Bird Dog & Retriever News
February/ March 2026 issue page 2
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From the Publisher’s Desk
Welcome to the Feb/March 2026 issue of Bird Dog & Retriever News. Thank you: subscribers, advertisers, organizations and others.
February is an interesting month. We are caught between the grand kids saying there is nothing to do. Hey we played outside when it was -25 and we loved it. At Minot AFB we stopped working aircraft at -65 below, went two weeks one time. Well except for that RADAR Transmitter I was ordered to install. But I had a bird Colonel holding a heater for me. I told him to get back in his truck, he was probably about my age now. He looked and smiled and said: “Son when you get that Transmitter in My ass is in VEGAS!” OK!
We all have slow times. I did my FIRST retirement from Honeywell a few weeks ago. I’ll probably be back working engineering in a month or so, seems I LIKE $. I just don’t want to put in as many hours, more for the grandkids.
I am also playing catch up on our website BDarn.com. It seems some idiot trashed ours a few months ago and my provider did not have backups and mine s-cked. So we reconstruct about 20,000 pages, give me a month or so, I have some in archives. You’ll find the NEW Bdarn.com will be better than ever.
So what are we going to do to keep those grandkids busy? Feb is a good month to check wood duck houses and that is exactly whats on the agenda this afternoon.
I have two wood duck houses on the island in back of our house and every year we open them up to clean out and replenish. Next year it’s time for two more houses.
Time to get something of value done... And you can quote me! So keep your powder dry and you and your dog in hunting shape!
Hey and we are looking for a senior Vizsla to fill the hole lost by Josie, give us a call!
See you next issue!
Dennis Guldan
Publisher Bird Dog
& Retriever News
E-mail: Publisher@Bird-Dog-News.com
Worlds largest read hunting/dog publication a great publication that makes you smile!
House Cleaning
By Dennis Guldan
Life comes with obligations. One that shows up in February every year is cleaning wood duck houses.
Of easy things to do in this world, cleaning wood duck house has got to be one of the most rewarding and easy things to do.
The island where I have put up two Wood Duck houses so far, is about 400 feet from my property. I know it to be 400 feet because that is how much hose I needed to buy to make the ice smooth for an ice skating party, dare I digress.
I have put up my share of wood duck houses in my life. I know studies say the wood ducks like them 50 feet plus in the air. But after installing TV Cable for a year, I think I have done my share of ladder work.
I created an interesting addition to a wood duck house by adding a three inch PVC Cap on the top edge of the house. What that does is allows me to pound in a fence post then put the cap on the top and secure the house by myself.
If the house ever needs repair removing a couple of dry wall screws allows it to be freed to return to the shop. And then wood duck maintenance becomes a one person job... me!
And I would argue a metal fence post is more difficult to climb for predators than nailing the house to a tree. And it is SO much easier for the cleaning.
The Cleanup Process
So what do you need to cleanout a wood duck house? My list of tools is only five in size.
1. A electric screw driver drill to open the house or take it down if needed.
2. A bag of new bedding
3. A bag to put the soiled bedding in
4. I like a puddy knife to not touch the soiled old bedding to scrape it out.
5. Gloves perhaps a mask to stay clean and safe.
The whole process takes about two minutes per house a bit longer if you need pictures and need to explain life to a grand kid. Boots on to boots off about an hour to give the woodies a better chance.
What Did We Find?
Every year we wonder how the year went and if the nesting boxes are used. This year one box had two eggs another just had a single unhatched egg.
What does that mean? Wood ducks typically lay 6-16 eggs per brood. Sometimes twice a year. So it is possible we added about 60 new wood ducks to our great flock. But I’d be happy with ten. Finding unhatched eggs at least we know the box was used that year.
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