What direction do yall recommended for wood duck boxes to be located? SouthEast?

IMHO, I don't think it makes a difference other than mounting it where the opening is blocked by tree limbs or other obstacles.

Never thought about it. Catch the morning sunshine? Probably if the wind always blows in one direction, such that young take off into wind?

Dave, have you ever seen a mama wood duck get the little ones out of the nest the first time? Regardless of how high the nest is, she will persuade the little ones to follow her. I have seen the little ones fall 50 or more feet out of a nest in a huge cypress tree. Flapping their wings as hard as they can but still falling like a rock. BTW if one or more fail to leave the nest , she will take the ones that have left the nest and leave swimming away and will not return for the ones left in the nest. This process takes maybe 10-12 minutes. I live on a lake and have built nesting boxes for the wood ducks but have only seen the nest leaving event twice in almost 25 years. Sorta like if you blink, you miss it.

I just built two wood duck boxes so I researched plans and other information. Everything I read said put the boxes where they face south or west and as mentioned already make sure limbs etc don't interfere with the entrance.

I wish I could have seen that, pretty incredible. I didn't know the boxes were supposed to face a certain direction.

I wonder how the gurus found out the ducks prefer a certain directions? I also wonder if the ducks find a big cypress with a hole facing the wrong direction, do they turn their nose up at it.

I always thought the idea was the ducklings drop into water. If they just drop to the ground- does it hurt them? They are pretty fluffy and light.

I have never seen any hit the ground on their first time out of the nest but have been told that does happen. The outcome ?????

We need to know the terminal velocity of a falling wood duck duckling and the absorption effect of it's downy feathers. plus the hardness of the ground.

Saw a show last night on TV AND with wood ducks- they bounced right on the ground- no harm.

Birds normally get kicked out of the nest anyway. Some don't survive.