Landowners can apply now for wood duck boxes from SCDNR

A limited number of free wood duck boxes will again be available to private landowners and other qualified applicants this fall through a partnership between the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the State Chapter of Ducks Unlimited. Interested individuals can apply for the available boxes via the SCDNR website, www.dnr.sc.gov.

Up to five boxes per applicant will be available for distribution throughout the state. The application deadline is Nov. 1.

All applicants will be notified as to the status of their application by January.

Approved applicants will be supplied with a wood duck box and predator shield. Each box also requires 4-inch-by-4-inch-by-10-foot post along with the hardware for mounting the box and predator shield. Posts and hardware may be purchased at local lumber yards and home improvement stores.

The wood duck is the most important species to South Carolina waterfowl enthusiasts and is the only duck for which we can effectively manage production habitat throughout all geographic regions of the state. The SCDNR's Wood Duck project supplements natural production in cavities of forested wetlands by providing artificial nesting sites. Fewer natural cavities are available today because of human activity and development. Through this project, private landowners are able to assist SCDNR to produce thousands of wood ducks annually.