re: Fascinating Duck Study on Pressure

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Most of those are bone dry and aren’t ever planted Most aren’t even manipulated for moist soil plants anymore.

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I haven't been to the old Ouachita WMA refuge on 15 in a few years. I guess the entire complex is now Russell Sage. Truth be known, I have been going to that place with my camera for the better part of 30 years. Taken some outstanding shots. Typically I walk in from the tower a good ways and if there is any kind of recent rain there will typically be water where I go. Like you said, I don't think the place has been flooded conventionally in years, maybe decades, and there is zero management for food. The place is strictly a safety zone with water. With that being said, I have kinda patterned the ducks during duck season in that place. They pretty much sit there all day except for very early and very late. Now the Mallards do get up to work the woods at Sage around mid morning but they predominately sit there unless a hawk or eagle gets them up, but they rarely leave that side of 15. Some get up to go feed right before sunup but by 0900-1000 they are settled back in which kinda jives with success on the farms across the street. Around mid afternoon they start moving to feed again and then will return right at dark. Once the season gets well underway they start going nocturnal and do not leave at all during the day.