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Old 08-29-2018, 06:45 PM   #1
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Ducks on Swim Platform

Recently, a family of ducks have decided to spend their evenings on my swim platform with the inevitable results. The boat is on a mooring. I tried the Owl decoy and that seemed to work initially, but now I'm afraid they have accepted his presence.
I'm thinking of some kind of transom netting.

Anybody find something that works?
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Old 08-29-2018, 06:58 PM   #2
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Recently, a family of ducks have decided to spend their evenings on my swim platform with the inevitable results. The boat is on a mooring. I tried the Owl decoy and that seemed to work initially, but now I'm afraid they have accepted his presence.
I'm thinking of some kind of transom netting.

Anybody find something that works?
Ducks love my marina neighbour swim platform too, they are so cute, and fortunately they prefer HIS swim platform

!
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Old 08-29-2018, 07:02 PM   #3
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Friends in Ft Myers hooked up a lawn sprinkler to a motion detector. Took a while but the ducks eventually got the message.
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Old 08-29-2018, 07:11 PM   #4
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Friends in Ft Myers hooked up a lawn sprinkler to a motion detector. Took a while but the ducks eventually got the message.
Odd,remembering the expression "like a duck to water"?
Over here, one name for a swimstep is a "duckboard".
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Old 08-30-2018, 06:09 AM   #5
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Christmas tinsel garland strung across the platform worked for me. And looked appropriate in December!
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Old 08-30-2018, 07:44 AM   #6
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Is someone locally feeding them? We had a huge problem with ducks on the marina dock for a few years. Ducks were everywhere around the marina and frequently on the docks at night. This year, a boat that had been there for 10 years didn't come back. Low and behold, we have a significant (75-80%) reduction in ducks and duck crap on the dock.

It turned out the lady on the boat that didn't return was feeding them.
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Old 08-30-2018, 07:52 AM   #7
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Go by a construction site and ask for the proper length of the orange construction fence. Hang across swim platform and tie to stern cleats . Stopped my problem, and the ducks moved on to the next boat. Several boat have it on the stern in my canal
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Old 08-30-2018, 08:38 AM   #8
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Orchard netting worked for me. Once you train them not to go there they find another favorite place so the netting does not need to be permanent.
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Old 08-30-2018, 08:39 AM   #9
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Get a cat or Jack Russell terrier. They work great on keeping otters away too.
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Old 08-30-2018, 09:45 AM   #10
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Been there, cleaned that up.

Deer netting from the local home improvement store worked for us. Tied it to the stern rail and let it droop over the edge of the swim platform. The nice thing about it is that from a distance you hardly notice it. Crushes into a small bundle for stowage when we are underway.

Good Luck,

Gene
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Old 08-30-2018, 10:19 AM   #11
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I've got a Cajun solution....Name:  duck.jpg
Views: 900
Size:  10.1 KB
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Old 08-30-2018, 10:35 AM   #12
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I like the cajun solution
16 more days and I will have some teal in the pot


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I've got a Cajun solution....Attachment 80303
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Old 08-30-2018, 10:36 AM   #13
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Recently had that same problem....What worked was a Plastic Eagle with a motion sensor on it that would make some predatory sound and the eyes would light up red when triggered. I lthink it was $20 on Amazon. Not really a very high quality item, but it worked like a champ to scare off the ducks. Solar powered too so would be great for a mooring situation..

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Old 08-30-2018, 01:02 PM   #14
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I've got a Cajun solution....Attachment 80303
I've been waiting for this solution.
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Old 08-30-2018, 03:05 PM   #15
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Ducks here favor a neighbor's swim platform. Fortunately, mine folds up.
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Old 08-30-2018, 04:07 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shrew View Post
Is someone locally feeding them? We had a huge problem with ducks on the marina dock for a few years. Ducks were everywhere around the marina and frequently on the docks at night. This year, a boat that had been there for 10 years didn't come back. Low and behold, we have a significant (75-80%) reduction in ducks and duck crap on the dock.

It turned out the lady on the boat that didn't return was feeding them.

I've never seen anybody feed them. They come back after dark.


I'm headed towards netting.
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Old 08-31-2018, 07:36 AM   #17
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Ducks go well with potatoes and carrots too. Suggested with a white wine.
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Old 08-31-2018, 10:47 AM   #18
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A neighbor floats a couple of these behind his platform. I keep one that I randomly move from hanging behind the dinghy to from the flybridge. Seems to keep them away.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QUWTS0

At home I have some of these hung from 3m outdoor decoration hanging hooks. Again, moving them now and then to avoid the birds getting used to them.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F92LB2/
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Old 09-02-2018, 10:02 PM   #19
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I have heard from a friend that a .22 cal subsonic short makes a fairly quiet "pop" and easily converts most eatable waterfowl to the Cajun pot-style dinner.
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Old 09-02-2018, 10:09 PM   #20
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At our marina Christmas Party some wag laid a breadcrumb trail leading into an open Meridian 341. Ducks went inside but struggled to get out,wingspan looked surprisingly impressive when one tried to exit thru the cockpit clears.
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