I have a pet wood duck, and need some info...

[Duckbro530]

Well the OP said he found it on the road and took it in and has kept it for 2 years. That is illegal, you can not keep any bird that is under the protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty act without the proper permits, it does not matter if you rescued it, it does not matter if you have already had it for two years, and yes, it is always wrong to save and keep a wild animal under your possession because it is illegal. You can get jail time for keeping some birds protected by the act without proper permits. I am not sure what you would get for illegally keeping a Wood duck but it would not be as bad as the one for keeping an owl or other raptor.
You can save animals, they are only allowed to be in your possession for under 24 hours though, after that they must be brought to a animal rescue center. I am not trying to be mean and say that he should have left it there or he should release it now but I am saying it was against the law to take it for over 24 hours and it is still against the law to have it under your possession now.
So others can mention getting another, breeding, and selling but when I mention the fact that he is doing something illegal right now and what others have mentioned is also illegal if not done properly I am the one in the wrong? Ridiculous. Look, I did not make the Migratory Bird Treaty act, it was made in 1918 and has been enforced ever since then and that is way before I was even alive.
I should not have to be constantly repeating myself my first post already covered all of this, what he did is illegal, there is no getting around that, do not try to argue or complain to me, I have no control over that act, or any act or law. What I said about this bird being illegally kept is a fact and it has been a fact for the past 100 years, for the past century this act has been enforced.

Soooooooo, what was I LEGALLY supposed to do? After 24 hours, just throw him outside and wish him luck? He couldn't even eat by himself

 

[Kessel23]

You were supposed to bring him to an animal rescue center. I actually said that in the post you quoted. Did you even read it?

 

[CrystaBub]

@Duckbro530 Don't feel bad about all the controversy here - I think the intentions to educate you are meant well even if they sound harsh. Maggie is beautiful and you clearly have a tight bond. He could never go back to the wild now, so you did the right thing coming here for information and advice. Enjoy your time with him! And if you ever get fined or put in jail for having him, let us know and we'll take up a collection to set you free

 

[WVduckchick]

Hey guys! Enough already! I think plenty has been said on the subject, no need to make matters worse now.

 

[Duckbro530]

Yes.. sadly you are correct about the legal aspects of all of this.
I didn't intend to imply that he should obtain another bird illegally. . but there are places you can get domesticated wood ducks legally.
As far as the one he already has. . . I won't tell if you don't
Probably good for the op to know about this though so he doesn't find out the hard way.

is there a way to legaly have the duck i already have?

You were supposed to bring him to an animal rescue center. I actually said that in the post you quoted. Did you even read it?

Oh well. Im keeping Maggie no matter what anyone sais. He is my life and happiness, so the law can forget it. Thank you everyone for the useful info. Now I know what some of his weird noises are!

 

[Kessel23]

No, there is no legal way to keep him now, unfortunately. I am not saying you should release him or bring him to an animal rescue center, that is just what you should have done when you first found him. It is to late now, he would definitely die in the wild and you would get turned in if you brought him to an animal rescue center.

 

[H@tcher]

is there a way to legaly have the duck i already have?

Oh well. Im keeping Maggie no matter what anyone sais. He is my life and happiness, so the law can suck it. Thank you everyone for the useful info. Now I know what some of his weird noises are!

Yes, keep Maggie and don't worry about what other people say.

 

[house.of.ducks]

Well that is some pretty useful information, especially seeing how it could save him a lot of money by avoiding fines. Also, OP should not be talking about illegal activities online, it is actually against the rules on these forums, I am surprised the thread has not been shut down yet. I mentioned selling, breeding, and acquiring another illegal bird because other posters mentioned prices and suggested the OP should get him a mate. if people are throwing that stuff out there then I mind as well throw the fact that all of this is illegal without proper permits out there too. If the OP decided to get another bird, as others suggested, then what is stopping him from unknowingly acquiring it illegally like how he acquired the first one? Also, yeah he just wants info on sounds and body language unfortunately no one else here has even touched on that topic yet so it was nice of you to call me out for my post but ignore the previous 27 posts that were also not related to sounds and body language.

I know i’m pretty late to this lol, but i do not think that OP knew that rescuing Maggie was illegal. Nor do i believe that anyone that replied abt getting him a mate or purchasing a wood duck intended to advocate for breaking the law or even knew that they were. Frankly, i don’t care much about the law when it comes to saving a life. And it’s extremely hard to rescue a duckling and then release it because once they become used to being cared for, returning them to the wild will usually result in their death. Not to mention Maggie could have been a domesticated wood duck that was dumped by someone that decided they weren’t up for caring for him. No matter what the case, i don’t think that this is a subject worth getting worked up about as nobody was acting with malicious intent or meant to break any laws.

 

[house.of.ducks]

Wow, if the OP didn't take in this duck it wouldn't have survived. At least the way I understand they rescued it from the road, by itself. Also the OP has not mentioned doing anything illegal. Just because other members have mentioned getting another, breeding or selling, doesn't mean the OP is running out and doing it. He's had this ONE for 2 years already. Besides, it's never wrong to save an animal!

My thoughts exactly !! As long as the animal is cared for and happy (which Maggie obviously is) and is not a danger to anyone then i don’t see a problem, as he wouldn’t have lived had he not been saved. And you’re right, OP never mentioned participating in illegal activities, it’s everyone else that’s bringing that up when we don’t know the full story, and it was simply an innocent post inquiring about Maggie’s behavior.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Maybe we could request a congressional investigation into "woodduck gate" and let congress decide! Or, just go on about our business and stop all this foolishness and just be glad that someone rescued a tiny duck from the middle of the road that would most likely have been flattened into a pancake! Geeze!