Get Those Ducks Out of MY Pond!
The first thing people usually ask about our new home is "How much land do you have here?" Well, our houses sit on one acre. We have another acre behind us that doesn't belong to us and then we own 16 acres behind that. That's on the east side. We lease 413 acres to our north and 343 acres to the south. The west side, in front of the houses, is the road and part of a deer lease. We are the only people who live on the 1 mile long road, and we live at the very end of it. In addition, a neighbor has dairy cattle on the property to our northeast, and the other properties around us are unimproved, unfenced, and wooded.Our dairy farmer neighbor has two ponds (stock tanks) on his property where we like to do some bass fishing. There is a dam between the two ponds. In the fall and spring we get ducks on those ponds. It's a resting spot on their migration route. Manny has enjoyed visiting those ponds on hot summer days and considers them to be his own private swimming holes. Imagine the surprise a city dog feels when his "turf" is suddenly invaded by hundreds of ducks.
One evening this fall we took the fishing gear, hopped on the 4-wheelers and went to the ponds. Manny came along for the run and the skinny dip. We knew there were ducks from a previous trip, so we stopped behind a hill and walked to the top.
Ducks are extremely wary creatures and the sight of three humans topping a rise so close to them always sparks a mass take-off. Mann was with us and when the cloud of ducks burst from the pond, he started and fell back a couple of steps. Then he started the whine. He watched the ducks rise into the air, drool ran freely from his mouth. The eyes glazed, the ears stood almost straight up. The ducks circled, Mann whined. The ducks circled again, decided we weren't leaving, and took off for a third pond about 1/4 mile away.
We returned to the bikes while Mann gazed into the distance. We took our favorite spots and began the hopeless task of pullin bass out of a pond in cool weather. After a bit, Mann forgot about the ducks and got down to the arduous task of walking across a 20 foot deep pond without getting wet. It usually takes him three or four tries, but he finally gets in and swims around. He reminds me of a hippopotamus. He sort of floats around from stump to log, kicking off them to get a good forward movement.
After about 30 minutes, a few brave ducks return to the lower pond where Mann is swimming. He can't handle it. He starts the whine, he's in the water. His head goes under. He comes up sputtering and heads for the bank between the two ponds. On dry land, he whirls and challenges the invaders. They ignore him and continue their duck duties of ridding the pond of whatever creatures they can find. Mann leaps into the water, swimming furiously for the ducks. They see him coming and graciously move away from his swimming area. Manny pauses and sights in again. They swim away. There are now about 30 ducks in the pond. I realize that as hard-headed as Mann is, he will drown himself trying to catch the ducks. I leave my fishing and walk to the lower pond and call him. He ignores me, he is too busy trying to catch the ducks.
I use my "ugly dog" voice and Mann reluctantly swims toward me. A duck swoops in and lands just to his right. His attention is immediately diverted and I am forgotten. Luckily, the duck has landed in a shallow. Mann is now on his feet. Unluckily, the duck must be young, he heads for the bank. Mann's belly is now out of the water and he puts those long, powerful haunches into gear. Looking for all the world like a bucking bronco, he leaps for the duck. The duck swims faster, spreads his wings, walks on the water a few paces, and effortlessly lifts himself from the surface. Mann is so shocked, he rocks back onto his haunches. The duck reverses his direction to avoid the trees and soars about three feet over Mann's head. Mann reaches for the duck, he rises from the water on his back legs. The huge jaws open, straining for the hapless duck. The jaws snap shut with a crack like a rifle shot, the mighty hunter has lost!
I don't think I have ever seen Mann in such a state. He is excited to the point of hysteria. He turns in midair and lands on all fours. He takes three mighty leaps and is back in deeper water. I call him again in my ugly voice. He swims another foot, then turns and looks at me. He looks back at the duck that is disappearing over the trees. His ears droop, his chin sags into the water, his tail disappears beneath the surface. He turns and swims to me. I realize that this is no place for a dog during duck season.
I seldom leave Mann out long enough to roam as far as the ponds on his own, but.....
One morning I let him out and sat on the couch to wait for him to come back. I fell asleep. Mann woke me an hour later by whining at the door. Imagine my surprise at the duck he had in his mouth. Even around the duck, I could see the triumphant doggy grin. It quickly turned to shock when I did not let him bring his new toy into the living room. I took the very dead duck from his mouth. I have no idea how Mann managed to catch the little duck. She wasn't torn or bloody, so she probably died from shock or was crushed.
I don't know how Mann got through the fence to get to the pond, IF he did. Maybe he caught the duck on our own property. We do have creeks. I did decide that duck season is not a time to let him out by himself.
