Mallard AcresProperties Start a Plan

Waterfowl property development & management

Know what you’re building before you build it.

We plan, build, and manage waterfowl properties for landowners. Levee layout, water-control structures, access, and unit ratios, worked out on paper first, where changes cost nothing.

Start a Property Plan

The drawing comes first.

Scope of the drawing Waterfowl units · levees · unit ratios · estimated cubic yards of dirt to be moved · recommended pipe and water-control structure placement · property access routes · proposed lodge placement if applicable.
Representative waterfowl property development plan A stylised aerial plan of a 157-acre waterfowl property. Six flooded units (moist-soil, flooded rice, and flooded timber) are separated by four levees. Six water-control structures with twenty-four inch pipe are marked along the levees. An all-weather access route runs from the northwest corner along the levee tops to a proposed lodge site. A relift pump sits on the east boundary. A section line A to A cuts across levee L-3. A A UNIT 1 UNIT 2 UNIT 3 UNIT 4 UNIT 5 UNIT 6 MOIST-SOIL 24 AC FLOODED RICE 38 AC MOIST-SOIL / 2ND GROWTH 19 AC FLOODED RICE 33 AC FLOODED TIMBER 16 AC FLOODED TIMBER 27 AC L-1 L-2 L-3 L-4 WCS-2 RELIFT PUMP LEVEE L-3 ACCESS ROUTE WCS-6 OUTLET PROPOSED LODGE SITE 24 IN PIPE, FLASHBOARD RISER PRIMARY WATER SOURCE 3,180 LF · 12 FT CROWN ALL-WEATHER, 14 FT WIDE GRAVITY DRAIN TO SLOUGH HIGH GROUND, NORTH END PROPERTY BOUNDARY N 0 800 FT SHEET SCALE DRAWN NOTE 01 OF 01 DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1 IN = 400 FT MALLARD ACRES PROPERTIES REPRESENTATIVE LAYOUT

Drag the sheet sideways to read the full plan

  • Levee
  • Water-control structure
  • Access route
  • Property boundary
  • Proposed lodge site
  • Water source / relift pump
  • Gross area157 AC
  • Units6
  • Levee9,240 LF
  • Earthwork41,600 CU YD
  • Water-control structures6 24 IN
  • Open water : cover55 : 45

Sample layout for this page, not a client property. Your sheet is drawn to your ground.

Who we plan for

We help landowners bring their ideal waterfowl property to life. That might be a detailed development plan, full project oversight, or ongoing habitat management. The knowledge, resources, and execution to create high-quality waterfowl habitat.

  1. 01 Recreational use
  2. 02 Duck clubs
  3. 03 Equity-share properties
  4. 04 Income-producing recreational properties
  5. 05 Long-term land investments

Services and pricing

Tier 1 ends when you have the plans. Tier 2 stays through construction. Pricing is by the acre, stated up front.

Item 1

Property Consultation & Development Plan

For landowners who want a complete development plan and the information to move forward with their own contractors or project team.

  • Rate$30 per acre
  • PlusTravel & lodging if necessary
  • Minimum$2,500
  • Scope of work
  • 1.01Full map, elevation, and soil assessment prior to visiting the property
  • 1.02Baseline proposed development plan before the on-site consultation
  • 1.03Property walkthrough: vegetation, cover, proposed units, opportunities and limitations
  • 1.04Comprehensive layout: units, levees, ratios, earthwork, structures, access, lodge if applicable
  • 1.05Introduction to trusted contractors and suppliers
  • 1.06Delivery of final project plans to landowner and contractor

Note Additional on-site visits or consulting after the project starts are billed as a separate consulting fee.

Item 2

Full Project Consulting & Oversight

For landowners who want us to run the job. Everything in Item 1, plus we coordinate and oversee the build.

  • Rate$15 per acre
  • PlusTravel & lodging, initial consultation
  • PlusCall for pricing
  • Scope of work
  • 2.01All services included in Item 1
  • 2.02Primary point of contact for contractors and suppliers
  • 2.03Ordering pipe, water-control structures, and related materials
  • 2.04Coordinating project timelines and communication
  • 2.05On-site project visits 1–2 days per week
  • 2.06Progress monitoring throughout development
  • 2.07Assistance from concept through project completion

Note You are welcome to visit and review progress any time. If your schedule does not allow regular involvement, we handle the day-to-day coordination.

Habitat management

A duck property needs year-round management, timing, and attention. We write a plan for your soil, water, vegetation, and goals. Or we run the plan for you.

Aerial view of a prescribed burn along a dirt firebreak
Custom habitat management plan $30 per acre$2,500 minimum
Management yearOrder of work, not a fixed calendar
Draw down A
Planting and new growth B
Seed head & second growth C
Pump & in-season D
Budget-based planning for annual property improvements All year

When to draw down, what to plant, fertilizer and spray, disking, moist-soil work, seed-head timing, pump, and in-season levels. Dates come from your ground, not a template.

Monthly budget-based plan

A monthly management budget set from your goals and the year’s scope of work.

One-time annual management price

A single upfront price from seed, fuel, labor, equipment, and what your property needs.

Trey and Zane

They run Mallard Acres Properties & Consulting, and the work stays with them.

Trey

Trey started duck hunting as a kid and got serious once he shot his first mallard. He studied Fisheries and Wildlife Biology at Arkansas Tech, then spent four years at Rivers Lodge and Hunt Club in Kansas managing habitat and guiding waterfowl and deer hunts. In 2022 he started managing wetlands on his own. He now manages or helps manage roughly 2,000 acres around Truman Lake in Missouri—hot crops, moist soil, marsh work, and fall pumping ahead of season.

Zane

Zane has been duck hunting for 28 years. For the last 14 he’s been studying what actually attracts and holds birds, learning in the field under Roy and Drake Carter at Carter’s Big Island in Southeast Kansas, helping build waterfowl units and run proven habitat work. He brings that same approach to Mallard Acres—helping landowners turn a vision into ground that works.

Tell us about the property

Acreage, county, water situation, and what you want it to be when it is finished. That is enough for us to tell you whether it is worth a trip. We can pull maps and elevation on your ground before anyone gets in a truck.

Demo form only. Wire it to the client inbox before launch.

Got it. We will be in touch.

If it is easier, send maps or an aerial with your reply and we will look at the ground before we come out.

Let’s get your property #ontheMAP.

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