The Wood Duck, is considered by many to be the most beautiful duck in North America- and a regular visitor to Indiana. At three-quarters the size an adult Mallard, the Wood Duck male catches everyone's eye with its distinctive multi-colored iridescent plumage and red eyes. The female is much less colorful, but both have crested heads. When swimming, wood ducks bob their head back and forth making them easy to spot. Wood ducks are secretive in selecting nest sites to minimize impacts of nest predators and competition from other wood ducks. It is one of the few ducks that nest in trees or cavities. They prefer nesting over water so the young have a soft landing, but will readily nest up to 150 yards away from the shoreline in wooded areas.

Because of ease of access by predators, installation of nest boxes directly on trees should be avoided. Nest boxes placed on land should be located from 30 to 150 feet away from the shoreline. Boxes placed directly on the shoreline appear to be disturbed more often by predators. Boxes placed over water should be at least 4 feet above the high water level and the entrance hole facing the open water, rather than shoreline. Females typically lay between 9 and 14 eggs, and may have 2 broods per year. If nesting boxes are placed too close together, females may lay eggs in neighboring nests- a behavior known as "nest dumping". Therefore, nest boxes should be placed at least 600 feet apart and not visible from one another.

The day after hatch, the young climb to the nest entrance and jump to the ground or water. Jumps over 50� in height are not uncommon in nature. The baby ducks can swim and find their own food by this time. Nest boxes should be constructed of a weather-resistant wood, or wood painted on exterior side only. Overall box dimensions should approximate 12� deep, 8� wide and 15� tall. The entrance hole should be an oval 4� wide and 3� tall, placed near the top of the front panel. To help the hen and newly hatched ducklings exit the nest box fasten a 3-inch wide strip of 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth to the inside of the box under the entrance. The cut edges of this cloth should be folded back before insertion to avoid injury to the ducklings. Place a 3-inch layer of wood shavings in the box to serve as nesting material. The lid or one side of the box should be removable to facilitate regular box cleaning.

Last, when mounting install a galvanized sheet metal predator guard, 6 to 12 inches below the bottom of the box. There are many good plans on the internet.

Good luck!

Your timing is pretty good! March 1st typically kicks off good spring seeding weather. The frost action will help newly cast seed get a good footing and the spring moisture and warming temperatures are conducive to good seed germination. Seeding should be completed by May 1st. There are many good seed mixtures. Here is a good general mix: 10 pounds of Creeping red fescue mixed with, 8 pounds Annual rye grass, 5 pounds Perennial rye grass and 8 pounds White clover. This mixture can tolerate most forest conditions - from fairly heavy shade to full sun. Different parts of this mixture will perform better than others depending on your actual site conditions, but include all the species to be most effective. If wildlife habitat improvement is also a concern and there is at least partial sun, try this mixture: 25 pounds of wheat or spring oats, mixed with 5 pounds of Switch grass, 8 pounds of Indian grass, 8 pounds of Birdsfoot trefoil and 6 pounds of Big bluestem.

The rates quoted for these mixtures should be enough to seed 1 acre. On average, less than 10% of the harvest acreage should need any seeding- example: on a forty acre harvest site you may have 2-3 acres where seeding is recommended. The bad part about seeding in the spring is the threat of heavy rains which could wash away the seeds. A layer of straw mulch may be warranted on sloping ground where there is significant ground disturbance. On the other hand what a great time to be in the woods- don't forget to take a mushroom hunting break!