Forest Resources: Creating Wood Duck Boxes

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Forest Resources: Creating Wood Duck Boxes The wood duck is the resident species found throughout Placement: East Texas. Landowners have used wood duck nest boxes Placing numerous nest boxes close together in easily ac- as a wildlife management tool for over half a century. cessible areas may attract predators and decrease duckling survival. One wood duck box per half mile of shoreline is adequate. Place boxes over water on a 4” x 4” wooden post or a metal pipe above high water level but accessible for easy maintenance. Do not place next to trees or overhanging shrubs. Duck- lings need adequate escape cover for survival; therefore, areas containing dense shrubs along the banks such as buttonbush or willow in mature bottomland hardwoods or cypress swamps are optimal areas to place wood duck boxes. Erect boxes in early winter before hens begin to search for nest sites. Materials and Construction: Weather resistant lumber such as cypress or cedar is the optimal material to use; although treated pine is an ac- ceptable alternative. Assemble the box following the di- mensions in the illustration. Hinge the lid for easy maintenance; use a screen door latch to keep it shut. Bore four 1/2 inch holes through the box for drainage. Predator Shields: Raccoons and many snake species are responsible for de- struction of many wood duck nests. Proper precautions Maintenance: should be taken to prevent nest disturbance. Predator Clean boxes annually in early winter before wood ducks shields are crucial to reduce nest box predation. They con- begin nesting, which can occur as early as late January. Be- sist of a cone shaped piece of sheet metal, a minimum of fore nesting season, add approximately 2-3 inches of saw- 30 inches in diameter. Place shields a minimum of 2-3 feet dust or wood shavings to the bottom of the box. This is a below the nest box to reduce predation from snakes. substitute for decaying wood which the hen normally uses when building a nest in a cavity. http://tfsweb.tamu.edu Page 1 of 1.

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