Jono86 Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 Hi all, was after some advice, just gained permission on a little flight pond close to my house, it was shot over several years ago ( by the landowners) its rather overgrown and the old hides are all about rotten, been down and filled a drum with barley to start feeding it up, any tips/advice welcome, hide building, feeding Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salmo Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 Find a shallowish area say 3/6 “ and start feeding now . Hides just use pallets and fence posts . Next year clean it out but get the food in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono86 Posted August 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 Thank you salmo, I’ve located a couple of shallow areas and scattered a few scoops of barley around those, wasn’t sure how long to leave it before I return to check what feed has been taken, found some pallets to make a start hopefully next weekend, I’m assuming il have to dig them into the bank to create a solidish background? Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salmo Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 Ducks will accept pallets once in place . Check food in a few days and check for feathers .... don’t let food run out !!! Place pallets facing west if you can so the ducks will still be visible in fading light . Time arrival of first ducks the night before you shoot and ALWAYS leave before last ducks arrive . Shoot once a for tonight or when ever you have enough ducks coming in .... good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 IMPORTANT as said above , do not let the food run out. Pallets are ideal and use some spare timber for a seat. Even better are some old potatoe crates with a door access cut out on one side. Check what your normal wind direction is in the season and put your hides with your backs to tha side. DO NOT pit hides facing each other. As safe as you all may be it doesn't take much to take a low shot in the heat of the moment. Do not shoot more than once every two weeks and I would even go three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 (edited) How often you shoot the pond depends where you are and how many ducks find the pond. Close to a good duck estuary or roosting lake and once every few weeks may be ok. But an isolated pond may not take being shot more than once a month. Beware of over feeding or you may find the ducks want to stay all day on the pond. Its a case of trial and error. At this time of year so close to the new season I would not replace the hides , but improve then with some camo netting if needed. Leave building new hides until after the season as the duck may take some time to accept them. Like wise unless there is a problem with the pond being a bit over grown leave cutting back any trees\bushes until the season has ended. Edited August 27, 2018 by anser2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salmo Posted August 28, 2018 Report Share Posted August 28, 2018 Agree with all above ..... I have a pond we shoot once a week ...... I have never seen anything like it . A square cut out in turf . Nothing to look at and 300 plus most nights . Even a game keeper pal said it was amazing . It’s the exception tho . Arrive shoot 15 or so and leave . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted August 28, 2018 Report Share Posted August 28, 2018 This time of year I would be putting two or three buckets of barley in the shallows, you want them to find it quickly, get up your pond around 6 pm find a place away from the pond and watch, if you have ducks coming to your pond they will be coming in early at this time of year, you may have to make a few visits to see the potential of the pond, forget about building hides, take a net and a couple of net poles when you shoot it. When you say it’s a small pond and overgrown , how small? How overgrown? Can the ducks flight into the pond or do they have to helicopter down onto the water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted August 28, 2018 Report Share Posted August 28, 2018 With all the stuff out of the driers just now im putting bags and bags of the stuff at all the ponds and creating scratchers for the pheasants in the rough round them too. Most have a good bit of weed on them so the barley just sits on it and easy for the ducks to see and get to.Im the opposite from most in that i put loads down early and never get bothered by rats or soiling the pond. Ive never shot before October so gives them time to increase to decent numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted August 28, 2018 Report Share Posted August 28, 2018 If you do have a few ducks coming in you could try other feeds for your pond, rake a few bags of acorns up and put them in the shallows with your barley, frosted potatoes also work well, one of my favourites are old bananas, don’t bother peeling them as ducks have no problems getting into them. Like sako751sg I also feed heavy at this time of year and continue heavy feeding if there are big numbers coming in, I also have never had problems with rats, with regards the feed soiling the water I don’t think it makes much difference to ducks, there was a keeper I used to know who put around half a ton of barley in each of his flight ponds around mid August, after about two or three weeks it was fermenting in the water but the ducks loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono86 Posted August 28, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2018 Thanks for all the advice gents, will take it all on board, the pond size is roughly 70 yards by about 30 yards, I’ve only seen a few ducks on it as yet with not a great amount of feed taken, will keep watching and feeding, thanks again chaps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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