What to do in the Arizona off season

Here it is middle of march and looking for something productive but still kinda huntingish?

Here's a idea. How about building mallard nesting boxes ? This is a very economical method that I have used for years. Simply grab any unused 5 gallon pails with lids that you have laying around, make sure they are clean on the inside (no oils or grease all over them). Then take a saw and cut the lid in half, and put the half lid back on the pail and snap it back on. Lay the pail on it's side, and drill several holes on the side that is facing down for drainage. Find some old boards laying around about 1 1/2 feet long and screw one across the bottom of each pail by the drainage holes so they don't roll. fill half way up with grass hay. Bingo Bango !!!! you have just made your first mallard nesting house. I like to place these on small nesting islands and have had a great success ratio. You can also put these on elevated platforms above the water line, just make sure you consider that water levels go up and down. If you do the elevated method, put another board on the bottom but facing out the front so the hen has a place to jump on to before going into the house. Warning !!!! if you do place these on nesting islands,make sure they are true nesting islands or these houses will become death houses for the hens when located by predators. Make sure that you remove these houses when the ducklings have hatched and store for the next year.

It makes me feel so good to be looking at my nesting houses through my binos and seeing ducks go in them. The feeling is even stronger when you come back later and see ducklings swimming out in the water all over the place. I know, I take a lot of ducks out of the sky. It's my way of justifying it, by putting back what I take, to fly again.

Hope to hear you in the marsh,

Darryl Mathews

Arizona, Pro Staff

Hello Everybody

Hello Everybody. My name is Cory McDonald. I'll be working as the Pro Staffer for Wyoming. I would like to use this blog to give retriever training advice, nutrition advice, product review and anything else y'all can think of to ask or need advice on.

Now, for the about me... I am 32 years old, married to one the greatest women I have ever known, I'm a Daddy to two wonderful kids, a 7 year old daughter Shada, she's not really into hunting at the moment, she's more into princesses, school, ballet, soccer, baseball, and dressing up, but maybe as she gets older I can get her jacked about it, a 5 year old son Treycin, who's crazy about hunting and fishing, he loves watching hunting and fishing shows on t.v. He's also crazy about the Alabama Crimson Tide and Trains. He also loves being an "assistant trainer" for me.

I have been waterfowl hunting most of my life. I went on my first waterfowl hunt when I was 3 years old, in Alberta, Canada, for geese. I have been crazy about waterfowl since. I now hunt as much as time permits.

I spend most of my days training retrievers. I am passionate about training retrievers, learning why they do certain things, retriever nutrition, what is the best food out there to feed to make sure that they are at their absolute top shape, which products are the best for their training, health, and nutrition.

I hope to learn as much from all of you as I hope you learn from me. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and if any of us at Duck Junkies can be of assistance please feel free to contact us and we will do everything we can to answer any questions you may have and to assist you in any way that we can.

I would like to take this time to thank Ryan and Sarah at Duck Junkies for allowing me the opportunity and privilege to be a member of Team Duck Junkies.

Until next time, may your days be filled with the love of family and a retriever,

Cory

Iowa

Hey, it has been warming up, nearlly in the 50's. Its nice. But we have a problem a big one to. Its flooding real bad. We have roads blocked off and shopping centers are closing and many places are puting sand bags up. The snow goose hunting hasnt really been in full effect yet. The canadians are coming back and there are a bunch of them. We've been doing some scouting and we've seen some but not enough to where we now that there going to be there again. So thats taking a slow start. Turkey hunting is just right around the corner. Ive been practicing the ol calls and getting used to them agian. Been making some turkey fans from the ones i shot last year. Tomorrow morning i might go and see if i can hear some, and see if possibly find umm. It will be an interesting turkey season for norther Iowa and parts of it, from the floodings. The water will probably push the birds to higher ground and out of the river bottums. Well i hope that every body is have fun and enjoy wut they have for hunting seasons and hope they have a good one!