Planting Wild Rice

ThrillofDaChase

Ten Pointer
Looking for some insight on the planting of wild rice from guys who have tried their hand at it. I currently hunt a property with a large beaver swamp located in an even larger chain of beaver swamps. Ducks use the area in good numbers. On the other side of the property there is a pond/slough off the main creek. I have seen a handful of ducks on it, but they do not regularly use it as it seems it lacks food. It transitions from a mud flat to deeper water--at least chest deep in some points. I have read you can soak the wild rice seeds in buckets 24 hours, take the water off and put the seeds in burlap sacks for another 24 hours, and then broadcast these seeds into water. Has anyone had success with this method of planting? It seems I need to knock this out in the next few weeks if it is a viable option. Recommendations on where to buy seeds within two hours of Raleigh also appreciated.
 

grim reaper

Ten Pointer
Never planted wild rice...put in a Clemson beaver leveler and plant about what you want to if you drain it early enough. Even just a pipe with a cage around intake will suffice
 

shurshot

Ten Pointer
I have zero experience planting wild rice, however Dave of River Refuge Seed (Oregon) does and produces some very informative videos on how to plant seeds ducks like. The one below should help you out if you end up going that route. The biggest thing I’ve gleaned is the seed is expensive and it takes quite a bit per acre. It also needs lots of sunlight to grow so not sure if your swamp will support that particular need. If not, there’s other seed/plant that might work.

I’ve bought product from Dave for several years and he and son Chris bend over backwards to answer questions for you. I just this morning put out 100 pounds of seed in/around my place I got from them. This rain should really help it out.

 
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darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
Does the area lack food or does it lack vegetation?
You’ll get just as much out of encouraging moist soil grasses as you will the rice. Thing about rice is most of the ducks aren’t feeding on the rice itself, their feeding on the invertebrates that thrive off the decomposing thatch from the rice plant itself.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Looking for some insight on the planting of wild rice from guys who have tried their hand at it. I currently hunt a property with a large beaver swamp located in an even larger chain of beaver swamps. Ducks use the area in good numbers. On the other side of the property there is a pond/slough off the main creek. I have seen a handful of ducks on it, but they do not regularly use it as it seems it lacks food. It transitions from a mud flat to deeper water--at least chest deep in some points. I have read you can soak the wild rice seeds in buckets 24 hours, take the water off and put the seeds in burlap sacks for another 24 hours, and then broadcast these seeds into water. Has anyone had success with this method of planting? It seems I need to knock this out in the next few weeks if it is a viable option. Recommendations on where to buy seeds within two hours of Raleigh also appreciated.


if it's wooded I doubt you'll get rice to grow,,,
when young I used to harvest wild rice along the lakes of Northern Wisconsin,,, never seen it growing in shaded areas,,,,,,
might, but not what I would expect
 

kahunter

Eight Pointer
Have seen of/heard/had way more failures than successes. There is a good post on the habitat forum are refugeforums for around here. Best I can tell you have to reseed in this area every year as we dont get cold enough and you need decent water flow. I have switched to ag rice and wont look back. Good luck.
 

TomstoSwans486

Four Pointer
very hard to get a successful crop with rice. Lots of good points above. And you need shallow water with lots of sun for rice, waist deep it will not grow. I have planted Wapato (duck potato) and had great success with that. Try and plant the most natural food sources: duck weed, smartweed, wapato and you'll have perennials coming back year after year. If you can control the water Millet does work too and you can plant on edges of a beaver pond.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
just plant corn about Oct 27th,,,, in about 8-12" of water,,, should harvest a nice crop of ducks,,, I mean corn,,, that way,,,,,,,
 

Dingbatter

Four Pointer
Here is some me and some buddies did in Bladen County last season. We sowed the rice in the wettest areas and did Jap millet in others. Jap millet matures faster so it better for the early season, while the rice takes a little longer to mature.
 

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ThrillofDaChase

Ten Pointer
More great info. In our VA holes we have planted stands of millet and corn with success just never fooled with rife. These are also areas with traditional riser boards. For folks with experience with a clemson leveler, how easy is it to control the water level as to being able to drain it just about completely. The more I consider it that may be an option. I am going to need to check the hole this week and see how it is situated and where it would need to be installed.
 

grim reaper

Ten Pointer
When you bust the dam in the creek channel it will drain to desired height of drain placement. In my limited experience beavers will move to another hole after they figure out they lose but will return when you stop the flow to help with any dam repairs
 

shurshot

Ten Pointer
More great info. In our VA holes we have planted stands of millet and corn with success just never fooled with rife. These are also areas with traditional riser boards. For folks with experience with a clemson leveler, how easy is it to control the water level as to being able to drain it just about completely. The more I consider it that may be an option. I am going to need to check the hole this week and see how it is situated and where it would need to be installed.
I’ve put only one Clemson Leveler in but it was easy and works great. Hardest part was busting dam but after that no problem. As GR mentioned, drain it to the creek channel level which should suffice. Biggest concern is with the elbow cap which will regulate your water height. It needs to be secured in a manner that will let you “rotate” it, however, it also needs to be on tight enough so the water pressure doesn’t blow it off. You’d hate to come back to hunt it only to find a trickle of water there.
 
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