Duck Habitat in West Texas

I am considering putting in some duck habitat on our lease in Barnhart, Texas...I know the biggest problem is water. But just wanted to ask people what they thought of the idea. Currently there is two small ponds (< 1 acre) that will hold a few mallards in the winter, but the last time I went down there. There were about 30 mallards on a EOG frack pond, which has no cover what so ever.

I am considering building a damn in a wet weather draw to flood and plant with different food, which I was going to expand to be about 5 to 10 acres. Winter wheat grows really well down there (when the rain is right).

Mainly just asking for people's opinions and suggestions? and also to see if TXPW has any programs that help fund waterfowl conservation.

Thanks

Go for it, cant hurt!
btw

I don't think there's much migration through that area.
You would certainly attract any passing birds and would hold them for alittle while if you had food however Id be concerned that the first time you hunted it, it would be a month or two before more birds found it.
Not sure Id spend much money on it.

Water and Food

If you have it, ducks want it.
If you are able to make a 3-5 acre marsh with any vegetation in it, you will have ducks.
All you need is 6-10" of water and food, and you will have some solid hunts.

There is more birds in that area than you would think.

Have fun, kill some birds and lets see the pictures next fall!

Happy Hunting!

J.J.

Can't imagine a better duck hunt than what we had between Lubbock/Amarillo. Insane numbers out there. Find a Playa with water and vegetation and you usually have a hunt of a lifetime.

Draw a 100 mile or so wide stripe from Plainview (north of Lubbock) to Port Lavaca.
This is a major branch of fly way migration through Texas. Barnhart is not in that area.

I don't doubt that Barnhart has ducks pass through, just not anywhere near the numbers of birds moving through as in Lubbock, Amarillo, etc.
It actually is possible to build duck heaven and still have very few takers. Location does matter.

Littledog,

Your right, I don't know what I am talking about!

J.J.

How do they know to stay in the 100 mile boundary?

They fly between all the Wind Turbines!

J.J.

Don't tell the people in new mexico that.

Well I know of about 400 or so that musta jumped the border back in 2011-2012

Ahhh . . don't be so hard on yourself. The truth hurts but you don't have to let us in on your problems.
I'm sure you know a little about stuff in your little world.

Maybe you should move your operation and change your sales pitch: "Hunt with Kent Outdoors. We've got Barnhart locked up!"

While your at it, let DU, Delta Waterfowl and the Feds know that all their migration tracking data is wrong.
Please share your great knowledge of migration paths with us. Tell us the "truth" as only you know it.
(as if was really any way we could stop you)

Easy there Littledog. J.J. knows more about ducks, their habitat and duck hunting than probably the collective forum. Respect

"If you build it they will come"

I saw J.J.'s and his operations post season numbers and they were pretty impressive. What were your numbers like littledog? And I know just because someones end of season numbers aren't very high doesn't mean they don't know what they're talking about, however "the proof is in the pudding" as they say, and if you kill consistently like Kent Outdoors does that has to say something...

Because the duck police will give them tickets when they get off the flyway

Lake Colorado City State Park due north of there is a popular spot with the birdwatcher types for stopover waterfowl and it is a fairly barren lake. As the Duck flies Barnhart is not that far south from there.

I understand what he is saying. I have some duck habitat that you can't believe. At one time I know it held hundreds of greenheads during season. I am 1 mile off of the Navasota river. We don't get more than a handful of greenheads during the season. After that we get upwards of 80 to 100 birds in there. Acdross the road near the river they do much better than we do. Now I f I had this habitat up on the red, we would be beating them silly.

Don't get discouraged. We all start somewhere. Just keep reading this forum and you'll be a pro in no time!