fieldprep

The most important person or persons in the waterfowl hunting club business are the farmers.

A lot of times fields seem to be ready and the farmer or water districts won't let us flood because we might get a neighbor who has uncut rice wet.

Another problem with neighboring uncut rice and flooding in the same area are ducks. They will come to the water and at night visit the neighboring rice fields especially if there is still water standing in the uncut field. I have seen ducks eat a five acre swath in a field where all that's left is the stubble with no rice on the head. Then we herded the ducks out which is not the easiest thing to do and it's an all night job. Zon guns are ineffective anymore.
We like to have our fields mowed then either chiseled, disced, or stomped. The farmers like to do one of the above also as it plays a great role in straw depredation.

No two farmers think alike, as with duck hunters.

The days of, and this is years of experience speaking, burning or not and just mowing around the blinds is over. There is just two much water around where the ground is either disced, chiseled or stomped for the birds to work ground which hasn't been turned.

The ducks love to sit and grovel and pick through the worked up ground, in many cases they will never feed one of these fields out, staying in the area, that's why fields left for resting are a major plus to any club.

Be patient when the time is right and all that can be done, as far as field preparation, including the surrounding fields we will start the water. It's better in the long run to wait an extra week or two, to work the ground than to just mow and start the water.

Remember the rice comes first then the ducks. Without farmers we can work with, we have nothing and so do you.

Then comes the larger than life issue of "BURNING".
Starting in the fall of 2001 burning will only be allowed if a farmer can prove disease is prevalent in his crop, stem rot, blast, etc. To add to this only 25% of the rice crop will be allowed to be burnt.