Wood Duck Box Maintenance & Repair | Adding & Repairing Boxes for 2024 Nesting Season

[@karlherman9504]

As A 40 year electrician I had to laugh “ don’t knock the lineman off the pole” haven’t heard that in a while. Also love your wood duck box vids I maintain about 40 boxes with 35% usage year after year.

[@Yellowlab247_Outdoors]

Glad you can appreciate that! Both my dad and my brother have their unlimited licenses so I have picked up a few things along the way

[@cervus-venator]

One year I went to put fresh shavings in my boxes around mid-February and opened one box that had a hen sitting on a dozen eggs. Needless to say I was shocked. Now I would put several boxes out on a body of water depending on size. If I could get them at 100 yards apart and out of sight of each other the birds seemed to like them. My current hunting property has several beaver ponds on it. I may see about getting some boxes out on them. I know the woodies fly the creeks, but I've never tried to shoot them out there. I did that on my other property where I had a 7 acre pond, but that is the piece that was sold on me. What a bummer. I did build and put out another blue bird box today. I have three on my dove field and I'm putting them out on my food plots. Last year I had seven blue bird boxes out and all of them had nests. Some had multiple nests and hatches. They are very similar to the duck box just on a smaller scale. Great job on the upkeep and maintenance. I wish I'd know you had not put the drain holes in as I would have said something. The other thing I do is pitch the box forward just slightly so the chicks can climb up and out easier rather than trying to scale a vertical wall.

[@matthewdement3721]

Making some next weekend hopefully. Got some old barn wood laying around 👍

[@genekind8752]

Hopefully your hard work pays off.

[@johnmoody2391]

Just got all of ours freshened up! We had a hen checking out a box a few weekends ago. I’d say you are good with 2 on a body of water. We have 2 on our acre pond and 3 in our 1.5 acre swamp just spaced out good. They all get used every year for the most part. We have a fox squirrel nesting in one now so we will lose a box this spring.

[@johnmoody2391]

Update: 7 eggs in one box already, Edgecombe County!

[@underthetrees4780]

I don't know wood duck box placement minimums, I'm sure there's research. Bluebirds prefer 300 yard spacing, that's about what I'd recommend for wood ducks, 200-300.

[@Yellowlab247_Outdoors]

I’m thinking you’re probably right. If they don’t both get used this year, I’ll move one

[@virginiaswampboys199]

Nice

[@timothybyers]

Can I use pallet wood as long as the dimensions are correct?

[@Yellowlab247_Outdoors]

You can, but it wont last near as long and might be prone to getting termites and other bugs in it. BUT as cheap (free) as pallets are, you could probably make a new one every year or two

[@timothybyers]

@@Yellowlab247_Outdoors Thanks. No termites in Mb..