| Below are photos taken from a waterfowl property the Association has had under lease for over 15 years on the South Grand River Flyway, near Urich Missouri.
The wetlands at full capacity holds over 60 surface acres of water adjoining a 120 acres of row crop that is rotated between beans, corn and milo. The lake is in an area that floods on a regular basis, so every other year the lake is drained the 1st of June to plant food plots and/or let volunteer smartweed take its course. Smartweed is a primary feed for migrating waterfowl, but pools need to be mowed for the ducks to have a predictable area to decoy. Many of our members prefer wade-in areas to hunt rather than permanent duck blinds because they like to hunt ducks the old fashion way on their own. The pools in the photos were placed after years of observing the patterns of the ducks. The water level in each wade-in area is 10 to 24"'s in depth surrounded by an excellent stand of smartweed next to dry land milo. Both ducks and geese use this property, but after the regular duck season closes Canada goose hunting can be exceptional when the birds are using the area.
Mallards feeding on the smart weed. |
