Pouring corn vs planting corn - double standard?

[duckman88]

I can get you a great book that talks about Moist soil unit stratagies that talks about all the different species of plants you can expect based on your management practices, although the science is constantly being changed.

[BigBrother]

Well, being from Horry County...I will say that our idea of "planting for waterfowl" involved several 50lb sacks of certain grains...

Any advice or sharing of experience would be greatly appreciated.

[tarri]

bb won't be as many in a clean corn field. if you could grow early corn and then plant millet in it you would have more. it is suggested to start a slow jan-feb draw down to concentrate the inverts in shallower water than you would typically have on a flooded crop. normally water levels are steady at this time of year so if you can produce the shallow areas, it would be better. they will still utlilize the high carb stuff, but need the the fats and protien too.

[tarri]

http://www.fws.gov/columbiawildlife/MoistSoilReport.pdf

http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/wdb/pub/wmh/13_3_3.pdf

couple of easy reads

[Blakeley]

BB,

I see duckman88 has helped answer your question. He is right. Row crop inverts are less b/c most people want a clean field. Now I often wonder if they are less in fields cropped in Rice due to the duration of the water. (Not talking about rice grown for harvest OOS). Duckman88 you need a thesis? There you go!

It is less labor intensive in general. But it can be as labor intensive as YOU want to make it given time and money. Discing, mowing, fertilizing, spraying out non-targets, etc. It isn't easy and I will be the first to admit that I am learning something new every year. When the guys that strictly manage that way speak, I start taking notes. I try to blend what they say into the corn fields that my owners want. I have the ability to do so in alternating blocks, thanks to the way these fields were built 300 years ago and a nice budget.

Get your hands around that property. Do what you want to it. You will derive a far greater satisfaction hunting your land and enjoying the fruits of your labor than slinging corn in the water.

Duckman, can you PM me the book you are talking about.

[BigBrother]

Cherokee,

FWIW, the corn thing was a joke. I have hunted over bait before, but didnt know it until the "hunt" was over.

Thanks for the replies and entertaining my highjack.

[BOGSTER]

duckman88, i would also like a copy of that book.

[Blakeley]

Cherokee,

FWIW, the corn thing was a joke. I have hunted over bait before, but didnt know it until the "hunt" was over.

Thanks for the replies and entertaining my highjack.

I understand. The slinging corn corn comment was in general, directed to those who feel that water on corn and corn in water are the same. They are not. Corn is not king, in terms of hunter success or the savior to waterfowl habitat.

And if the day ever comes that the public can legally deposit corn in water the end result wouldn't be much different than it is now. Yes, the woodies would get pounded until they left. Yes, overshooting the limit would still happen in spots. Yes, people would still be running up ducks while they are scouting for new places to throw corn. Yes, skybusting will still happen in the corn holes. Yes, boats will still be wizzing by 5 minutes before shooting time. ETC!

And the majority of the ducks would still be located where they are now. On impoundments, ricefields, WMAs and Refuges. The true public duck hunter will still acknowledge this, scout and harvest birds on public waters in his secret spots without using corn. Smiling all the while he didn't waste money on corning spots.

[DB5]

[Moes Lake]

This forum started with the statement there used to be corn everwhere in the swanp. I started hunting Lake Marion in the 1960's and we never baited, yet killed many ducks of all types. Saw many baited spots over the years, especially when there were guides working with out of state hunters, but we never had to bait to find ducks.

Corn is just candy to a duck or deer for that matter, it does not meet their dietary needs enough for them to live on. Yes they like it, but check with any other bio and they will confirm that most animals need green or insect protien to survive the winter.
Corn ponds, rice fields, flooded timber, etc contain many valuable invertibrates and there is also typically green growth (look down when walking around) that ducks can eat there. So corning is just a short cut for lazy duck hunters. Farmers raising corn, millet, sorguhm, etc in an impoundment creates other food sources in addition to the grain. And no, I do not have access to any planted impoundments or corn ponds unless I get drawn for DNR hunts.

[QUACKSHOT]

Back in the 60's and 70's the refuge was planted and corn was hauled in and dumped by the tractor trailor loads. There was an area called the mound on the refuge where the corn was dumped results were ducks and geese by the thousands

[ducks4SC]

I agree with who ever said,planting corn runs out by the end of the season and puring corns doesn't.... But it does seemed messed up from my perspective i just think the Dnr doesn't want a shootong circus from 10 boats in a swamp the size of a football field with evey boat camped over 100 lbs of corn.

[76scout]

corn is corn, GROWN OR THROWN !!!

[orangefeet]

MoesLake, you ever fished the pilings in moes lake? Good crappie hole at times!