Backyard mottled duck has a plastic band on his neck - how to catch him so I can remove it?

[Joan6153]

One of the wild Florida mottled ducks that frequent my backyard showed up this morning with some sort of plastic band around his neck. I tried to catch him unsuccessfully so I could remove it. He's too quick for me.

I attached a photo that shows that his neck is swollen above the band so I think it ought to come off. However he is very active and feisty and chased off the other males. He has a mate, also. And he ate very well. But I worry about the eventual consequences of having this tight band on is neck. He seems pretty much fully grown but it looks like a problem to me.

Any suggestions on how to catch him? Or should I even try?

 

[Miss Lydia]

One of the wild Florida mottled ducks that frequent my backyard showed up this morning with some sort of plastic band around his neck. I tried to catch him unsuccessfully so I could remove it. He's too quick for me.

I attached a photo that shows that his neck is swollen above the band so I think it ought to come off. However he is very active and feisty and chased off the other males. He has a mate, also. And he ate very well. But I worry about the eventual consequences of having this tight band on is neck. He seems pretty much fully grown but it looks like a problem to me.

Any suggestions on how to catch him? Or should I even try?

Lets see if we can get @desertdarlene to advise since she see alot of wild ducks at the park near her home maybe she has had this experience.

I have a large fishing net that I keep in case I need it to get one of my own something like that may work it has a long handle.

 

[Joan6153]

Thanks for any suggestions. I have a pole with a net - nothing as deep as a fishing net but it might accommodate a duck. I'll try that the next time I see him.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for any suggestions. I have a pole with a net - nothing as deep as a fishing net but it might accommodate a duck. I'll try that the next time I see him.

You might ask some friends to help to make a human fence or use some plastic fencing and walk him slowly into it not sure how well it will work with a duck that can fly though. I hope you can help him. He is a gorgeous duck

 

[Amiga]

I'd use some temporary fence and make a sort of clamshell area you might be able to walk him into. Just don't use any kind of netting that he could get tangled in - I'd use plastic poultry fence, and definitely get some friends involved. Put some treats inside the clamshell area - have a pet carrier with two people to operate it (one to hold the carrier, one to manage the door).

Good for you, noticing and caring!

 

[Joan6153]

I forgot to update this post with what happened with the duck with the plastic necklace. I got some soft netting that would make it possible for me to catch him. He was getting less afraid of me. But wouldn't you know, the day I got the netting, he never came back. Some of these guys tend to move on for part of the year and only stay in the backyard for a few weeks. So if he comes back on his next trip through this area, I'm all ready to help him out. He does not seem impaired at all by the necklace. So I'm hoping for the best.