Should I take my duck kayaking with me in Lake Michigan?

Rainbow1036

In the Brooder
10 Years
Aug 11, 2009
54
3
39
I like kayaking a lot and I take my duck with me when I go kayaking in the creek in my backyard (he swims next to my kayak). Me and some of my kayaking friends are planning on kayaking in Lake Michigan (about 2 miles away from my house) and I want to take my duck with me if the waves aren't high, My ducks wings are not clipped nor do I plan to clip them. If I take my duck on the lake it would be the farthest I've ever taken him away from home, If he decides to fly away while were on the lake would he be able to find his own way back home or would he not know how to get home? While swimming in our creek he's never gone more than about a quarter of a mile away from home on his own without me.

I want to take him but I don't want him to fly off and get lost and not be able to find his own way home
 
My gut reaction says it's a bad idea. But if you do it, I would love to hear how it goes. Would be cool to be able to take a duck out like that. I don't think I would risk it though.
 
Predators could easily get it. There are a lot of hawks and other birds of prey along the shores of the Great Lakes.
 
hawk eat grown ducks?
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I would not do it. First the location is new to your duck, and it will not know how to get back by itself. I worry that it gets spooked by something, flys off and gets lost. I would leave it to the creek fun, a surrounding your duck is familiar with.
 
They also go after small cats and dogs (chihuahua size).

Keep a weather eye on those hawks and give your duck a protected area to hang out. A run with a roof - wire fence across the top of the pen will work. Maybe put a few potted shrubs in the run for him to hide under.

You can tie mylar ribbons to the roofing wire to discourage the hawks and make your duck harder to see.
The breeze will lift the ribbon and make the sunlight reflect off it and distract the hawks from your duck.

(Mylar - You know... those silver plastic balloons - just get hold of a few and cut them into ribbons and tie to your run roof. Or get some of that silver shreds stuff and use that. You can find either at the dollar store.)

This is not a guarantee that your duck will be safe - just a way to distract the hawks from going after your duck. You still have to be proactive in your pet's safety.

Google hawks and read up on them. Fascinating creatures.
 
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Captain Cluck, I respect your rank, sir, but did you read the original post at all? OP is talking about kayaking on Lake Michigan, not hanging out at home.
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