Catching wild baby ducks

[LemonberryMoon]

We saw some baby ducks at the pond the other day. There were many groups in fact, most following their moms around. There were four hanging together with no adults watching over them, we watched for a couple hours. A few adults would chase them off, they were peeping loudly with no response. We decided to come back the next day to see if they were still there with no mom in sight. So we went back yesterday and found one dead and the other three still with no mom in sight. Also another group of even younger ones off on their own The pond is right on a busy street with another pond on the other side so the ducks all cross often..... We spent hours in the rain with a net trying to catch them, but had no luck. Even went back in the dark to see if they were sleeping in that spot on the bank and maybe we would have a better chance, but no luck. Wildlife rescues will not come get them, they will only take them in if we catch them.

I grew up with rescued wildlife, my mom was a volunteer and fostered many, we even had nine of these ducks once until we released them. I just can't bear to leave them knowing they will likely not make it on their own

Any ideas? Here are some pictures of them.

 

[zippie]

personally, i think wild things should be left alone. those ducklings will probably supply a much needed meal for some young fox or other wild creature. there.s a reason they are orphans...bad genetics...poor mothering etc. even bad luck for ducklings is good luck for something else.

every time i lose a chicken or duck to a wild creature, i think its only fair...sad yes...but fair. losing livestock to a neighbors dogs...well that.s something else.

 

[LemonberryMoon]

personally, i think wild things should be left alone. those ducklings will probably supply a much needed meal for some young fox or other wild creature. there.s a reason they are orphans...bad genetics...poor mothering etc. even bad luck for ducklings is good luck for something else.

every time i lose a chicken or duck to a wild creature, i think its only fair...sad yes...but fair. losing livestock to a neighbors dogs...well that.s something else.

While I do see your point I see it as human error likely being the cause of making these babies orphans in the first place. So many ducks are hit by cars at that crossing and I am sure that is what happened to the fourth duckling as it's body was just flattened, but still there Human error calls for human help in my book.

 

[bluejeans]

get the ducklings use to you throwing food that floats to them ..
then lure them into a chicken wire coral on land with the feed
while you hide near the open end untill they get to the back end where you
put most of the food..

 

[LemonberryMoon]

get the ducklings use to you throwing food that floats to them .. then lure them into a chicken wire coral on land with the feed while you hide near the open end untill they get to the back end where you put most of the food..

We tried that yesterday, but I think they are too young to know it's food? Perhaps we'll give that another try today....

 

[bluejeans]

thats the easiest way on them .. once they get use to eating what is thrown .. or you could herd them on land nto your corral with a few kyacks and long poles .

 

[farmer boy]

i would help them my self but i wouldn't know how to catch it or anything ... and zippie i think if some wild animal got my animal i don't see it as nature because these are domesticated animals so their not out in the wild to be eaten they are here for us and if a fox killed one of my birds i would kill it ... my self i always help wild animals people say we shouldn't but i don't care what they say i still will because i have a heart and i love all the animals but if something is killing and eating my pets like chickens im gonna do something about it

 

[bluejeans]

20 foot 3/4 pvc works well you could even attach a net to one end to snag them up from the kyack . a .canoe would be better for that though as you have more romm to stand in a canoe and do it..

 

[LemonberryMoon]

20 foot 3/4 pvc works well you could even attach a net to one end to snag them up from the kyack . a .canoe would be better for that though as you have more romm to stand in a canoe and do it..

We were using a 12 foot long large fishing net, don't have a kayak or canoe..... And if I tried to stand in a canoe I would be the one needing rescuing But having one would make this MUCH easier! To corral them at least.

We were trying to catch with the net over them, we may try the hiding it under the water and hoping they swim over it method today.

 

[bluejeans]

Any way once in your coral a fish net attached by "duck tape to a 5 foot pole works well for the final catch. .. if you opt for the trying to catch them on the pond with a net attached to a 20 foot bending pole while standing up in a canoe or kyack lets us all know how that turns out for ya