Georgia isn't known for its red-hot duck hunting. We are a long way from the rice fields of Arkansas and clouds of mallards. For most Georgia duck hunters a good morning hunting means you were able to slog into a beaver-pond swamp and scratch down your pair of woodies.

There are some exceptions. Some private landowners have developed their own high-quality duck ponds where they can attract good numbers, and often a wide variety of ducks. For some, the result has been almost Arkansas in Georgia.

Greg Balkcom is the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division waterfowl biologist.

"We routinely hear from landowners who want to know what they can do to attract ducks," said Greg. "They may have a spot where they are seeing a few ducks but they want to make it better. The No. 1 thing most folks are after is trying to enhance the food source. That can be done by manipulating the water level to enhance natural vegetation or by draining, planting and flooding."

In Crawford County, Yancey Houston and three friends are developing a wetland tract where they can pull water off, plant, and then reflood...

Georgia isn't known for its red-hot duck hunting. We are a long way from the rice fields of Arkansas and clouds of mallards. For most Georgia duck hunters a good morning hunting means you were able to slog into a beaver-pond swamp and scratch down your pair of woodies.

There are some exceptions. Some private landowners have developed their own high-quality duck ponds where they can attract good numbers, and often a wide variety of ducks. For some, the result has been almost Arkansas in Georgia.

Greg Balkcom is the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division waterfowl biologist.

In Crawford County, Yancey Houston and three friends are developing a wetland tract where they can pull water off, plant, and then reflood…Read full article.