If you are looking for a winter “cabin fever busting” project or a great way to introduce youth and family members to conservation, take a look at building a wood duck house. These woodie homes are easy to build and can provide much needed wood duck habitat when properly installed and located. In a few hours you can teach a kid valuable lessons about the real, natural world.
If you are not a skilled carpenter or craftsman, you can find sportsmen’s clubs or other groups that hold “house building” workshops on weekends during the winter. You can also order pre-cut kits, or buy pre-built homes and install them yourself. Be certain to follow all building and erection directions carefully.
Wood duck house building plans can also be found at: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/waterfowl/woodduck/construction.html. Instead of possibly trying to cut a metal critter guard, you can buy these pre-made at many bird seed supply outlets, or wrap the pole in rolls of metal roof flashing. Just be certain that any critter barrier is properly installed to prevent the climbing of crafty raccoons and slithering snakes. Local bird seed businesses sometimes also have wood duck homes for sale. To see the results, this Federal ammunition website has a great video to watch with any youth who will be helping you with this winter project: http://www.federalpremium.com/conservation/woodduck_house.aspx
For more information about wood ducks and additional house installation guidelines, also visit: http://www.georgiawildlife.com/node/1296.