Empty beaver swamp

gpduxbak

Six Pointer
What would cause wood ducks to leave a swamp they used last year. We have a small beaver swamp that we killed a handful of wood ducks out of last year that this year is a bust. It is a roost and we were careful not to hunt it often. In fact in order to be able to keep legal shooting light we only hunted rainy overcast days. We’ve been in a couple times this year and haven’t had the first duck drop in. Any ideas?
 

nettereo16

Six Pointer
Often woodies are going after acorns in the water. Maybe that spot had a poor acorn crop this year and they found them somewhere else? Just my theory...
 

TH80

Eight Pointer
It could be several things. Could be lack of food, found a place they like better, or maybe the ducks that use it haven’t migrated down yet. That would be some of my guesses.
 

.35Rem

Eight Pointer
They didn’t show up in serious number in our swamp until a few weeks ago. Daughter and I will hunt them tomorrow evening.
 

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Any more beaver ponds up and down the same creek? We chase them from hole to hole on our place..... most woodies are local IMO....... some migrate south but NC holds lots of Woodies all year
 

gpduxbak

Six Pointer
Any more beaver ponds up and down the same creek? We chase them from hole to hole on our place..... most woodies are local IMO....... some migrate south but NC holds lots of Woodies all year

yes but none I have access too. There was some shooting not too far from us yesterday evening.
 

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
yes but none I have access too. There was some shooting not too far from us yesterday evening.
If the neighbors keep shooting up their holes.....your birds will return more than likely! They get wise to being shot at a bunch as you already know
 

TomstoSwans486

Four Pointer
Could be all the rain, I've noticed in years with rain like this the birds are thinned out. Plenty of skinny water holes to loaf in - plus finding acorns, etc. I have a big swamp that usually has birds loafing all afternoon - I went to put up wood duck boxes and heard them way in the woods, in places with 3" of water.
 

nekkedducker

Ten Pointer
Could be all the rain, I've noticed in years with rain like this the birds are thinned out. Plenty of skinny water holes to loaf in - plus finding acorns, etc. I have a big swamp that usually has birds loafing all afternoon - I went to put up wood duck boxes and heard them way in the woods, in places with 3" of water.
This is probably the case. Years when we have a lot of rain, birds are scattered and we don't get as many in our swamp. Years when it's dry, the creek that feeds our place never dries up and we are stacked with birds. This year has been mediocre at best.

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Blackwater

Twelve Pointer
Could be all the rain, I've noticed in years with rain like this the birds are thinned out. Plenty of skinny water holes to loaf in - plus finding acorns, etc. I have a big swamp that usually has birds loafing all afternoon - I went to put up wood duck boxes and heard them way in the woods, in places with 3" of water.

Sometimes I think the little devils can float in a half inch of water, and they don't always need it to feed. I've watched them feed under a wateroak like a bunch of chickens and the nearest water was 50 or more yards away.
 
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