How to keep ducks off my raft??
 

I have a wonderful swim raft that seems to get covered every summer with droppings from visiting ducks. Has anyone ever used anything or have any tricks to keep them off the raft? I have grandkids who are old enough to use it now and it can get pretty disgusting. Help!!

Station a fox on board the raft :)

Big Lizard, anyway
 

A raft near me has a rubber Iguana on it—about 2-feet long. No ducks or duck droppings sighted on it...yet. :look:

We have used a plastic bobble head owl on our dock. To be effective you must move the owl every couple of days. But on a swim raft that probably isn't necessary as the raft will move and spin. The movement of the raft will also keep the bobble head moving. The plastic owl is very light. You have to put rocks in the bottom for stability.

The best way to keep ducks away is to NEVER feed them. Do those grandkids feed them a little bread now and then? If so, even a real owl would have trouble getting them to leave.

If ducks are spending a lot of time on your raft they have a food source near by.

The first thing that came to mind was to break out the shotgun! Duck for dinner any one?

Because you won't be able to completely prevent ducks from getting on the raft, try attaching an old metal bucket (so it sinks) to a rope and then to the ladder for the raft. Now when you need to wash the deck the bucket is available 24-7.:D

Duck!
 

http://www.gullsweep.com/images/updatedart/GS-1dims.gif

A Gull Sweep should work. Maybe it could be installed with some sort of a quick dismount feature for unrestricted use of the raft while you're there.

We've trained Mac to chase the ducks away. Maybe you need a dog too? :laugh:

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A WhirlyBird Repeller may be of interest also.

Help with seagulls and swim rafts! Thread

Bear Islander has exactly the right advice, A bobble head owl. I have seen this used many places around the lake. Bear Islander is the first person I have ever heard mention needing to move it around some. However as he mentions I would think the general motion of the raft would be enough. Sometimes even just a flag on the raft will help too.

But the biggest thing is to remove any possible food sources. As other have mentioned. Talk to your neighbors if they are feeding them etc. This is what attracts them to an area and causes them to stay there.

Now the last thought here is that your in one of the areas of the lake that is protect and doesn't see a lot of action. If this is the case the ducks are attracted do to the shelter of the cove or lee side of an island provides. In which case my suggestion is consistently scare them away. You have to make them feel unwelcome..... no along those lines.... get a dog like a spaniel or retriever... that will give chase.... The ducks will find a new relaxing spot....

The previous owner of my camp was actually featured in the news because of his habits of feeding the ducks when they passed the law to make it illegal. Once they passed the law, and Fish and Game gave him a strong verbal warning he stopped. Now As my aunt and uncle had the camp right next door we dealt with the mass gather of ducks every morning. Once the feeding stopped. And given the presence of our dogs... Including my Springer, who had a tasty snack one afternoon while we where out on the boat.... the ducks disbanded, and after about a month, the gathering was in the mornings was about 1/4 of the size. And by the next year it was not a problem any longer.

Now just a disclaimer here... The Springer had her tasty snack with out our approval. She was tied up in the yard. And a brave duck wondered up into the yard. Somehow she got it. We where not around, and wouldn't have let this happen. Now on the other hand... it is nature at its best.

We mount one of those mobile decorations on the raft, a plane with a propeller that spins, the plane turns into the wind. Haven't had a problem since. Before that we had a similar flying loon, whose wings spun - also worked. I screwed a mounting post to the side of the raft, so it does get in the way when we use the raft. If they do get up, they get off in a hurry when the propeller starts turning.

Maybe one of those pesky squirrels would help.
.

Put some cheetos on your neighbors swim raft. that outta keep them off yours. ;)

Ducks
 

I am Shocked and distressed with all this talk about how we can Deprive our feathered friends, of a place to rest their weary legs after paddling around hour after hour looking for a bite to eat... in this bad economy yet. Shocked. :look:

I'll bet this discussion would not even be taking place if the birds in question were our Magnificent Loons. :)

It's a shame there has to be such a pecking order, or superiority allotted to one creature over another. ;)




NOW: If these perpetrators were Pigeons.. well that's another story. :D NB

Whirly Bird repeller
 

One should be able to generate electricity with that thing. Dual purpose.

A real Cormorant and a fake Owl. The Cormorant was not impressed.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h3...Cormarant3.jpg

I do agree with Bear Islander though. A bobble head Owl that you move around every once in awhile, should do the trick.

When I was a kid, bug zappers were quite popular. My dad actually offered to buy one for the neighbor to attract all the bugs to his yard. It took the neighbor 2 days to figure out the motive and decline.:D

Between the militant squirrel idea and throwing Cheetos on the neighbors raft, I have some new options to consider. Thanks everyone :-)

Sometimes the old ways are the best ways.

Self Protection Against DUCKS
 

Another Option.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwuV0RGpnjA :D NB

Purchase TWO Fake Owls...
 

That's because there's only one plastic owl.

To keep bird numbers down on your dock, always use two owls, and place them so that they face one another.

:D

Try this site
 

AB you can try this site for ideas. I have used their products for commerical applacations with city birds (pigeons).

http://www.bird-x.com/page.html?chapter=0&id=14


Good Luck

I called Bart at Parafunalia and he mentioned he sells something like this.

http://www.birdbusters.com/pigeon_co...ent_boats.html

I may give it a try as I'm nervous about spray and stuff that might leech in to the lake...