.

Ducks will eat a 1-2 acre food source out in a matter of days.

Say when.







What makes you say all that?

That's an odd thing to say. Probably more deep pockets on this forum than you realize.

We do this all the time here on the prairie. 1,000s and 1,000s of acres actually.

As said above, it's easier to build a levee around it.

I did this for my landowner where I farm at.

Planted strips of millet in it, and it was beautiful.

Sadly it was never pumped with water...we had to run a half mile of pipe and 2 pumps from one reservoir to this spot.

We just couldn't ever find time to do it.

Finally got it done, and season is almost over.

I will make the levees a little wider for next go round, but they work like this.

This is what I see as most important. Number one you are going to have to wade through the BS information on an internet forum, a duck hunter's forum at that.

So to move on beyond the internet yada yada stuff what I would suggest is finding a spot that has as close to free as possible so far as water. That spot would have to be in an area where birds wish to be. Meaning you need a good source of roosting birds. That source would have to allow the birds not to get jacked with. Being outside a no hunting refuge with your food plot would be a good spot, coveted by all hunters, but a good spot no doubt.

You can spend a tremndous amount of money getting this done. If for some reason the birds don't like your spot, what will you do then? I would say 90 percent of your labor needs to be researching the absolute bottom out of this project before you stick a shovel in the dirt.

These guys are right. The old "build it and they will come" slogan does not always work with ducks but you have to start somewhere and you will not know until you try. I've got two properties and it is definitely fun, frustrating, rewarding, and disappointing all at the same time. Oh and expensive too.

He said he was looking for Stuttgart. This could be done , but not in North Texas. The prarie,yes. High plains playa, yes. But to pump enough water to cover enough acreage in this area is really difficult , especially if you don't already own the property. That property Cappy built in Fannin county is really cool but it ain't Stuttgart.

How much are you willing to spend?

Ive been searching for this kind of spot. I think I found it. I partnered with a person who owns the land near the red river. We are doing this this spring on a small scale. If it works like we think it will, we will increase the size of the crops and flooded areas the next year. Its a trail and error process. You just don't want to go crazy with it till you are for sure the birds like it. I have around fifty lakes and tanks to hunt. Some of my best stuff last year just now got good. Places we never hunted last year has been great. Some years we hammer gadwalls. This year its mallards. Migration patterns change to a point. It may be pressure or drought or lack of cold weather. My advice would be conservative. Deep pockets or not. I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket. Stuggart is the result of right habitat and hundreds of years of imprinting taught by every generation of ducks that proceeded them.

Like Wal said, location is key. If you are in an area that has birds, then your chances are much better.

Yup. Takes lot capital- not few acres to build your own place (s)

Been there, done that- developing several right now

You are much better off leasing a few places- unless you have deep pockets

This past summer I did a similar project.. Put up a 150 yard levee between two hills. Flooded about 2 acres 8" deep. Total cost of pond was $800 for minitrackhoe for a weekend. So far the wood ducks have not lit, but are passing overhead. There are lot of good internet articles on attracting ducks. If you can run dozer or trackhoe pretty easy to build levee. My limitation is rainfall and runoff from the hills. It did not flood until thanksgiving. I plan on seeding crawfish this spring. If nothing else I hope to be eating crawfish next fall.

Once you find your place, check out what this guy does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG87oElqXWE&feature=youtu.be

The only thing I remember about Stuttgart was getting up at 1am to be at the ramp at 2am to be number 212 in line to launch.....no thanks!

I don't know exactly what area you are thinking, but if around North DFW, it can be done (the further east you go, the better too). I know several sloughs that have been built with water wells to fill and they attract a lot of ducks! If you got oak trees to flood, you can build up the wood ducks over time as well. It just takes time and money. You can get enough ducks to do 2 man limits twice a week most weeks, but don't think you will ever have the amount of green (mallards and wood ducks) you get in that part of Arkansas.

Hey Featherduster
R u a rice farmer in the garwood area?

Check out texashuntingland.com they had a place in north west texas that would be a waterfowlers dream if they just get some rain. You wouldn't have to do any work just needs rain.

Man that would be unique I don't think anyone has tried that in Texas. A Pioneer!

Kraymer...... Like it was said earlier try and wade through the negative stuff. I have been lucky enough to buy one place that was an existing man made wetlands and build two more on other properties. There is nothing more rewarding than shooting limits off of a new wetlands that was just finished this year. We have gone through trial and error and for some reason one of the new wetlands has only produced one good hunt in two years and it's only six miles down the highway from the other two. It can be done and location is the key. The properties that produce are near a major flyway and the one we struggle with isn't. We have a well on one of the properties that produces about 60 gpm and doesn't cost much at all to run it for 30 days. The cost is in the beginning. The other properties have holding ponds that collect water year round to pump from, so no matter what we will have water. Good luck and if you ever want to visit just PM me.

57 acres on the sulfur river. Heavily wooded for $118,000