emergency duck help / hook-and-line in freeranging duck / can't catch

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi and help!
I've never encountered this before but got an email from someone with a fishhook and trailing line stuck in a duck.
If you can help, post here and I'll send her the link.
Many thanks,
Lisa

 

[xke4]

where is the duck? Is it a wild duck or one on her farm? Does she have a net? How about a blanket to throw over it? If it is a wild one, she may be able to get help from the local wildlife rehabber or animal control.

 

[Omniskies]

If there is a shed or other enclosure nearby then get a group of 3+ people (the more the better) and have everyone SLOWLY herd the duck inside.

SLOWLy needs a lot of emphasis. The slower you go, the faster you'll catch the duck. The moment he realizes he's being chased he will go everywhere but where you're herding him.

If there isn't an enclosure then hopefully there is a stout tree nearby. Get some sort of large cheap net (like a volleyball net) and some thin, dull colored rope. Cut the rope and tie a section to each corner and in the middle edges, then toss all the separate ropes over a tree limb and test it out to make sure that all the edges raise at the same time when you pull on the rope (bonus: toss something that weighs 5-10lbs in the middle to see how it bends).

Once you have that figured out set up your trap and get out the duck treats. Set up the net and drop some treats around it, then leave it alone for an hour or two for the duck to become familiar with. After that all you have to do is have someone dropping treats in the middle of the net with someone else holding the lines. When the duck is in the middle bring it up as fast as you can.

It's the easiest way to catch a crazy duck or goose out in the open. We've also played around with varients by having the net underwater, tugged at from different ways, and braided or looped through a metal eye that keeps everything raising together.

 

[TheNewMrsEvans]

I had to catch a muscovy at the park because he had a fishing line attatched around one leg...i threw down a bunch of bread while between him and the pond, then threw my coat over him....WHOOOEY! Mad duck! But I held him long enough to get off the line! Food is my suggestion! Awesome special food to get his attention, then throw a towel or sheet over him...
good luck you only get one shot before he's on to you

 

[MagsC]

I would take a trip to the vet....however, this happened to a cat of ours once, I had to take a very sharp exacto knife and carefully cut the hook out.I have had to do something similiar to this twice. Once we found a cat with the metal part of a collar imbedded into her shoulder. Both times the vet wasnt available.
Wince.
The vet is a much better option.
About hooks, dont you almost have to push it on through to avoid less damage? But I imagine sometimes there is no choice.

 

[monarc23]

awh i hope you can catch and help him out!


I had my hubby wade through 5 ft deep creek water to save a mallard duckling that was hanging by it's beak from a dried on wormed hook that was from a fishermans snag in a bush. The duckling must have kicked up out of teh water some to bite the gross dried worm on the hook and hooked it's beak. He broke the line off the branch brought the duckling back tome and I took the hook out of it's beak, it bled a bit but luckily i had towels and some antibiotic on hand so I gave put pressure on it until it stopped bleeding and then put a small dab of the ointment on and let teh duckling go. The mother and the other ducklings were no whre in sight but hoping that hte mother was just hiding around the corner we decided teh best thing to do was to let it go it ran up the hill peeping madly so hopefully it found it's mama soon. Alteast it was better off than it would have eben had we just left it there.