texashuntingforum.com logo
Main Menu
Advertisement
Affiliates
Advertisement
Newest Members
TraeMartin, Beatixre, MooseSteed, Trappernewt, casyoo
71987 Registered Users
Top Posters(All Time)
dogcatcher 110,788
bill oxner 91,416
SnakeWrangler 65,416
stxranchman 60,296
Gravytrain 46,950
RKHarm24 44,585
rifleman 44,461
Stub 43,768
Forum Statistics
Forums46
Topics536,994
Posts9,719,232
Members86,987
Most Online25,604
Feb 12th, 2024
Print Thread
Help Me Build My Duck Pond #8342915 08/06/21 12:16 PM
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 5
G
GtownTechsan Offline OP
Green Horn
OP Offline
Green Horn
G
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 5
These are Google Earth photos, so it may be a little hard to tell how this is currently situated. I can get “street view” photos if those would be better.

I have a bulldozer and dug out this pond several years ago. It’s probably about 75 yards long and 25 yards at its widest. I’m not the most prolific duck hunter but I go out to this pond a couple times a season and take a few ducks here and there. But they definitely aren’t coming in droves.

The tree line makes it difficult because the ducks generally come over the trees and aren’t seen until they’re right on you. If absolutely best, I can cut down more trees, but that’s a real chore and not something I can do by myself. But if it’s absolutely necessary, I’ll do it because I want to make this into a good duck hunting pond. I’m guessing I may also need to dig out the pond some more to make it wider but wanted to check here and see y’all’s thoughts. If this was what you had to work with, would you do anything to improve the landscape? If not, how would you set it up and where would you set the blind?

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Attached Files CAB7630A-6255-425A-BB67-65DD1D92F2C7.jpegAB210E38-E84F-44BD-BDBB-37F82A86479B.jpegD78647E1-DB42-4779-8215-9C41808CEAF3.jpeg
Re: Help Me Build My Duck Pond [Re: GtownTechsan] #8343029 08/06/21 01:20 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 19,129
B
Biscuit Online Shocked
THF Celebrity
Online Shocked
THF Celebrity
B
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 19,129
You’ve got some nice ground sir

Re: Help Me Build My Duck Pond [Re: GtownTechsan] #8343043 08/06/21 01:25 PM
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,993
6
68A Online Content
Extreme Tracker
Online Content
Extreme Tracker
6
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,993
DU will sometimes help with these projects. A lot depends on the topography. My gut reaction is to say to continue to open it up into the pasture but if you’re dependent on rain, need to take runoff into consideration. Are you planning on planting anything in this area? Do you want water control? A few things that need to be thought out.

Re: Help Me Build My Duck Pond [Re: 68A] #8343068 08/06/21 01:47 PM
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 5
G
GtownTechsan Offline OP
Green Horn
OP Offline
Green Horn
G
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 5
Originally Posted by 68A
DU will sometimes help with these projects. A lot depends on the topography. My gut reaction is to say to continue to open it up into the pasture but if you’re dependent on rain, need to take runoff into consideration. Are you planning on planting anything in this area? Do you want water control? A few things that need to be thought out.


Hard to tell from Google Earth, but this pond is sort of at the bottom of a hill. So if I go out into the pasture, I’m not worried about run off. I don’t plan on planting anything in that field, so I can bring the pond out some. I can’t go too far though because that hill starts to rise about 25 yards from the current edge of the pond. I’m not sure, maybe it’d be good to be elevated, but I’d imagine i want to be water-level because that’s how I’ve always done it.

Last edited by GtownTechsan; 08/06/21 01:49 PM.
Re: Help Me Build My Duck Pond [Re: 68A] #8343139 08/06/21 02:55 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 679
S
Sinkey Offline
Tracker
Offline
Tracker
S
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 679
Originally Posted by 68A
DU will sometimes help with these projects. A lot depends on the topography. My gut reaction is to say to continue to open it up into the pasture but if you’re dependent on rain, need to take runoff into consideration. Are you planning on planting anything in this area? Do you want water control? A few things that need to be thought out.


They will only help in certain areas. Up North and East, and West they said they are good. They were trying to find people with land down South to help out. I talked to them 2 years ago when I started my project and property in East Texas. Had to do it all on my own.

Not sure of your slope on the topo. But you have good potential. You need to have a big foot print (larger than surrounding ponds) WITH FOOD! Thats the biggest key. You have food, they will be there.


[Linked Image][Linked Image]
Re: Help Me Build My Duck Pond [Re: GtownTechsan] #8343150 08/06/21 02:59 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 679
S
Sinkey Offline
Tracker
Offline
Tracker
S
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 679
[Linked Image]

Here is an aerial of mine after the first year. Its been alot of trial and error. And Im still working on it. As you can see, it filled diagonally. so I had to re-grade it this year. and removed the big tree in the middle to open it up more. Millet grew only in certain places. So had to do soil test and add dirt and chicken $hit! lol. I also have dairy's all around me. So the ducks stay in the area. I can tell you first hand, put the work in. Its so much nicer hunting your own spot rather than hunting public.

This was flat land. We brought in a dozer and pushed up levys all the way around. Its approx. 6 acres on the inside. And added a well to pump water and pull water off when we need too.

