Settles Ford Wetlands
Private wetlands access for you and your family near the Settles' Ford Conservation Area.
Nearest towns: Creighton, East Lynne.
Flooded crop stubble acreage, 40.
3 permanent blinds.
Open water and flooded crop stubble boarding the Settles' Ford Refuge.
Open water and flooded crop stubble boarding the Settles' Ford Refuge.
Wire diagram of the wetlands layout.
Blind 1
Pictured after the season and after a heavy rain.
Overlooking 20 acres of flooded bean stubble on the South Grand River Flyway a historic market hunting and micro flyway on the Osage Watershed the largest of the three sub-basins that make up the lower Missouri River basin.
The average water depth is 12 to 24 inches.
The blind is accessible without waders, but waders are required to place decoys and retrieve game.
The Settles Ford Refuge is less than 200 yards to the south of the blind 1, which attracts thousands of ducks and geese migrating south during the fall and winter months. There are many small acreage duck clubs in this area closely spaced to each other and compete for the same ducks. This was achieved by our building wetlands with levees on what is otherwise a dry land area north of the refuge.
A view (above) of the east pool (blind 1) from the northeast facing the southwest. The water south of the levee (far ground) is the Settles Ford Refuge which holds thousands of ducks and geese during the waterfowl season.
Blind # 2
A view of blind #2 in the distance facing the west overlooking 20 acres of flooded crop stubble on the South Grand River Flyway.
The year this picture was taken the crop was beans and is flooded to 24" +/- 12". Beans are the preferred crop to flood as they produce very little residue allowing plenty of water surface to show. Corn is often the most preferred crop for most duck hunters and after flooding a good wind will blow the residue to the shore 
and show open water. Milo makes for a good medium vegetation with less residue than corn and more stubble than beans. As this is a working farm crop rotation from year to year will make for changing conditions.
From inside the blind looking out after the first flight on an overcast day. The blind Faces west with a 180 degree view from north to south. This is the water to the west of the blind and there is also water to the east across the narrow Levee the blind is posted on.
Blind 3 is in the out of sight far ground across the water and crop field.
A view from the east dam facing west.
Blind 3 covers the west 1/2 of a 20+ acre marsh bordering the Settles Ford Refuge to the north.
When the Settles Ford Refuge is holding waterfowl, the marsh is only a stones throw to feed for the ducks. This is a remote set up for the hunter willing to put the effort into hunting ducks.
After the field is combined we close our drop log structure that was built around the drain pipe and wait for rain and run off to fill the marsh. Over 200 acres of high ground drains into this field, so one rain with run off is all it takes to get water. Access to the marsh is very difficult when the mud road leading to the blinds is wet. ATV's are allowed but they must be parked out of sight of the blinds.