Duck Predators

[Hummin Cummins]

Anyone have any experience with controlling duck predators? I have a pond on my property and I'm trying to boost the mallard and wood duck habitat. I've found 2 decapitated ducks on the pond lately. The carcass hasn't been touched, but head and neck are gone. I know I have snapping turtles, which are tough to control but I thought they only prey on ducklings or the eggs. These are full grown ducks that have been killed. I'm thinking owls (which are protected) Any other thoughts? All the kills have been on the water, or at least thats where I find them.



Chris

 

[TowPro]

you can control snapping turtles also. we used to use fishing rods with wire leaders, then fish the bottom for them. Easier to catch then fish at times.



Not sure what is taking just the heads off.

 

[Hummin Cummins]

I'm gonna try chicken livers or hot dogs and a big hook for the turtles. I give them to a guy at work, he cleans them up and deep frys them. MMM MMM GOOD. I got 8 for him last year. They should be coming up to lay eggs soon. They will come right up against the house foundation and lay eggs in the mulch.

 

[TowPro]

How far off the Sesquahana river is your lake? Are they coming out of the river? Does anything even live in the river at Lock Haven? I know up in Renovo its pretty bad looking in the dead of summer. I have seen that river dark blue a couple times when its low. all the crap leaching out of the strip mines.

 

[Scot]

What you describe does sound like owls. The problem went away (more or less) when they killed the last guinea. Good luck!

 

[Bloomy]

Chris,



Had the same problem several years ago. Never really figured out what it was, but we were leaning towards owls as well.



Thomas

 

[Hummin Cummins]

Tow,

The turtles are living in the pond. There is also a nice trout stream that runs through my back yard. "High Quality" is what the fish commission likes to call it. There are lotsa catfish and suckers in the river. The river is not bad around Lock Haven, I dont live there anymore. The river never is too deep in Renovo.



I need to scout around and see if there are any owl pellets under the trees. A guy at work told me how to make a trap to see if it's an owl, but have to be careful not to get caught. Basically you just build an artificial perch close to the pond with a foot hold trap mounted on top. They will perch on the closest thing to their prey. LOL

 

[Got HO?]

Owls or feral cats

 

[Hummin Cummins]

Gonna try to get the trap set up this weekend. I'll see what we catch.

 

[jwdeeming]

Hmmm, our friends who kept finding decapitated chickens always blamed skunks, but there's a lot of owls around here too - maybe that was it after all.

 

[Todd T]

I had a similar problem (owl) that went away subsequent to what sounded like a winchester 273 being fired nearby.



The snappers will kill the ducklings but dont usually bother the older ducks. we had a problem with ferrel cats for a while too. They all disappeared too... ...