Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Locating and Managing Peninsulas for Nesting Ducks

Graphic: Waterfowl flying away from predator barrier.

John T. Lokemoen and Terry A. Messmer
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The Berryman Institute, Logan, Utah

1994

The purpose of this extension bulletin is to guide the management of nesting ducks on peninsulas on public and private lands. Managing peninsulas for ducks is a relatively new strategy that was developed in the grassland region of western North America. Information contained in this bulletin is primarily from studies conducted by biologists working at the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, North Dakota.

This resource is based on the following source (Northern Prairie Publication 0917):

Lokemoen, John T. and Terry A. Messmer.  1994.  Locating and managing peninsulas 
     for nesting ducks.  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Branch of Extension and
     Publications, Arlington, VA and The Berryman Institute, Logan, UT.  18pp.

This resource should be cited as:

Lokemoen, John T. and Terry A. Messmer.  1994.  Locating and managing peninsulas 
     for nesting ducks.  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Branch of Extension and
     Publications, Arlington, VA and The Berryman Institute, Logan, UT.  
     Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
     http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/penin/penin.htm (Version 12MAY03).

Introduction
- Common Nesting Species
- Management Options and Costs
Location Factors for Peninsulas
- Shoreline Vegetation
- Wetland Type
- Wetland Complexes
- Size and Spacing
Construction Guidelines for Predator Barriers
- Electric Fences
- Water-Filled Moats
Management of Peninsulas
- Seeding Grass-Legume Nesting Cover
- Removing Tall Shrubs and Trees
- Livestock and Fencing
- Managing Predators
Monitoring Peninsulas
- Maintaining Permanent Records
- Monitoring Predators
- Monitoring Nesting
Required Permits
- Federal Permits
- State, Province, and Local Permits
Suggested Reading

Appendices

Appendix A -- Manufacturers and Distributors of Electric Fence Materials
Appendix B -- Sources for Grass and Legume Seeds
Appendix C -- Peninsula Survey Form
Appendix D -- Agencies Providing Guidance and Grant Permits

Figures

Figure 1 -- Area of peninsula management in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States and Canada.
Figure 2 -- The three styles of electric fences for pointed and blunt peninsulas.
Figure 3 -- Detailed illustration of the standard electric peninsula fence.
Figure 4 -- Illustration of a quick-kill body trap set in a box.
Figure 5 -- Form for recording physical, predator, and bird nest data and success at peninsulas.

This bulletin was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was published by The Berryman Institute, Utah State University.

The authors are John T. Lokemoen, Wildlife Research Biologist, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, North Dakota, and Terry A. Messmer, Assistant Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Utah State University, Logan, Utah.

Technical review was provided by Alan B. Sargeant, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, and Kevin J. Brennan, Wetland Management Office, Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Editorial guidance was contributed by Lawrence D. Igl, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.

Downloading Instructions -- Instructions on downloading and extracting files from this site.

penin.zip (536K bytes) -- Locating and Managing Peninsulas for Nesting Ducks

Installation: Extract all files and open penin.htm in a web browser.