Moist Soil

[greatwhitehunter3!]

Waterfowlist - you seem well versed on the subject. Or anyone that can answer.

Did I read correctly somewhere that surface water cannot be used as a source of water for MSM? And by my understanding, that means anything that will flow through tile? Or am I way off base?

[Waterfowlist]

Waterfowlist - you seem well versed on the subject. Or anyone that can answer.

Did I read correctly somewhere that surface water cannot be used as a source of water for MSM? And by my understanding, that means anything that will flow through tile? Or am I way off base?

I don't recall that specific restriction but it could be legit. They have ordinances and regulations about how much you can take from certain places. Typically rain water(free, but no guarantee you will have water), wells, gravity fed (if your lucky) or pumped from a pond, lake, river are how MSM areas are filled.

[greatwhitehunter3!]

Waterfowlist - you seem well versed on the subject. Or anyone that can answer.

Did I read correctly somewhere that surface water cannot be used as a source of water for MSM? And by my understanding, that means anything that will flow through tile? Or am I way off base?

I don't recall that specific restriction but it could be legit. They have ordinances and regulations about how much you can take from certain places. Typically rain water(free, but no guarantee you will have water), wells, gravity fed (if your lucky) or pumped from a pond, lake, river are how MSM areas are filled.

Just sucks that anything done with water has to be governed.


What's the smallest size MSM area you'd find beneficial yet worth the time/money?

[Nershi]

He must really hate all the "artificial" draw downs and water control structures installed in order to "artificially" mimic drought cycles. Our non-artificial habitat is great and really beneficial to wildlife. See what you guys don't understand like the great conservationist Jim S Cox does is that when you want to conserve land you purchase a parcel and then just leave it. That's the right way to create habitat, just let nature take its course.....manipulating water levels, doing prescribed burns, brush and tree removal, wood duck and hen houses, trapping, restoring wetlands basins......all "artificial."

He likes wild rice. Maybe someone should inform him that many of our wild rice sloughs are managed by DU and the DNR with artificial water control structures. They wouldn't produce squat for rice if man wasn't involved.

[HnkrCrash]

I've hunted areas of flooded corn the size of an underground backyard swimming pool that literally could not fit another duck. We hunted one of these types of spots a decade or so ago that was maybe two backyard pools large and shot hundreds of ducks out of it over the course of the season. Hunted Sat, Sun and Wed mornings and left it alone other than that. Another flooded corn scenario we hunted a few years ago was the size of one pool and we killed limits for 3 weeks (3 hunts per week) there. It was not uncommon in that location to literally have ducks swimming one row (2 feet) over as we killed incoming birds.

For more traditional "grass "type areas, I hunted a 10 acre naturally flooded CRP? type field within a WMA that held hundreds of ducks. This one got burned out fairly fast by the locals, but with a 3 day a week hunting schedule, this spot too would produce all season IMO.

That said 5-10 acres properly managed would net consistent results as long as there are ducks in the area IMO.

[greatwhitehunter3!]

I've hunted areas of flooded corn the size of an underground backyard swimming pool that literally could not fit another duck. We hunted one of these types of spots a decade or so ago that was maybe two backyard pools large and shot hundreds of ducks out of it over the course of the season. Hunted Sat, Sun and Wed mornings and left it alone other than that. Another flooded corn scenario we hunted a few years ago was the size of one pool and we killed limits for 3 weeks (3 hunts per week) there. It was not uncommon in that location to literally have ducks swimming one row (2 feet) over as we killed incoming birds.

For more traditional "grass "type areas, I hunted a 10 acre naturally flooded CRP? type field within a WMA that held hundreds of ducks. This one got burned out fairly fast by the locals, but with a 3 day a week hunting schedule, this spot too would produce all season IMO.

That said 5-10 acres properly managed would net consistent results as long as there are ducks in the area IMO.

How much water was flooded into the corn? If it's to the ears, is it still considered MSM?

[tornadochaser]

I looked into getting a well installed so I could manipulate water levels on our wetland. The "upper" basin of the property is a flat temporary wetland, no cattails, and when we get heavy rains, is flooded grass full of bugs and weed seeds. Would be easy to manipulate water levels on that, as the NRCS already built the dikes. Same with the lower basin...it's full of cattails, but when the water is high enough, the muskrats open it up fast and it's a great roost pond. Sinking a well would only cost about $1600, but there is no electric within 3/4 mile, and the REA quoted me $27,000 to run underground transmission and set a transformer unless I signed a contract stating I was going to build a dwelling within 5 years. Maybe when I retire I'll move back to MN and build there, put a well and electric pumps in, crush a couple drain tiles to create a flooded crop basin adjacent to the crp, and have my own little playground.

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[lanyard]

I looked into getting a well installed so I could manipulate water levels on our wetland. The "upper" basin of the property is a flat temporary wetland, no cattails, and when we get heavy rains, is flooded grass full of bugs and weed seeds. Would be easy to manipulate water levels on that, as the NRCS already built the dikes. Same with the lower basin...it's full of cattails, but when the water is high enough, the muskrats open it up fast and it's a great roost pond. Sinking a well would only cost about $1600, but there is no electric within 3/4 mile, and the REA quoted me $27,000 to run underground transmission and set a transformer unless I signed a contract stating I was going to build a dwelling within 5 years. Maybe when I retire I'll move back to MN and build there, put a well and electric pumps in, crush a couple drain tiles to create a flooded crop basin adjacent to the crp, and have my own little playground.

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Must be alternatives to the $27k electric/dwelling issue.

If we solve it, can we hunt it until you move back to MN?

[get-n-birdy]

You could run a generator for a long time for $27k.

[Bailey]

I've seen it work in Minnesota in 3 locations very well. It would provide far more hunting opportunities than at Christina or pelican. A 1,000 acre impoundment with multiple hunting blinds, have a draw run each day 1 hour before shooting light. Have no hunting Wednesdays. I'm sure you could get some old dude like fowler to run the blind draws each morning as a volunteer. Have flooded impoundments of corn, rice or smart weed depending on what works best.

For the love of god think slightly differently than trying to restore mud-holes. It aint working. They spent 2.5 million on Christina alone in this recent attempt. I know they say it provides hunting around there but really those on the lake benefit the most.

The boys of Christina must have some major political connections cause they have been throwing money at that beast for 30 years. I'd love to talk to somebody who has land on it. Has the hunting actually improved that much? I would think if it had you'd read about it in the paper. Christina is a money imo.

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