Free Range Ducks - Mission Impossible?

[ReLearning2Live]

No bald eagles here. Maybe it is snappers - is there a way to bait for them to check?

 

[zooweemama]

No bald eagles here. Maybe it is snappers - is there a way to bait for them to check?

Great question!

 

[jgell]

I don't think it is a snapping turtle. I have anconas, mallards, pintails, wood ducks and a lonely goldeneye on a 3/4 acre pond with 5 acres of property to free range on in Pennsylvania. I have a lot of experience with snapping turtles. I don't think they would bother with a full grown duck, they go for more high percentage prey. If one did get a full grown duck you would see the aftermath. When they eat they rip their food with their mouth and their claws. They don't chew, they just swallow. All of that pawling and ripping is going to pull out lots of feathers which are going to float. I would also imagine that it can't eat a whole duck so after it got done with the soft easy parts things like wings and heads would be left over which would also float.

If you want to get them out of your pond it is pretty simple. Get a decent sized hook and a fish head. I always have a bag of trout heads in the freezer for this exact reason. Attach it to a line and throw it in the water in the afternoon and check just after dark. The turtles are very active in the evening. They are also pretty good at pulling the hook out of their mouth so it is best not to give them the entire night to work on it. The bait doesn't need to be deep for the turtle but you want to get it deep enough so the ducks can't get at it.

Good Luck

 

[ReLearning2Live]

Thanks jgell That makes alot of sense. Do you have any guesses as to what it *might* be? Thanks

 

[aoxa]

Thanks jgell That makes alot of sense. Do you have any guesses as to what it *might* be? Thanks

 

Are they spending all their time on the pond? Could it be a fox?

Foxes will take birds without leaving any traces.

 

[fowl farm]

I free range my birds, and I lost 1 duck, 1 hen, and 2 guineas without a trace. And then I saw Mr. Fox take duck #2. So maybe it's a fox?

 

[Going Quackers]

I free range my birds, and I lost 1 duck, 1 hen, and 2 guineas without a trace. And then I saw Mr. Fox take duck #2. So maybe it's a fox?

Ouch. I'm sorry!

 

[EggLuver]

Quote: Ah but they can, it all depends on the size of the turtle. I saw one one time that had a shell that would have measured close to 3 feet in length and nearly 2 feet wide. The thing was massive and had to have been REALLY old to get to that size. I caught him in the open migrating to another pond otherwise I never would have seen him. I would guess that this guy was 150 pounds. It was an alligator snapping turtle. Now a snapping turtle can get to 40 pounds and that can definitely eat a full grown bird. Now as far as the mess, it is a big pond and no the body parts will not float for long if at all.

You all know that a human body will sink then float back up and once the gasses escape it will sink again. We are talking about smaller body parts here so this will happen quicker. The fish will also feed on the smaller pieces.

As to the hook for catching them, I would not do it. You all feel for your birds but what about the turtle with a hook embedded in it's throat or worse? Call someone that deals with wild animal control and talk to them about your options, it may be that a hook is the only way to catch them but you owe it to the wildlife to see if there is another option.

 

[aoxa]

Ah but they can, it all depends on the size of the turtle. I saw one one time that had a shell that would have measured close to 3 feet in length and nearly 2 feet wide. The thing was massive and had to have been REALLY old to get to that size. I caught him in the open migrating to another pond otherwise I never would have seen him. I would guess that this guy was 150 pounds. It was an alligator snapping turtle. Now a snapping turtle can get to 40 pounds and that can definitely eat a full grown bird. Now as far as the mess, it is a big pond and no the body parts will not float for long if at all. 

You all know that a human body will sink then float back up and once the gasses escape it will sink again. We are talking about smaller body parts here so this will happen quicker. The fish will also feed on the smaller pieces.

As to the hook for catching them, I would not do it. You all feel for your birds but what about the turtle with a hook embedded in it's throat or worse? Call someone that deals with wild animal control and talk to them about your options, it may be that a hook is the only way to catch them but you owe it to the wildlife to see if there is another option.

 

[WillsC]

our ducks all free range all day every day, even in tropical storms (isaac just past by) this includes french white muscovy, khaki campbells and Silver Appleyards. We also have geese and chickens and goats and live stock guard dogs (great Pyreneese to be exact).


if you are free ranging and have a large pond you could also have snapping turtles. they can and will take a duck. You can have bobcats, fox, weasels (mink) stray dogs to name a few other predators. When you allow poultry to free range you also have to accept that no matter how well protected your property is eventually some predator is going to strike, or attempt to.

A weasel isn't a mink. In my experience when a predator has a choice between chickens or ducks the chickens get targeted. Since there is a pond I would certainly wonder if it is a turtle. You could put out baits for turtles and see what you catch......