New housing going up in my neighborhood

[Captain Jay Kavanagh]

That's too cool Jay-- Wood Ducks on Hatteras Island. Can't say I've ever seen one, but then again, never really looked for em. Is there a fair number in sweet water Swamps around Buxton Woods?

Yes, and it is public land, it is the NC Coastal Reserve, Buxton Woods, and one of the permited uses is Hunting.

However, the last couple of years, high school hoodlum duck hunters have felt the need to trash the place, hopefully they will grow up.

I am lucky, these boxes are in my back yard, I have a small population right out back, not really enough to with stand alot of hunting them, but I am trying to grow em.

We have lots of woodrows thanks to Mr. Willis of Frisco, who decied to propagate them throughout the sedge, there is no telling how many boxes he has put up (or cotton mouths he has killed )

We got lots of owls around the house, don't know it they can fit in the hole, they are bigger barred and great horned variety, I don't think we got the cute little screechers.

PVC Gaurds: one plan I had was a big peice of PVC pipe over the post, I think that would work.

Here are some links to wood duck boxes:

http://www.noble.org/Ag/Wildlife/DuckNestBoxes/

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/b...uck/wdnbox.htm

http://www.ducks.org/media/Conservat..._box_plans.pdf

gotta love them woodies.

[matey1]

jay, the pvc over the post is how we do it up this way alot. it will work just fine.

[Glenn W]

Yea I know. I took a drive through the Woods last year and noticed all the beer cans/bottles and trash. A sign of the times I recon.
I've never tried or even seen the plastic pipe guard, but it sure would be easier and better looking than the metal hoods. I would think the pipe would work fine for the Coons-- a rat or Black snake will get past anything it wants, but I don't figure you have alot of them in the swamp there.
Keep us posted