Flooded Soybeans for Ducks
 

I have leased a blind just north of Lake Arthur that is in beans this year. They will cut the beans in October then rebuild the levees and flood the field. Anybody ever hunted ducks over flooded beans before? If so, what do you think?

Thanks.

Bean fields suck for ducks. I'll take it off your hands until its in rice again.

Killed several geese in a dry bean field. The biggest task is hiding effectively. They weren't going in the field for the beans though, they were going in the field for the greenery coming up. Its going to be tough to hide on a freshly pulled levee. I suggest getting out there as soon as he pulls it and plant the entire levee with rye grass. Keep your blind extremely low profile. Brush it with anything green like cedar branches or myrtle branches. Believe it or not, pine needles match rye grass pretty good

I haven't hunted in it but I did see alot of ducks and geese in the fields north of Welsh which had been planted with beans. So maybe it might be a positive for you. Good luck!!!

if you're going to flood it for ducks flood more than just the cut with the blind on it. the more water the better. Like cmcnabb said you could kill geese if you didn't flood anything but it would be hard to hide.

i hunt in welsh and beans r my best years

The blind is already out there, it's brushed up pretty high and kinda sticks out in my opinion, not sure if that will be a problem or not.

Ducktrickster, are you serious, do beans suck for duck hunting?

Dan, he is pulling your leg. Let me know if you need any help. Willing to trade muscle for a few hunts. I have a lab that needs to be trained in the marsh.

It's going to stick out in a bean field. There is nothing you can do about it. When the farmer plants beans they plow the levee down and go around the blind leaving a huge hill

Just because it's brushed now doesn't mean you can't go take all of what's on it down. Matter of fact, if you plan on it looking natural, you need to go take everything away from it that way whatever you decide to plant on the levee can come up around the blind like the rest of the levee. And like the guy before me said, if your only flooding one cut, that's like putting a big red flag on your blind

What CMcnabb said about your blind. If it sticks out too much you should go low profile.

Large puddle ducks love beans. Depends on where you are in that area if you will have ducks or not. Do you know any history on the blind? Good luck.

I really don't know much history of the blind. A guy from Austin Tx had it last year and did well with teal during the season but didn't come back much thereafter. I did hear the field was full of geese by the thousands though.

The blind sticks up like a huge brushpile. I am pretty sure they said I would have at least 60 acres of water so maybe that will help. I don't know if they will flood more than one cut or not, I guess I should ask.

Thanks Jordan, I may take you up on that when it dries out a little.

Doves!!!!

Top Dawg, you are right, I expect I will have some doves.

Right now the blind is literally five or six feet high...looks as though it was turned into a brushpile more than a blind.

Nah. Just messing with you. I've hunted bean fields for several years in crop rotations and the numbers were about the same as the rice years.

Thanks trickster. I hope this turns out to be a good year.

So I assume it's not a pit blind?

If they only flood one cut will that really be a problem?

Fool, I was told it is a pit blind. Not sure why it's covered in branches.

Either flood it all or none at all. IMO.

Top Dawg, what's the chance of having ducks if I don't flood it at all?

Not good. But u will have geese. If you flood just one cut they get smart to that pretty quick. If you do flood you don't want more than a couple inches of water if you can help it.

We plant 20 acres of soybeans an flood every year.. 20 acres of flooded corn and 20 acres of millet and milo.. Our water depth is 12- 13 inches... The beans are just as good as any of the crops... We see more mallards on the beans and corn... More widgeon pintails as well.... Now
We don't harvest our crops either tho.
Good luck....

Call the prior lessee and ask him how it was. You didn't pay ur money yet did u?
East or west of LA? What's the name of the farm?

beans
 

thought you had to attempt to harvest?

[QUOTE=bluewing;395539]thought you had to attempt to harvest?

You can cut row around levy or thru.. We usually cut thru the middle for landing

got ya. planted milo and flooded for crawfish this year and the warden told me once i put the crawfish boat in it and knocked some of the milo down it would be illegal to hunt.

thats how my duck blind was this year and it was great during the first split.

I guided in rice and bean fields south of Lake Arthur for over 15 years. We always had a flooded side and a dry side. Just brush blind very low so it blends in. Pickup your decoys every day. You will kill lots of ducks and geese if you are in a good area. You do not need alot of goose decoys either, just a few good full body decoys. Who is the land owner. We hunt just north of the Lyons farm alittle. Teal season is pretty good. But really no big ducks there. They do have some geese thou. Good Luck.