Last edited by Sinkey; 08/06/21 03:06 PM.

[Linked Image][Linked Image]
Re: Help Me Build My Duck Pond [Re: Sinkey] #8343182 08/06/21 03:37 PM
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 5
G
GtownTechsan Offline OP
Green Horn
OP Offline
Green Horn
G
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 5
Originally Posted by Sinkey
Originally Posted by 68A
DU will sometimes help with these projects. A lot depends on the topography. My gut reaction is to say to continue to open it up into the pasture but if you’re dependent on rain, need to take runoff into consideration. Are you planning on planting anything in this area? Do you want water control? A few things that need to be thought out.


They will only help in certain areas. Up North and East, and West they said they are good. They were trying to find people with land down South to help out. I talked to them 2 years ago when I started my project and property in East Texas. Had to do it all on my own.

Not sure of your slope on the topo. But you have good potential. You need to have a big foot print (larger than surrounding ponds) WITH FOOD! Thats the biggest key. You have food, they will be there.

Originally Posted by Sinkey
Originally Posted by 68A
DU will sometimes help with these projects. A lot depends on the topography. My gut reaction is to say to continue to open it up into the pasture but if you’re dependent on rain, need to take runoff into consideration. Are you planning on planting anything in this area? Do you want water control? A few things that need to be thought out.


They will only help in certain areas. Up North and East, and West they said they are good. They were trying to find people with land down South to help out. I talked to them 2 years ago when I started my project and property in East Texas. Had to do it all on my own.

Not sure of your slope on the topo. But you have good potential. You need to have a big foot print (larger than surrounding ponds) WITH FOOD! Thats the biggest key. You have food, they will be there.


Nice plot. That’s what I’m hoping mine can look like some day.

I do have a much bigger pond about 1000 yards away on the other side of the hill, so now I wonder if I’m wasting my time on a smaller duck pond and should instead just set up a blind on the bigger pond. The problem with the bigger pond is that the cow pasture is on one side, so the cows come over on that side which has the cover. The other side is a dam which wouldn’t be good to set up on. I rarely see many ducks on the bigger pond and just figured it was because it was close to the house and cow pasture. And that is why I set up the small “duck pond” away. But now I’m wondering if I should focus on the bigger one instead.

Last edited by GtownTechsan; 08/06/21 03:42 PM.
Re: Help Me Build My Duck Pond [Re: GtownTechsan] #8343185 08/06/21 03:40 PM
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 5
G
GtownTechsan Offline OP
Green Horn
OP Offline
Green Horn
G
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 5
Here is the bigger pond. The first photo shows it in relation to the “duck pond”.


[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Re: Help Me Build My Duck Pond [Re: GtownTechsan] #8344188 08/07/21 04:42 PM
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 11,510
R
rickym Offline
THF Celebrity
Offline
THF Celebrity
R
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 11,510
Take down more trees or drag the duck pond further into the pasture. Ducks don’t feel as safe if they can’t see the threats coming from the heavy woods. If wind and sun aren’t an issue, allow some pasture grass to grow. Put a blind in the tall grass. Plant food on the shallow side and pray for rain.



Re: Help Me Build My Duck Pond [Re: rickym] #8344497 08/08/21 01:05 AM
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 130
O
olducker Offline
Woodsman
Offline
Woodsman
O
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 130
well, I have some experience with this type project.. first forget help from DU. etc. now remember the pond will only be as good as the flyway it is in.. that said.. I would build a small berm
om the pasture side.. then berm excavate / berm about three acres such that it is about 18'' lower than the pool level of the existing pond. You will put a pipe into the existing pond with a closure valve. you can the grow the moist land plants and water them from the pond in off season. Then in the second half of season open the valve and flood your new area to about 18'' or less water.. shoot on it no more than once a week.. good luck.. main point here is you need shallow water only. you need moist soil feed.. oh and you will need to fence out the deer and hogs while your feed is growing..

Re: Help Me Build My Duck Pond [Re: rickym] #8344575 08/08/21 02:42 AM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 11,905
N
ntxtrapper Online Content
THF Celebrity
Online Content
THF Celebrity
N
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 11,905
Originally Posted by rickym
Take down more trees or drag the duck pond further into the pasture. Ducks don’t feel as safe if they can’t see the threats coming from the heavy woods. If wind and sun aren’t an issue, allow some pasture grass to grow. Put a blind in the tall grass. Plant food on the shallow side and pray for rain.


Yep, they don't like brush close to the bank.

Re: Help Me Build My Duck Pond [Re: olducker] #8344627 08/08/21 03:54 AM
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 5
G
GtownTechsan Offline OP
Green Horn
OP Offline
Green Horn
G
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 5
So y’all think I should expand the small pond and not just build a blind on the bigger pond?

Re: Help Me Build My Duck Pond [Re: GtownTechsan] #8345242 08/08/21 09:37 PM
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 11,510
R
rickym Offline
THF Celebrity
Offline
THF Celebrity
R
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 11,510
Originally Posted by GtownTechsan
So y’all think I should expand the small pond and not just build a blind on the bigger pond?

Why not do both? I’d focus on the one you typically see more ducks on first.



Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread

© 2004-2024 OUTDOOR SITES NETWORK all rights reserved USA and Worldwide
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3