How to Mount a Wood Duck Box

The brightly colored wood duck has made a comeback over the past 50 years, thanks, in part, to human intervention. Wood ducks nest in cavities in trees, but readily use wooden nesting boxes if available. Wood duck boxes can be mounted fairly easily in just a few steps. If you put up a wood duck box, plan on maintaining it. Select a location and height that will allow you easy access to the box for regular cleaning, adding bedding and checking for starling nests.

Things You'll Need

  • Wooden or metal post
  • Sheet metal or predator guard
  • 3-inch to 5-inch lag bolts or U-bolts
  • Wrench
  • Ladder
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Instructions

    • 1

      Decide whether you will mount the wood duck box to a wood or metal post, or a tree. A tree should be isolated from other trees at a distance of at least 9 feet so other animals can't reach the box. Avoid using an aspen tree, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A wooden post should be at least 10 feet long and 4 inches square, and made out of cedar, cypress or wood treated with a preservative. A metal post should be at least 8 feet long.

    • 2

      Choose a location for the wood duck box. It should be relatively isolated and within 1/2 mile of a pond, marsh, lake or river, and preferably 30 to 100 feet away, if it will be on land. There is less chance of predation by raccoons at that distance. The box can also be mounted over water. A shaded area is preferable so the hen and young don't overheat.

    • 3

      Verify that there are no obstacles, such as a road or a fence that a duck wouldn't fit through, between the box mounting site and the body of water.

    • 4

      Secure a post in the ground, on land or in water, if you won't be using a tree. Ensure it is deep enough to prevent it from leaning or falling over.

    • 5

      Slide a 3-foot galvanized sheet metal predator guard onto the post or attach aluminum or tin sheeting around the tree or wooden post 6 inches to 12 inches below the box, to prevent other animals from reaching the nest. The metal sheeting should be long enough vertically so that an animal can't reach over the top and pull itself over it while climbing up the post.

    • 6

      Use a wrench to attach the nesting box to a post or tree with 3-inch to 5-inch lag bolts or to a metal pole with U-bolts. Use a sturdy ladder for this step. Face the box toward the body of water. The Minnesota DNR recommends placing the box at a height of at least 20 feet if mounting to a tree on land, 16 feet high on a wooden post on land or 6 to 8 feet above the water's surface. However, the Wood Duck Society states that "higher is not better" when placing nesting boxes. They recommend bolting a side-opening box to a metal pole with the hole at a height of 6 feet. Whichever option you choose, fasten the top of the box so that it is up to 2 inches away from the tree or post. Doing so will aid the ducklings when they're ready to exit the box and allow rain to easily run off.