I have built a handful of boxes, I am now looking for predator guards. Anyone have any experience with making their own guard. Or anyone that sells them fairly cheap.

I took some tin snips and made two out of one 4x8 piece of stainless we had laying around the shop. I'm buying the next ones. lol

My bil is a farmer , I get his old disc blades.

Just cut a 20” circle out of old barn tin then cut a slit from the edge to the center . Cut out the center hole to match your box mounting pole size . Throw in a couple of pop rivets once its around the pole and your good to go .
Good luck

Thanks for the help, found a company through the wood duck society that makes them and they are pretty cheap.

You care to share that website / company st132 ?

Here is the info from Phoenix metals.

Wood Duck link

Thanks !

The guards showed up yesterday, they are very nice. Pre cut and punched for the screw to mount them. They came with good instructions on how to fold tabs up and how to mount. Weather depending I will have them set up this weekend.

Already pairing up and will be nesting soon .

The curiosity got to me last week. I took a peek inside one of the 4 boxes I put up and there were babies in it. That didn't take long.

Nothing in mine this year. The wood duck population has really took a nosedive down here the last couple of years.

Did you clean out last years shells and whatnot?

Yep, sure did

I don't use predator guard, but cover the post with PVC, and it has worked well. Predators can't climb the PVC, apparently.

Same on ours.

I have mine in the water and not on the bank. Just make sure you have the height right in case of rising water . I still use predator guards but see a lot less evidence of coons and other predators when they are in my ponds .