Papap,

Are you saying you don't think there will be any big ducks? I don't know the farmer, I paid a deposit to Stack Barrel hunting for the blind. It was the last one he had. The farm is about 8 miles due south of Jennings going toward Lake Arthur. Do you think this will be a productive area? I don't think I want just teal and geese, I'd like to kill a few big ducks too. Let me know what you think.

Slidellkid. Is it west or east of Highway 26. We are about that far south and about 4 miles west I guess. It is not even worth the water to flood. Not wanting to discourage you. Wish I knew better where the blind was. I could give you better info.

Who is Stacked Barrel Hunting. Have never heard of them. I've live in or around LA all my life.

If u don't want just geese maybe I can take it off your hands :)

at little better info on location would be good. the kind of ducks you get depends on the year (weather, flight, weather up north, amount of water in the area, etc..) like i said earlier, we had a great year on ducks, lots of big ducks, but thats not usually the case. but there are certain farms around there consistantly do well with big ducks

papap, which farm do you hunt? you off of lyons rd?

I would try getting with the guy that had it before. There has to be a reason he gave it up. Good duck blinds do not come around very often.

You honestly probably won't kill that many big ducks. The most success I have seen on ducks in a field is either it butts up to a marsh or the entire farm is flooded and it's holding birds. Sorry to rain on your parade but if you wanna kill ducks, get a blind in the marsh

papap,

It is right off of 26 to the east. The blind can actually be seen from 26 as it's about 400 yards out into the field. The blind is directly behind a white house that is being will be used as the camp. The house must be an older home that is no longer used by the farmer or whoever he purchased the land from. I realize this may not be a crackerjack blind but two years ago I leased a blind in Pine Island and never fired a shot at a duck. I really hate to duplicate that waste of money. Please just shoot me straight on this. I want to be able to take my little boy duck hunting and that is why I orginally leased the blind in Pine Island two years ago. The hunting was so poor at my Pine Island blind that I dared not take him for fear of him being bored and hating hunting.

The guy that leased the blind to me is named Reggie. He seemed like a straight up fellow. He said he hunts in Pine Island and leases about 28,000 acres from farmers and has 31 duck blinds that he leases.

I think I know the white house, but that is only 3 or 4 miles south of jenning on the left. Lots of geese there. Not sure about ducks. Have never seen a whole lot land around there anyway. My brother in law hunts going west off of 1126 alittle ways and they kill a few dukcs. Most of that area for some reason is not great duck hunting. If you go around Ronoake or south of Lake Arthur the duck hunting is much better because of the flight. We hunt off of Lyons road on the Beniot's farm.

This does not sound very good. Not sure what I am going to do.

If it is where I a m thinking. I would not get my hopes of. You see a few spoonbills in there sometime but that is about it.

Atleast you'll have geese.. Go invest in a JMC speck call, and whack some geese.

If you need somebody to help you whack some geese let me know.

the better duck hunting is on the west side of 26 till you get to Lake Arthur. Havent heard much good coming from the east. Pretty sure I know where you are talking about and like papap I havent seen much for ducks around there. Doesnt mean they arent there though. I hunt off of Lyons Rd. as well

i know exactly where you are talking about. put 4-6 inches of water on it and hunt specks. there were lots of geese on that land this year and it was a poor year for geese. if it gets cold next year you will be able to smash specks if you can call, and with bout 6 inches of water im sure you will kill the occasional mallard and pintail. flood every cut if you can though or else they will shy away from the only cut with water if thats what the farmer wants to do with the blind

Suggest asking a SC to meet u at location that hunts area and give firsthand opinion. From there u will have a much better idea of what ur dealing with and even if u want to finalize the deal. May even convince them to make a duck/speck hunt with u during the season to give pointers or watch ur field and call with updates.

^^^^^ Very good advice there. ^^^^^

+1

Raymond,

I have taken your advice, sent a pm to papap as he seems to know the area.

I will be looking for fellas to join in the blind so those that love to shoot geese shoot me a pm. Apparently there will be no shortage of specks from what I have heard.

Great! Maybe you'll get a "Happy Ending"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a blind off fruge rd for about 5 years and when they planted beans we would torture the specks they love the green shutes that come up in them fields. We would leave it dry though. I have a good way to hide a pit blind in them on the bare levee shoot me a pm with your number and i'll give you a call and explain it.