Beyond bringing lots of wildlife to your area, and ducks especially, a duck hunting pond has a number of other benefits. From helping the environment to giving you a place to unwind from the day, you’ll see tons of perks from pond installation.
A Conservation Station
We all play a part in keeping Mother Earth healthy, and ponds are an excellent way to chip in and provide some conservation services to your area. Any time you can provide more habitat that is tailored to wildlife, you’re increasing the overall safety and security of that population across the country, continent, and sometimes the world.
“Woodland owners play an important role in maintaining not only their own land but also the surrounding watersheds, wetlands, estuaries, and other sensitive ecological sites,” says Oregon State University Extension Service. “Many woodland owners protect and enhance the ecological values of their land voluntarily, but there are also laws and rules they must follow that are designed to protect public and private natural resources.”
We will discuss regulations more below, but the key point for now is this: conservation matters, and a pond can help in many ways. As discussed above, they can help keep waterfowl populations stable. The same goes for other small game, insects, and native plants.
In fact, the best plants to grow around your pond are native ones. Not only does that help balance the ecology in your area, it gives birds the food and shelter they’re looking for along their normal migratory routes and overwintering locations.
As the National Audubon Society explains, this is incredibly important for all wildlife, including ducks: “Native plants provide nectar for pollinators including hummingbirds, native bees, butterflies, moths, and bats. They provide protective shelter for many mammals. The native nuts, seeds, and fruits produced by these plants offer essential foods for all forms of wildlife.”
For ducks specifically, native plants provide a variety of foods that they eat. In addition to aquatic plants, they also consume grasses and grains found in the wild. Additionally, they love the slugs, larvae, and insects found on native plants both in and out of the water. The more plants you can realistically put around your pond – without crowding out the open spaces you need to hunt or enjoy the scenery – the better for your feathered friends.
The real point is, using native plants around your pond increases the chances that ducks and other waterfowl will see your pond as a true haven and want to stay awhile, perhaps even returning to nest there year after year. That in turn is the best way to ensure you’ve got long-term hunting for life, and that your pond truly repays itself year after year.
Low-Maintenance Habitat Restoration
Agriculture and human habitation have changed the face of America, there’s no doubt about it. In clearing forests and filing waterways, we have dramatically diminished the amount of habitat available to endangered species as well as wild game populations.
The good news is, the kind of native landscaping you’ll find around most hunting ponds can help push back against encroachment and habitat loss. And as native landscaping is very low-maintenance, it won’t cost you much time or energy after the first year.
It’s aesthetically pleasing as well. Surrounding your pond with species native to the area blends it seamlessly with the surrounding countryside and employs plants that already know exactly how to grow there. No watering, pruning, or maintenance needed – what’s not to like? You can find out more about native landscaping, or “naturescaping,” by checking out resources such as:
- World Wildlife Foundation Wildflowers by Region
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Shaw Nature Reserve Native Gardening Information
You can also Google “aquatic native plants + [your area]” to see what grows well in pond and other wetland habitats.
Also a Recreation Station
Also, let’s not forget that you don’t have to be actively hunting in order to enjoy a pond. Your wildlife refuge can also serve as a you refuge, a place where you can regroup after a long day at work. Placing a few benches around your pond will do nothing to deter wildlife, as long as they’re set back a ways and you give ducks time to regroup after your hunt.
The best way to do this is to hunt on alternate days and leave the area for long periods of time. That will provide your waterfowl and other wildlife with a sense of peace and safety, an escape from the human world. As long as you’re not hunting every morning, mowing the lawn nearby, or having giant garden parties all the time, your ducks will love the area.
Remember, plenty of ducks, geese, and other waterfowl overwinter at populated places such as public parks and national recreation centers. A human presence is not a guarantee that they’ll refuse to use your pond, so long as you make it feel safe by giving them breaks between activity.
Ducks for Dinner
We probably don’t even need to say this, but we’re going to say it anyway. Ducks are, quite simply, delicious. Whether you prefer them confit style or grilled to perfection, there are a number of species that have little to no gamey taste and cook up nicely in the kitchen.
Geese, too, make a tasty meal, as do smaller waterfowl such as teal. Therefore, a very obvious benefit of a hunting pond is to replace those supermarket chickens with delicious wild-caught species. Compared to the price of game birds in specialty stores, you’ll save boatloads of money. And when you subtract out the cost of gas money and park passes, you’ll see extra savings there.
While a pond is certainly an upfront investment, a lifetime of delicious meat that would otherwise be very costly is a pretty good tradeoff.
Of course, all the benefits in the world won’t matter if you don’t know how to build that pond. The first step in getting the job done is deciding where to build it, so let’s take a look at that famous realty phrase next … location, location, location.
