Is it legal to take a baby duck from a public pond?

[GoofyNewt]

There are public lakes, ponds, and rivers near me that have a few domestic breeds of waterfowl. One pond in particular is very over populated. Would it be legal to go during chick season and get whichever breed I want? Would I have to call the park that the body of water belongs to and ask if they were being cared for before taking some in?

 

[The Moonshiner]

Is it legal to go onto property that isn't yours and take something that isn't yours?
I'd ask someone if it was me.

 

[Pigpie]

You could just buy a baby duckling if you feel you need to steal a wild baby duckling whom is with their mother you may not be prepared to be a duck owner

 

[Mylied]

Probably not. It's usually not legal to take any type of wildlife from the wild unless you are a wildlife rehabber and it needs rehab. Plus, it's just not a good idea all around: diseases, separating a duckling from it's mother and flock mates, the difficulties of keeping a wild animal (they can fly, unlike a lot of domesticated ducks), etc.

 

[GoofyNewt]

You could just buy a baby duckling if you feel you need to steal a wild baby duckling whom is with their mother you may not be prepared to be a duck owner

Except the species that I would consider aren't indigenous to our area, so I would be helping the native species, so they don't have to compete for resources. And where do you think they would get the duckling I buy at a hatchery from?

 

[GoofyNewt]

Probably not. It's usually not legal to take any type of wildlife from the wild unless you are a wildlife rehabber and it needs rehab. Plus, it's just not a good idea all around: diseases, separating a duckling from it's mother and flock mates, the difficulties of keeping a wild animal (they can fly, unlike a lot of domesticated ducks), etc.

It's not wildlife though, that's why I am confused about whether it's ok or not. They are domestic breeds that are not indigenous, and compete with wild native breeds for resources.

 

[GoofyNewt]

Is it legal to go onto property that isn't yours and take something that isn't yours?
I'd ask someone if it was me.

It's public property... But I'll probably ask anyways.

 

[CorvusFarm]

Except the species that I would consider aren't indigenous to our area, so I would be helping the native species, so they don't have to compete for resources. And where do you think they would get the duckling I buy at a hatchery from?

Are you an ornithologist? Taking one duckling from its mother isn't going to help native species. And most waterfowl are migratory. You're not doing anything here but going onto property that isn't yours and taking an animal from its family unit that isn't yours. Hatcheries are what they say: they raise their own breeding stock, collect their eggs, then hatch them for sale. They're not trafficking kidnapped ducklings.

Do it right or don't do it.

 

[Pigpie]

The hatchery gets ducklings from eggs stealing a wild duckling isn't helping anyone, If you were trying to help any species leave them be in their natural habitat there is a difference between the behavior of wild ducklings and hatchery ducklings. Also you do need more than 1 duckling as they are social animals.

 

[Pigpie]

Also stealing 1 duckling "of your choice" certainly will not help alleviate any of the supposed overpopulation of ducks.