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Thread: Wood duck boxes

  1. #1
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    Default Wood duck boxes

    Cleaning out the wood duck boxes and replacing the shavings today, Surprised to see out of the 6 I have 5 had 1-4 old eggs not hatched in them. Seems strange, boxes are 100 yards or so apart and in general not visible from the closest box. 1st year in 3 since the boxes have been up I’ve seen activity in them. What’s you guys experience with this, is there something that I need to do differently. Hate to see unhatched eggs.

  2. #2
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    I found a box on game land the other week that had a handful of eggs still in it.



    Whoever is supposed to maintain the boxes in SNF are doing terrible. Boxes with no tops, sides missing, rotted posts, the list is endless.


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  3. #3
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    Are the two of you certain that those are old eggs?

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Drylok View Post
    Are the two of you certain that those are old eggs?
    This

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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Drylok View Post
    Are the two of you certain that those are old eggs?
    My thoughts too.

  6. #6
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    Default Wood duck boxes

    Quote Originally Posted by billbuster84 View Post
    I found a box on game land the other week that had a handful of eggs still in it.



    Whoever is supposed to maintain the boxes in SNF are doing terrible. Boxes with no tops, sides missing, rotted posts, the list is endless.


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    Im not sure anyone manages the boxes I see around FMNF. I will normally freshen a few up every year. I did my personal boxes around new years.


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    Last edited by Islandguy85; 01-19-2023 at 10:11 PM.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Otter 1200 View Post
    Cleaning out the wood duck boxes and replacing the shavings today, Surprised to see out of the 6 I have 5 had 1-4 old eggs not hatched in them. Seems strange, boxes are 100 yards or so apart and in general not visible from the closest box. 1st year in 3 since the boxes have been up I’ve seen activity in them. What’s you guys experience with this, is there something that I need to do differently. Hate to see unhatched eggs.
    Its normal that not all eggs hatch. Believe I recall an average 80% from a study I read awhile ago. Some hatches will certainly be more or less successful than others.

    Eggs might not be old that you are looking at also.


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  8. #8
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    Not sure if it is relevant but I shoot a lot of drakes...
    Either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.

  9. #9
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    I can’t say 100%, but I walk/ hunt this area all the time and haven’t seen a wood duck on the beaver pond or fish pond in a couple months. I didn’t clean out 4 of the 5 with the thought could they be this years. But also don’t want to leave them if they would hinder this years potential. Main reason for posting should I go ahead and clean the others or leave them.

  10. #10
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    I cleaned out mine a couple weeks ago and had eggs in both. With no sign of ducks around. Seems awfully early to be this year’s

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Otter 1200 View Post
    I can’t say 100%, but I walk/ hunt this area all the time and haven’t seen a wood duck on the beaver pond or fish pond in a couple months. I didn’t clean out 4 of the 5 with the thought could they be this years. But also don’t want to leave them if they would hinder this years potential. Main reason for posting should I go ahead and clean the others or leave them.
    I would break one and see if it's rotten


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  12. #12
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    Box clean out should be done in the fall if possible.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Catdaddy View Post
    I would break one and see if it's rotten


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    Yep. Take one and throw it at a tree downwind of you. It'll sound like a .22 going off with all the pressure built up. It will stink. Bad. You'll see a fresh, fluffy blanket of down feathers all around/over the eggs if she's laying or sitting now.

    Normal for some to not hatch. I'm more surprised when all do all hatch. I had a hen hatch all 22 (dump nest obviously, assuming a snake or something didn't get the leftovers) a few years ago.
    Last edited by WNM; 01-20-2023 at 09:13 AM.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Drylok View Post
    Are the two of you certain that those are old eggs?
    There were no fresh feathers in the box I posted. There were also spider webs built above the age and across the entry hole of the box. Didn’t look like it had been used in some time


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  15. #15
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    I went up to one last Spring to check it and as I got closer I noticed it was full of wasps!! Good thing I saw that before I got lit up!

    Yea the majority of the ones I see on WMA are not being used and falling apart. I've applied 3 years in a row to get the wood duck boxes from DNR and never been selected. I suppose I could build some but that isn't really my forte.

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