Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: skidynastar33 on April 20, 2016, 09:46:31 AM
-
What time would be best to plant corn on the westside ( north sound) for waterfowl hunting?
-
Depends on if you are planting sweet or dent corn and when you want to to mature. If it is just for a food plot, any time in June would be fine. If it is for eating and critters Memorial Day Weekend or even a little sooner.
-
For attracting ducks to our pond this fall.
-
soil needs to be 60+. You might try sorghum, might be a better fit
-
Around Mother's Day is the best. I've planted earlier with great success in the home garden.
-
You can buy seed from 72-100+ day maturity, a lot of corn is growing right now, Mid june being drop dead date to get it in the ground on quick maturing stuff in the Northwest or you risk no pollination before the frost. Unless you got time and equipment do something else, it about $200/ acre to grow corn and it does not like wet ground. Way better options if your planting a pond.
-
You can buy seed from 72-100+ day maturity, a lot of corn is growing right now, Mid june being drop dead date to get it in the ground on quick maturing stuff in the Northwest or you risk no pollination before the frost. Unless you got time and equipment do something else, it about $200/ acre to grow corn and it does not like wet ground. Way better options if your planting a pond.
Like what would you recommend?
-
Sweat corn will yield better results on attracting mallards. If you want to attract all ducks in the area, use millet or grains. :tup:
-
You can buy seed from 72-100+ day maturity, a lot of corn is growing right now, Mid june being drop dead date to get it in the ground on quick maturing stuff in the Northwest or you risk no pollination before the frost. Unless you got time and equipment do something else, it about $200/ acre to grow corn and it does not like wet ground. Way better options if your planting a pond.
Like what would you recommend?
wild or jap millet for a pond, maybe even rice if it holds water a lot. Ducks generally don't feed on millet unless it's flooded. Regular barnyard grass and sedge, smartweed works fine too, it's what they eat naturally. Don't even attempt sweet corn unless you know what you are doing, yes the ducks seem to prefer it over field corn, and it falls over easier, but seed is 4 times as much, ($800 a bag) and you will need a license to get the spray required to kill the weeds unless your gonna weed it by hand. Most pond planting is a waste of time, if the ducks are using it anyway they are getting what they want, if they are not using it filling it up with millet probably won't change that. DU is switching over to almost all natural grasses calling it moist soil management by controlling water levels. Better for the ducks overall. Japanese millet will be the cheapest and easiest option