I don't know much about Millet - is it too late to throw it around the edges of the tanks I will hunt this year?

What kind should I use?

I know a first freeze is supposed to kill it, but what should be my expectations for millet in the typical tanks around the Somerville area?

I am about 95% sure that whenever you plant somethign for waterfowl, it is illegal to hunt over it the first season. Maybe I am wrong though.

It sounds to me like you are trying to hunt a baited area.

[This message has been edited by txaggie02 (edited 8/20/2008 4:53p).]

Here you go. Third bullet down.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/season/waterfowl/methods/#unlawful_hunting

A hunter MAY NOT:

- hunt migratory birds with the aid of bait, or on or over any baited area;
- hunt over any baited area until 10 days after all baiting materials have been removed;
- hunt waterfowl or cranes over manipulated planted millet, unless the millet was planted not less than one year prior to hunting;
- hunt waterfowl or cranes over crops that have been manipulated, unless the manipulation is a normal agricultural post-harvesting manipulation in accordance with official recommendations of State Extension Specialists of the Cooperative Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.


[This message has been edited by txaggie02 (edited 8/20/2008 4:57p).]

wow, I didn't know that you would have to wait a year after planting before you could hunt it. So basically with Millet being a "finicky" plant - there is not use for it in Duck hunting as the chances it will last over a year are slim???

Once the Millet has grown, how can you tell when it was planted? How often would a GW check that? Why would it matter when it was planted - if there are no "baited seeds" around????

Thats easy...plant it but dont manipulate. Call the local game warden if you are worried.

you are wrong in your interpretation. you can plant millet, you just can't manipulate it, but you need to get it out quick though as it is getting towards the end of the time that it needs to be out. if you can find Jap Millet, it would be your best bet.

as for the law, you can plant it, but you can't manipulate it, meaning you can't shred it, you can't run it over on purpose over and over to knock seed down. but you can plant it, and hunt over it this year.

[This message has been edited by shalackin (edited 8/20/2008 5:10p).]

and to clarify....i wouldn't hunt over the "seeded" area - my amateur thought process was that it would grow into a good/natural food source for ducks.

having to wait a year sucks and seems stupid....once the plant has grown - why does it matter how long it has been alive? stupid...

it doesn't. we clarified that for you. put it out ever year at the beginning of august and you should be fine. throw it on any mud or wet area you can find, then hope nature does its part with some rain later.

ignore my last post, I posted before reading about the "manipulation" of the seed.

So....I am going to buy a bunch of bags of Jap Millet - and with the tanks being low - throw it along the edges and pray for rain. Legal - Right?

Sorry Shalakin - I keep on posting before reading your answers

Planting is fine.

Just don't go out there with scythe or somesuch and cut it down.

yes. just don't mess with it once it grows.

if you have cows on the property you are probably wasting your money and time.

but don't worry too much if your 4 wheeler just happens to just a path right through the millet. there is nothing you can do about that, you have to get to your blind and all!

you can def plant it. just cant shake the seed off it, etc.

I guess I was quick on the draw that he was actually going to shred it once it was grown. Not sure why you would want to plant it on the banks before and then not shred it. I have duck hunted alot of years and never seen that done. There are ways around the manipulation law. And yes, you are correct, there is really no way to tell when it has been planted. GW won't know if it was 9 months or 4 years ago.

does the duck's biology focus that much on seeing the seed floating in the water?
i figure they'd be able to see the seed heads on the stalk just as easily.

I plant it at different intervals during the summer, so I have some maturing during teal and into duck season

And can you really throw seed out less than a month before season? Teal season is only like 25 days away.

Txaggie I think you'd be against the law if you still have unsprouted/dead seed on the ground from when you through it out.

For NEXT SEASON,

Where in B/CS can Millet and/or Japanese Millet be purchased? I've been considering doing this for quite some time.

Also, do I need to be concerned about it "taking over" stock tanks?

Turn cows on it and you wont have to worry about it taking over anything (or attracting ducks).

It won't take over a stock tank

if you are throwing it on moisture then you won't have to worry about seed being on the ground come teal season. the stuff will start stalks within a couple of days.

and it won't take over anything. there is no real reason to shred it, when it freezes or when water floods it, the heads will dropp to the water level and seed will fall. ducks are good at finding food, they depend on that.

yep, I am not planning to hunt Teal over it this year, but I was counting on the first freeze to make the seeds drop(at least, that's what I was told) - I mostly hunt out there late season....

My local seed & feed store guy just told me that stuff needs to be planted around May and now it was too late. Some of you are saying you've planted it during the Summer....could I still get some germination if I planted soon?

If the ground is moist enough I think if you woulda planted it sunday you would be set, now you might have to wait.

It's a little late, but what the hell. Give it a try, it may be perfect for big duck season

May is waaayyyyy to early to be planting millet for duck season. It needs 60-90 days to head out, so you should be good before the first freezes start in the northern parts of the state. If you're further south, no problems.

Like others have said, cattle will be the biggest problem. They love millet as much as ducks.

If you get a issue of Wildfowl Magazine there is a article in the classifieds in the back from a guy that sells all the millets and a few other duck attractants thats where i have gottem mine. I did order it from the Coop in Bryan but the guy in the magazines product is better.