Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Ducks on the pond

Would you try to keep ducks off your pond ? I know they eat fish but the ones on my pond are small - wood ducks, mallards,etc. Should someone worry about them eating your small bait fish?

I encourage wild ducks on my ponds.

Mallards and woodies will eat fish given the opportunity although they aren’t very efficient at catching them. Mergansers and a few other diving type ducks almost exclusively eat fish. I doubt that mallards and woodies would negatively impact your fish population from predation. Thanks.

Bryan

I think we had strange weather in the Central Flyway this year.

I usually see them in Kansas around Thanksgiving when they have ridden down from the northern states on the winds of the early cold fronts. We didn't have much in the way of cold fronts until the start of December. I have not seen any at our place all winter. I suspect they travelled a little off their preferred routes this season.

Pat, hopefully your lack of woodies this year was a weather effect, and not due to habitat reduction at your place. Fingers crossed that they come see you next fall/winter!

I don't mind ducks especially during duck season but pulling up to pond and seeing 60 + canada geese is another thing. The last time it happened the water was nasty for a solid week.