Mowing and a duck

37chief · Jun 7, 2015

I am mowing today I get right upon a duck sitting on eggs. The duck waits until the last second to fly away. That gets my attention real quick. The duck was no where near water. Just out in a field by her self in dry weeds.I just wonder what the baby ducks will do for water. I always thought the ducks should be near water to survive. Maybe the duck knows more than I do. I left her a little patch of weeds to hide in, she came back to her eggs. Stan

Bob · Jun 7, 2015

Don't know where you're at, but that's how ducks do their thing here in the prairie pothole region.

Have had the ^#$%& scared out of my many times walking pastures quite aways from water when Mama Duck flies up just before you step on her!

JerryS · Jun 7, 2015

Saw one of those animal shows on TV, about baby critters surviving in the wild. Some kind of small duck, much like a wood duck, was nesting about 15 feet up in a hollow tree. When the moment arrived, the babies bailed out with no hesitation, busting their little rumps on the ground below. Narrator said that they then had to hike more than a mile to water. At about an inch a step, that's lots of duck walking. Go figure.

SweetFeet · Jun 7, 2015

Jerry S.,

I thought of that show right away... we watched it too. LOL

And the mile long hike to water was a surprise to me - thought they'd nest near water.

john in la · Jun 7, 2015

Do not worry about the duck. She did not pick this spot my mistake.
She has scouted the whole area and knows where the closest water is; what food is available in the area; and where her best chance of hatching eggs without predators getting them.

Ever see a clip on TV news where a duck has traffic stopped because she is leading a pack of ducklings across the road.
Within 24 hours of the eggs hatching this duck will lead the ducklings; sometimes over a mile; to the closest water where they will stay till they can fly.

SDE · Jun 7, 2015

An older man was using a golf course mower to cut the tall grass in a lot next to the golf course. I heard him hit the nest and looked over and saw the hen flying away. I thought he was a jerk for doing it. I really don't think he had to do that. The hen was about 1/4 mile from an area lake.
SDE

Greg1959 · Jun 7, 2015

Man accused of running over ducks with a lawnmower faces animal cruelty charges.
Poke here

rrlund · Jun 7, 2015

I scared one up way out in the middle of one hay field,hit another one on the nest in another one. Quite a distance from water. Sure made a mess of the one I hit. Either way,those little one's won't ever have to search for water.

It's extra points if you hit a turkey on the nest.

Bryce Frazier · Jun 7, 2015

"It's extra points if you hit a turkey on the nest."

With a tractor or a 30-06?

rrlund · Jun 7, 2015

With what you'd call a swather. The disc type makes quicker work of them that the sickle type.

tomturkey · Jun 7, 2015

FFunny you should call him a jerk, I mowed hayfield last Sunday, right down by the water way a hen pheasant flies up and about 10 feet. I stopped went to see about her she flew off. I looked for a nest but did not find til later. Had broken all the eggs. I had no intention of doing this, pheasants are not as plentiful here as in the 60's-70's I'd like to see more. Boy did I feel like a jerk. gobble

tomstractorsandtoys · Jun 7, 2015

With a discbine it is much harder to stop for small animals as you are moving much faster but I always try to. I did plant soybeans around two killdeer bird nests this spring.Those mother birds sure make a fuss when you get close with a tractor. Makes me feel better about the times I run over a nest without seeing it.Tom

tomturkey · Jun 7, 2015

Good for you, love watching those little kildeer, about as big as a fifty cent piece running around. I know it can't be helped, but still makes me feel sad. gobble

PJH · Jun 7, 2015

My neighbor bush hogged a hen turkey on her nest about a week ago. Killed her, of course, and cracked one of the ten eggs she was on. He broke open the cracked egg, and the chick was nearly developed, and trying to breath. He came over and got my incubator, and before the end of the week he hatched out the other 9 eggs. I had never heard of a hen sitting that tight - they always get up right ahead of my mower, and then there isn't enough cover left to protect them.

farmboy48 · Jun 7, 2015

I heard a wildlife guy the other day talking about pheasant nests. If eggs and nest are destroyed they will renest. But if chick's are hatched and killed by predator or drowned by rain or flood they will not try again.

Mowing and a duck

37chief

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Bob

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JerryS

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SweetFeet

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john in la

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SDE

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Greg1959

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rrlund

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Bryce Frazier

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rrlund

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tomturkey

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tomstractorsandtoys

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tomturkey

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PJH

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farmboy48

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