New Flight Pond

[Jasper92 5]

Hi,

I have recently acquired a pond on some new shooting permission. It is around 20m x 8m situated on the edge of a wood. It has never been shot or fed as far as I know So i am just wondering the best way to get wild duck Coming on to the pond for a couple of flights through the season.

cheers 

[Jasper92 5]

Any help would be greatly appreciated 

[Liamboy 1,266]

Probably ducks already using it. They will know its there. Put feed down and maybe a trail cam and u will soon know. If you keep feeding it for them they will keep coming 

[Jasper92 5]

Thanks mate, I have fed the edges of the pond. It’s around 5 inches deep at the margins and goes to around 1 1/2 feet at its deepest. I can’t find any signs of ducks (feathers etc) and the feed I had put down doesn’t seem to have been touched. Fingers crossed they find it

[Elchapo 3,166]

On 16/05/2020 at 21:37, Jasper92 said:

Thanks mate, I have fed the edges of the pond. It’s around 5 inches deep at the margins and goes to around 1 1/2 feet at its deepest. I can’t find any signs of ducks (feathers etc) and the feed I had put down doesn’t seem to have been touched. Fingers crossed they find it

Try posting on the game keeping section mate there a lot lads 9n there who keep pheasants and ducks so will be able give you bit of advice 

[j j m 6,534]

looks nice bud

[Jasper92 5]

Been down the pond this afternoon and there was a pair of Mallard come off on arrival. Fed the edges with barley and potato skins. Hopefully they will return and bring friends with them. 

[bobajob 56]

I personally  would feed it for a while  but not shoot it   keep a good eye on it with a trail camera . After a few start feeding  on it  they will gradually appear  in numbers . Stick a few decoys in it  will help aswell..

[Lloyd90 509]

I’d stick an auto feeder, or even two on it considering it looks a decent size. 
 

Get the feeder to spray food out about an hour before dark, as duck (I believe) will flight in as it gets dark and feed overnight. 
 

If you can push them off in the morning. 
I’d leave it until October to establish, if you can get there regular to push them off in morning you should see how many are about. 
 

Come October shoot it once a fortnight, don’t over shoot it as they’ll just leave. 
 

Stick some wooden pallets up if you can to make a nice hide . 

[3175darren 1,100]

Once they find it you will be ok, feed twice a week and shoot once a fortnight small ponds are the best as the birds are more concentrated, and within range I have a few small ponds and they are very productive, if you put some whole maize in your feed you can see it better on the bottom and so get a better idea of how much food they are taking,

I had issues with one of my ponds where the birds wouldn’t come in so I strimmed the grass down around the edge so the birds could see what was approaching the pond, must have made them feel safe cos I get good numbers off that pond every year,   

[Meece 1,957]

We have a pond about the same size and shoot it every week.  The duck always come off the pond at the same places over the surrounding trees, give or take a bit to the wind.  So two guns sneak into position about 30 paces out away.  I sneak in around the back of the pond with the dog at heel and a clod of  mud in my hand,  to a point behind a bramble bush I  throw the clod over the top into the pond and launch the dog forward.  I  manage to get off shots as the duck go over the trees.  The ducks then present for the guns out in the field.  After we have picked up we drop  two game bags of wheat into the shallow edge in two piles.  The wheat isn't scattered, its in piles and shows really well.  This seems to work well and we have seen duck fighting back in at the end of the afternoon on many occasions.   the numbers vary from about a dozen up to about 30 to 40.  We seem to get  mallard early and teal later in the season with the odd widgeon.  When the oaks drop their acorns the duck are often found out on the Bank resting.  When this happens we have to approach from a different direction as they fly off in a different direction straight out across the field and the guns have to be right back at the other side of the hedge across the field and hope that the duck fly over within shot range. Sometimes they vere off and no shots are possible.  If this happens we come back later and try to flight them in.  It doesn't affect them coming back to the pond.

Edit.  I think that the idea of strimming an area around part of the pond is a good idea.  It would give the duck somewhere to just sit out at rest and feed where they could see any charlie that might be lurking round. Ponds do need cover from the wind and to allow you to aproach unseen to take shooting position and flush. If the duck do already sit out around the pond then thats the area to strim.

Edited September 1, 2020 by Meece

[bell 3,591]

It’s strange how each pond is different, some day, some night ponds. I had one that one year had a great teal flight at sunrise but other years was a dusk flight pond.......however you look at it, they are great free sport and some of the most exciting shooting you can ask for...