Wild duck is a bird that lives in almost all countries of the world. It can be found near a deserted forest lake, and in the city pond. Hunting a wild duck is a popular activity. They are even bred at home and crossed with a thoroughbred bird. Someone just likes the unusual taste of her meat, and someone plans to hunt using a decoy. Some species of bird people keep to decorate the compound. How can you catch a wild duck alive? There are several ways.
Wild duck species
Mallard is a fairly common bird that lives near water bodies. The drakes themselves are gray, and their head is green. Their chest is brown, and their neck is decorated with a snow-white ring. Ducks do not look so elegant. Females have an inconspicuous reddish color, which allows them to hide from predators. Drake weighs up to 1.5 kg, and ducks weigh up to 1.4 kg. Mallards do not really like winter, so in the cold season they fly to warmer climes.
A mandarin duck weighs from 0.4 to 0.7 kg. They live in Japan and other Asian countries, as well as in the Far East. The bird, unlike other types of ducks, nests in trees. Males are very beautiful, they have bright colors in their plumage: purple, orange, green, blue, beige, white. Tangerine ducks are often taken by farmers, but not as a productive bird. They adorn the infield and delight the owner with bright colors.
The weight of merganser can reach up to 2.1 kg. This is the largest species of wild duck. Bird is found in almost all countries and prefers to live in packs of up to 500 individuals. Females have a light color, combining gray, white and red feathers. Thanks to the unusual coloring, the drakes are very similar to zebras. How to catch a wild duck without a gun? There are several ways.
Trap
This method is humane, but rather complicated. How to catch a wild duck live for breeding at home? You need to make a reliable trap. They are different, but most often hunters make a standard design of logs that are fastened together. A basket with a lid is placed on top of the product, which will be easy to push inside. The design is generously filled with earth and bread crumbs. The trap, of course, is made near water bodies.
After some time, the most curious duck will decide to eat. Under the weight of the bird, the lid is pressed inward. The wild duck is caught without any damage, now the hunter can bring it home and use it for breeding.
Cage fishing
Hunters use this method if an intact bird is needed. How to catch wild ducklings with a duck? The hunter can use a folding cage. To do this, it is installed on the ground, a spacer is placed inside. Under the cage, the hunter sprinkles breadcrumbs, grain, or other food that is tasty for the duck. You need to tie a rope to the strut and lie hidden somewhere nearby.
If the place is chosen correctly, then after a while the new design will interest the duck. At first, the bird will cautiously approach the trap, but after a while it will calm down and begin to eat food. If she has ducklings, then they will follow her mother. After that, the hunter pulls the rope, and the cage falls, the bird is trapped. Ducks caught in this way do not get any damage, so they can be used both for food and for home breeding.
Loop fishing
How to catch a wild duck? You can use a self-tightening loop. The trap is set in those places where ducks usually gather for the night. Bait is scattered near the loop: corn, minced fish, bread crumbs. The hunter lurks nearby, holding in his hand the other end of the rope. He must be prepared for the fact that he will have to wait a long time.
After a while, wild ducks appear. They will be interested in the bait and will begin to greedily eat it. Here the hunter should not be confused and in time tighten the rope around the neck at the duck. She will tremble and try to fly away, this should not be allowed. This method requires agility and perseverance, so it is not available to everyone. A wild duck is severely injured due to the loop, so you need to bleed it as soon as possible, and then proceed to cut the carcass.
Hook fishing
How to catch a wild duck in a pond? A hooking method is suitable. The hunter must understand that a bird caught by this method will be severely injured. She is usually immediately killed and butchered, since subsequently she dies anyway. How to catch a wild duck on a hook? First you need to choose a reservoir, which is popular with a large number of waterfowl. It will be excellent if a large snag lies motionless in it. If it is not, then even an ordinary stump will do. The hunter chooses the place where the maximum number of wild ducks remains for the night.
Previously, in the fishing store, he should buy a light but durable fishing line. The tackle should hold well on the surface of the water, but at the same time it will have to withstand the fluttering of a wild duck, which will try to save herself with all its strength. The hunter attaches several hooks to the fishing line, on which the bait is mounted. As a treat, small fish, corn, lard are suitable. The bait with fishing lines is fixed on the snag so that the duck could not swim away with the device. If the hunter wants to have maximum chances, then he can make several traps and arrange them throughout the pond. After he can only wait until the duck swallows the bait, then you can pick it up.
Catching
How to catch a wild duck? You can use a snare, but this method is suitable only for experienced hunters. A trap needs to be set near a lake or a swampy river where wild ducks have been seen before. Silks are left on the ground, and nearby are scattered bait: grain, small fish, corn. The hunter must understand that this method is quite complicated and requires vigilant control.
Soon, the ducks will swim ashore and become interested in the bait. The hunter must seize the moment when the bird rises with his foot in the snare and catch it. The duck will be alive, but its paw may break. Therefore, the bird is thus caught only for food. If a wild duck is needed for breeding, then a hunter is better off stopping at a less traumatic method.
Alcohol fishing
How to catch a wild duck with ducklings? With the help of bait, soaked in alcohol. This method was invented by hunters who wanted to catch as much prey as possible. Any bait is suitable: minced fish, small pieces of bacon, grain, bread crumbs. The hunter calculates the approximate number of ducks in the pond and buys alcohol. Usually about 2 liters of alcohol are consumed per 100 birds. The bait is impregnated with alcohol, and refreshments are scattered around the entire perimeter of the reservoir.
It is known that metabolism in ducks is faster than in humans. Inebriation in a bird occurs quickly, so in an hour the hunters can go for prey. Ducks caught using this method do not get any damage. Subsequently, this bird can be kept on its own farm and raised. How to catch wild ducks in large numbers? The method with impregnation of the bait with alcoholic drinks is perfect for solving this problem.
Fishing for lard
How to catch a wild duck if there are no devices? If the hunter has fat and a piece of rope, then this goal is quite attainable. The bird caught by this method is unlikely to survive, therefore, it is caught for further slaughter. But some experienced hunters managed to get out a duck, which later became a bait for drakes. Lard is tied to a piece of rope, then the structure is lowered into the water. Usually after 30 minutes, the duck swallows the bait.
After this, the hunter needs to watch out for prey. If he hesitates, the wild duck will break free and swim away into the wild. A hunter can set a lot of traps with lard on the lake, this will increase his chances of large prey.
Bare-handed fishing
How to catch a wild duck? You can do without any equipment and catch it with your bare hands. This method is usually used only by experienced hunters, since it requires knowledge of the psychology of bird behavior in various situations. In addition, the catcher can get serious injuries, as wild ducks will fight back.
If the female hatched the offspring, then when a person approaches, she will fly away. Thus, she will try to save her own children from death. It is most convenient to catch duck families by rivers with high banks. If the female flies away, the cubs will remain unprotected. At this time, the hunter catches the ducklings and carries them with him. The caught bird can be used for breeding, as it does not receive any damage.
Wild duck keeping
A wild bird always strives for freedom, therefore it is better to keep it in enclosures closed on all sides. The hunter should try to create conditions for ducks that will be as close to natural ones as possible. The rest of the wild bird is no different from domestic.
For ducks, it is advisable for the farmer to dig a pond, as they love to swim. Domesticated birds will spend most of their time here. Many ducks swim in water even in winter, provided that they do not freeze. In the cold season, the bird can be transferred to an insulated room. Ducks should be vaccinated in a timely manner and shown to the veterinarian at the first sign of ill health.