05/07/2026
About 2 weeks ago, Somerset had a flock of ducks move into the backyard. One might think that ducks are fun to watch and this is true.....but they also leave evidence behind of their presence and have not been kind to our Koi pond. Thus began the adventure of what to do with the ducks. I of course know nothing about fowl. One resident tried to convince me they were geese! So I started by calling Game and Wildlife to see if they could assist with our guests. The man on the phone told me the one officer for this area was busy until the end of July and to call back then! I asked to be put a on a duck removal waiting list. He laughed at me. His advice to me was to go and harass the ducks. Clap, make noise! Shoot them with the hose, buy a plastic coyote to scare them (tho be sure to move the coyote regular or they will lose their fear). He said put green light on the pond to keep them off or put a giant whale inflatable to float on the pond. So, I went out side and clapped and shooed them. 5 minutes in, I realized this was a waste of my life. We even tried running a noisy leaf blower. One duck loved it so much, she would glide on the wind of the blower. The man said the one thing you must never do is touch a wild duck or harm them in anyway. So it appeared they were there to stay for the foreseeable future. Then I ran into my college friend who is the agriculture teacher at Three Rivers Christian School. She raises cows and poultry and knows all things farm and fowl. Mariisa, she said, these are egg layers and she rattled off their breads. Domesticated ducks! I thought they looked to large to be wild, in fact they are down right chunky ducks. Well now. What does this mean? My educated guess is someone thought to themselves we have ducks, Somerset has a pond, therefore Somerset needs these ducks. In fact Somerset does NOT need ducks. Domesticated I asked? Yes she said. Now my friend Pam and another friend of hers are in the backyard catching those ducks. Its happens to be dinner time so the residents have some entertainment as they watch Pam and helper try their best to safely and carefully catch these fowl characters. I am happy to report the flock will reside on a farm full of cows and chickens and will have access to a garden with a lot of slugs. A happy ending to a ducky story.