Duck Feeding?

[Tiercel 6,986]

Another way to get ducks on flighting without feeding ponds is to watch the weather, any heavy rain will create splashes (small ponds) where they are only flooded during heavy rains. These splashes can be very good for ducks in the first two days (evenings) they are created, for the simple reason they provide plenty of food for ducks in the form of drowned worms and slugs. You have to be quick though as they will strip the splashes of all the goodies in a couple of hours.

 

TC

[Nik_B 3,790]

Good point TC. We however are in the centre of England. Normally the duck flight from the local water parks and big lakes out to our little flight ponds. Still used to get good numbers though. I think the secret to a good flight pond is a, feed it well, b, watch the weather and learn when the birds are active, c, only take a few and get away to allow more to come in,d, clean up everything regarding cartridge cases and the like. Your hoste doesn't like mess. Jok.

 

Luckily I'm on Anglesey so we're surrounded by the sea. I've shot here for 5 years and the duck flights are always spectacular but they're cagey buggers....the clang of a gate shutting is enough to put them all up in the morning. Our shoot is shut down now so I'm going to try and do my best, for me and my daughter to have a potter about

[Nik_B 3,790]

Another way to get ducks on flighting without feeding ponds is to watch the weather, any heavy rain will create splashes (small ponds) where they are only flooded during heavy rains. These splashes can be very good for ducks in the first two days (evenings) they are created, for the simple reason they provide plenty of food for ducks in the form of drowned worms and slugs. You have to be quick though as they will strip the splashes of all the goodies in a couple of hours.

 

TC

 

Great stuff thanks again! At the moment I'm hoping to just get the old rights back to see what I can do with it but I'll keep an eye out for flooded areas. The hard part is knowing the land owners/farmers

[jok 3,269]

Been a while Nik_B since you posted. How are the splashes going on? Jok.

[Nik_B 3,790]

Been a while Nik_B since you posted. How are the splashes going on? Jok.

 

Unfortunately I'm still trying to find land as the rights got taken by someone else...very gutted

 

I am joining a wild fowling club which has some lakes and foreshore so I'll see how that works out and keep looking for land to shoot on.

 

I see what TC meant, we had a lot of rain recently and I saw splashes full of seagulls so they were obviously feeding on the drowned worms, a day later there wasn't a bird near them. It's all very educational for me I love picking up bits of info like this.

[jok 3,269]

All the small splashes have been freezing up, so you have a couple options. Go breaking ice or find bigger and more sheltered ponds. Trouble is, as you now know, they already have guns on them. Have you ever seen duck landing on ice?LOL possibly the funniest thing. Good luck. Jok.

[Nik_B 3,790]

All the small splashes have been freezing up, so you have a couple options. Go breaking ice or find bigger and more sheltered ponds. Trouble is, as you now know, they already have guns on them. Have you ever seen duck landing on ice?LOL possibly the funniest thing. Good luck. Jok.

 

The good thing about Anglesey is it rarely freezes

[Dogger1066 0]

Ducks by us on the lake will eat vitually anything haha. I seen kids feeding the crisps and being told off to the ducks enjoyment.

[Nik_B 3,790]

Ha ha there are fairly tame ones in the dell behind our house....I am very tempted to harvest them for the freezer although it would probably be front page of the local paper for weeks lol

[CSFS 0]

Tailings are a good duck feed and very cheap n'all, we get ours from a couple of farms and usually they just want to get rid.