hatsanmad Posted November 2, 2014 Report Share Posted November 2, 2014 Hi guys got a flight pond which i have been feeding and upto the past two weeks i had some good numbers visiting it and feeding on it a average of 30 mallard plus a good number of teal but now as in the last two weeks we have only seen the odd bird but there avoiding the pond we only shoot it once every fortnight or so. I do have the odd moor hen visit it and if i havent shot them they have left on there own accord. The grain is gowing down and im putting roughly 20 kilo of barley on a week. Realy am confused. Could it be something im doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich1985 Posted November 2, 2014 Report Share Posted November 2, 2014 (edited) I find the duck sometimes vanish I think they migrate a fair bit this time of year and this could be the case with your duck. Duck move about loads so they could well now be miles away. If the feed is still going tho there are still duck visiting, could be flighting in the morning instead of the evening, could be bright moon so flighting later on the moon, or just leave it quiet for a few weeks see if that helps. Any feathers on pond? Water stirred up? Scratchy old bird (moorhen) prob hear you coming and hides! Edited November 2, 2014 by rich1985 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted November 2, 2014 Report Share Posted November 2, 2014 moorhen I would think would stay if its being fed. If they have gone could have mink ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatsanmad Posted November 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2014 I know theres rats about. Never seen a mink about yet. And when im there i always send the dog in incase there a duck sat tight under the branches or a moorhen twice done it and shot a moorhen. But the land is next door to a canal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich1985 Posted November 2, 2014 Report Share Posted November 2, 2014 Just because your near a canal don't mean you will have duck, I'm on the coast and I don't always have duck, if you are sending your dog in and stirring the duck up that are on there every time then they may well have just had enough of being pushed about, the scratchy bird won't stay if it's being chased by a dog and shot at every few days, I'm in no way having a dig at you but just try leaving it quiet as you can between shoots, I feed my pond a couple times a week and keep well away between, when I do feed I certainly wouldn't go banging at the duck on it, just let em be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatsanmad Posted November 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2014 I understand were your coming from maybe i miss worded it wrong. I only shoot the duck once every fortnight or so. Im sending the dog in to try and push any moorhens off more then anything. Im feeding the pond my self once a week and im putting a full 20 kilo bag of barley on. And a mate is topping up mid week with a bucket full. We havent even hit the birds that hard so far we have actually shot it 6 times and only shot 15 birds in total lots are flighting near by and swinging over. Could it be the warmer weather thats having a affect on the birds? Also would it be worth taking more trees out and opening the pond up more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich1985 Posted November 2, 2014 Report Share Posted November 2, 2014 If you could open 1 end up that would be grand, why are you trying to push the scratchy birds off out of interest? Is all that grub being eaten each week? You have duck if it is! Maybe stand a distance away but where you can see and see what come in on first light, if that amount of grub is going then they certainly are using your pond at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatsanmad Posted November 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2014 Been trying to push the moorhen off as i got told they will push the duck off and stop them from landing on the pond. Pretty much all the feed is going just this last week its only had one bag put on and not topped up. I have one side open but the rest looks really over grown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich1985 Posted November 2, 2014 Report Share Posted November 2, 2014 I don't believe a scratchy bird will put your duck off, if you look at any village duck pond there is ducks and scratchy birds living quite happily, they will kill ducklings how ever and I once watched 1 kill all it's own chicks, why I don't know, maybe someone with more knowledge than me may know? Get in there and open it up mate if you can, sounds like to me that they have migrated to pastures new or just simply had enough of being shot at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatsanmad Posted November 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Ok thanks pal. Will take that info into use thank you. Atb chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordripon Posted November 8, 2014 Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 it sounds to me like your trying to shoot it too much ? I have just had a over grown pond cleared this summer cutting 50% of the trees down so I have down wind side of it completely open, I have spent the last 3 months feeding it, at present I feed 10kg of wheat every morning and have counted the duck coming in on the evening flight three nights in a row , 510pm the first duck arrives by 520pm I have 100 ducks on the pond by 530pm its up to 130 duck. this has taken 3 month to build up ! I will shoot the pond the next time we have no moon and a good windy night I will NOT shoot it again for at least 5 weeks !!! I never take a dog or gun with me when I feed it and I feed in the morning to make sure I don't show my self to any duck ! but my pet moorhen always comes over for food if I shot it every two weeks or so , I would expect to have no duck or very little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bell Posted November 12, 2014 Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 it sounds to me like your trying to shoot it too much ? I have just had a over grown pond cleared this summer cutting 50% of the trees down so I have down wind side of it completely open, I have spent the last 3 months feeding it, at present I feed 10kg of wheat every morning and have counted the duck coming in on the evening flight three nights in a row , 510pm the first duck arrives by 520pm I have 100 ducks on the pond by 530pm its up to 130 duck. this has taken 3 month to build up ! I will shoot the pond the next time we have no moon and a good windy night I will NOT shoot it again for at least 5 weeks !!! I never take a dog or gun with me when I feed it and I feed in the morning to make sure I don't show my self to any duck ! but my pet moorhen always comes over for food if I shot it every two weeks or so , I would expect to have no duck or very little. Don't agree with that at all. First of all you are better feeding afternoon as late as possible. If you are feeding in the morning it will give duck a chance to find the feed during the day which means they won't bother coming back at flight time. Shooting once every 2 weeks is easily done, every pond is different of course and some are geared up to be day ponds rather than night ponds. In an ideal world you want to be hoofing them off in the day and feeding late afternoon. Best of luck Bell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordripon Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 Don't agree with that at all. First of all you are better feeding afternoon as late as possible. If you are feeding in the morning it will give duck a chance to find the feed during the day which means they won't bother coming back at flight time. Shooting once every 2 weeks is easily done, every pond is different of course and some are geared up to be day ponds rather than night ponds. In an ideal world you want to be hoofing them off in the day and feeding late afternoon. Best of luck Bell I agree with you , feeding late in the day is best , but I have found that my pond is not getting any duck in the day, I would love to have some in the day time as it is in a pheasant drive. you can shoot every two weeks, but I have never found the numbers will be as good as if you had given them a month to recover. as this is an important part of my job , I take great pride in my flight pond management and would soon be out of a job if I could not produce the results Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted December 5, 2014 Report Share Posted December 5, 2014 Now we have had a few frosts and cold days the numbers into our pond has increased, no where near the number of Mallard that we had coming in September (regulary 300+ on flight time) but a good number none the less, also have good numbers of teal as well as a few Wigeon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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