Wood ducks, small ponds…how many is too many to take?

[Macintosh]

New duck hunter. I have some local somewhat isolated beaver ponds that hold wood ducks. When I visit these ponds there are usually between 2 and 8 wood ducks. Im interested in hunting some of these ponds, but since they arent near a big marsh or larger body of water, and they are all 15-20 miles from the main waterfowl travel corridor, it doesnt intuitively seem like the ducks will get “replenished” from another area. Im not even sure if the same ducks come back to the same pond each spring. For you folks with a similar situation, how many ducks do you take in a season from any ONE small pond, without affecting the next year? Any insight on how this works in an area like I outlined is greatly appreciated.

 

[MallardSX2]

Kill as many as you legally can.

 

[Macintosh]

Thanks—could you outline your reasoning for that? Legally I could shoot 3 wood ducks per day, and in theory I could hunt those ponds every morning, as they are 5 minutes from my house, IF I drive slow. Now, Im not a competent duck hunter, but I am a quick learner and an efficient predator if I put my mind to it. If I shot all 8 ducks off a pond over a couple days (highly unlikely but possible in theory), what happens next year? Im really curious on the background to your answer.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I tend to not be as greedy as I once was. I wouldnt go out of my way to kill everything legally possible. A guy can pound those lil backyard spots pretty hard without realizing it.

 

[KurtR]

If it’s good habitat then new ducks will find it. The 8 that are there will probably leave after the first time you kill a few. The population as a whole would not be affected. Make sure not to go over the possession limit which is usually twice the daily limit.

 

[Jakeb]

Once you hunt a pond in that situation. Usually they will avoid it for a while. Causing you to bounce around to different ponds. The likelihood of you shooting all 8 woods ducks in consecutive days out of the same pond is pretty slim.

Wood ducks also usually only fly for 10-20 minutes right at daylight, possibly only giving you a few chances for a shot right at shooting light. Don’t expect them to filter in all morning.

Ponds getting replenished with fresh migratory ducks is a different story then hunting local wood ducks.

I would not worry too much about hurting your local population from year to year. Shoot all you can eat, keep it legal and you will be fine.

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

Only thing I can add is DO NOT hunt wood ducks in the evening on a roost site till the end of the season. They won't come back at all and will avoid like the plague.

 

[Rich M]

I wouldn't shoot em all. That's not how it works. Not all places are the end of the flyway.

Where are you anyway?

Ducks tend to use the same water bodies and bring the young of the year to them. Those birds come thru the next year if they make it.

You could shoot ducks off these little ponds and kill your ponds off if you are in say, GA< SC< NC.

Wood ducks will return to the same nesting box year after year. They have habits.

 

[Macintosh]

@Rich M, Im in northern Vermont, half of my local ducks likely quack with a Canadian accent. They spend all spring and summer here, and they are usually among the first to leave, as these little shallow beaver ponds freeze pretty quick around here. Your answer is sort of what my gut was pointing me toward—regardless of what Im capable of taking, Id rather make sure there’s at least a breeding pair or two on each pond for the next year.

 

[Rich M]

@Rich M, Im in northern Vermont, half of my local ducks likely quack with a Canadian accent. They spend all spring and summer here, and they are usually among the first to leave, as these little shallow beaver ponds freeze pretty quick around here. Your answer is sort of what my gut was pointing me toward—regardless of what Im capable of taking, Id rather make sure there’s at least a breeding pair or two on each pond for the next year.

I used to spend a lot of time up around Island Pond.

We did more deer, grouse and woodcock hunting, saw some geese but not during the actual season. The rivers tended to hold mergansers with rare blacks or woodies flying thru. Never found it worthwhile to spend the time duck hunting in that area.

If it is legal, you could put up some wood duck houses and maybe foster some ducklings?

 

[Ringbill27]

In mn, 3 per day is the answer.

 

[Macintosh]

I used to spend a lot of time up around Island Pond.

We did more deer, grouse and woodcock hunting, saw some geese but not during the actual season. The rivers tended to hold mergansers with rare blacks or woodies flying thru. Never found it worthwhile to spend the time duck hunting in that area.

If it is legal, you could put up some wood duck houses and maybe foster some ducklings?

Thats only a little north and about an hour east from me. I bird hunt around there quite a bit. This is most of the way to Champlain from there, theres decent waterfowl traffic up and down the champlain valley, this is just where the valley meets the foothills.

 

[molliesmaster]

Shoot it one time and leave it alone for the year. You could probably repeat this every year.

If by chance, you notice a migration(influx) of birds using the water during a weather front, hunt it again. But other than that, getting greedy will ruin a little, polite honey hole.

 

[Rich M]

Thats only a little north and about an hour east from me. I bird hunt around there quite a bit. This is most of the way to Champlain from there, theres decent waterfowl traffic up and down the champlain valley, this is just where the valley meets the foothills.

We drove by Champlain once to go to Quebec for snow geese and saw we could hunt the big lake for them but never did.

 

[willtim]

One shoot and they are gone.

 

[flathead#2]

I'd hunt it maybe twice a season, no more than 3.
And spread those hunts out over the course of the season.