Okay, readers, I need you to find the comment button at the bottom of this blog and tell me: WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
I’m pretty careful to keep the boat dock and boats cleaned out and monitored closely to keep unwanted critters out. But with the crazy weather and my busy retirement schedule the past 10 days, I have not been out in the fishing boat.
When I went down to get some fishing baits out of the boat Sunday afternoon, I was met face-to-face by a flapping Mallard Hen (I haven’t been that close to a duck since December when my son tried out the Triple Threat Duck Commander call he got for Christmas). This she-duck was taking off from between the trolling motor foot pedal, anchor rope and a tackle box on the boat’s front fishing deck. When my heart started beating again, I noticed she had also left me a gift — 20 or 30 tail feathers and seven fresh duck eggs. Count ’em.
So now, what do I do? I mean, I want to go fishing in the next couple of days and I don’t think they are going to hatch out and fly the coop that quickly. I don’t think she’s going to want to ride along, either. Besides, knowing it’s a mallard hen, I face a legal dilemma — if they all hatch out at once, that’s seven ducks not counting the hen. Hey, Jack, that’s ONE OVER the limit!!!!!
So, I’m asking for YOUR advice. What should I do? I’m waiting to hear from you.
lake darbonne life 
Linda — I am afraid to do that, too! I had a neighbor do that and squirrels “squirreled” their way in the boat, ate out some of the seats and hid nuts in them! As an UPDATE to the “what to do” question, I followed PPJ’s suggestion and moved the eggs into a box in the boat. Tomorrow I am going to move them out to the dock itself about two feet away from where they are now. We’re still at seven eggs…
Posted by darbone1 | May 7, 2013, 12:369:48 pmRemember to start putting a cover on your boat.
Posted by Linda P Davidson | May 7, 2013, 12:369:30 pmWe all know you are gonna eat them. I had a wren do the same thing, I fished from the bank until they were gone.
Posted by Si | May 6, 2013, 12:369:40 amOver easy? Omelets?
Posted by Emil Turner | May 6, 2013, 12:369:08 amtime for a duck egg omelet.
Posted by albert chandler | May 6, 2013, 12:369:00 amPut a box with some straw in it and transfer the eggs to it. Leave it in the same place on the boat for a couple of days and then move off the boat to the dock and leave it there. she will continue laying several more eggs and set the eggs till hatched. Worked on Toledo Bend.
Posted by ppj | May 6, 2013, 12:3612:34 am