Someone selling ducks for live bait training dogs to hunt?

[DaringDucks]

I honestly don't know how to formulate my thoughts around this, but I'll try. I saw an ad on my local classifieds of someone selling ducks to be used as live bait to train dogs to hunt. Having recently become a duck mom for the first time, I have a bleeding heart for them, and this ad felt like a punch in the gut. It sounds so cruel and, on a preliminary search, illegal?

Is there something I can do in this situation? My bleeding heart says buy all the ducks he has to save them from being used as live bait, but I can only afford a couple of the ducks (I believe he possibly has 8 in total). I worry if reporting him will result in the animals being put in a shelter or being put down.

Any advice is welcome!

 

[saysfaa]

I think it may not be what you think it is. Duck dogs are retrievers. They need to learn to stay calm and obedient until sent to retrieve - even when they can see, hear, and smell live ducks around them. And to not be distracted by live ducks when they go to retrieve. It will be important to people training the dogs that the dogs don't hurt the ducks.

 

[Jenbirdee]

you can call the authorities and report the ad to them, they can investigate , if it is illegal and the ducks go to shelter you can adopt them.
because if you were to buy all the ducks from this person, they could just get more
It sounds illegal because of the word bait I think the authorities might know

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

I saw an ad on my local classifieds of someone selling ducks to be used as live bait to train dogs to hunt.

Well... there are people buying ducks - generally drakes - in order to use them to train their dogs; yes...

(Indian Runners are renowed to be great to train herding dogs...!)

Not long ago, I have been contacted by some people who wanted to buy some of my Indian Runner drakes to train their herding dogs...
...They then asked me to sell them my ducks at below-cost price... or even to give them for free if possible : given the ducks were at risk of dying during the (dog) training, they (these people) really did not want to put their money in the ducks.

Having recently become a duck mom for the first time, I have a bleeding heart for them, and this ad felt like a punch in the gut. It sounds so cruel and, on a preliminary search, illegal?

I understand you so much...!!

But still : that's not because people are selling their ducks for dog training that they are actually acting cruel by doing so.

Indeed : when you get too much boys in your hatches, you often don't have any other choice than to get rid of them...
...and depending on a person's opinion : choosing to sell ducks to train dogs instead of butchering them for meat (for example) could actually be the kindest decision for these ducks...

Is there something I can do in this situation? My bleeding heart says buy all the ducks he has to save them from being used as live bait, but I can only afford a couple of the ducks (I believe he possibly has 8 in total). I worry if reporting him will result in the animals being put in a shelter or being put down.

Where de you live...?

If what he is doing is illegal there, then you can always report him if you want to...
...but first : if you really want to interven, I would strongly recommend you to go talk to him...!

You have your opinion, indeed - and it clearly comes from your love for ducks... but your empathy for these ducks should not put any kindness or understanding for your fellow humans into the backround.
After all : it is possible that, in this situation, there is actually NO right or wrong...

Any advice is welcome!

If you feel brave and/or curious enough : do talk with this person.
What you think may be different from what it is.

(Training dogs using ducks does not necessarily mean the ducks will be in danger.)

...But do you know what you also could do...?
Do take a picture of the add, and post it here : it would probably help up to help you.
...I mean... we don't have anymore details, so it is kind of complicated to have a clear, definitive opinion here...
(...Are the ducks sold to be cruelly butchered by dogs, or are they "just" sold to HELP train dogs - no danger for their health or their life...?)

In any case : your empathy for these ducks is respectable.
...Good luck.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I think it may not be what you think it is. Duck dogs are retrievers. They need to learn to stay calm and obedient until sent to retrieve - even when they can see, hear, and smell live ducks around them. And to not be distracted by live ducks when they go to retrieve. It will be important to people training the dogs that the dogs don't hurt the ducks.

I agree. Dogs aren't used to hunt live ducks. Not actually used to hunt ducks at all, just to retrieve them.
There's some confusion on someone's part here. Maybe theirs or maybe yours.

 

[Vicker]

I agree that the term "bait" is misused in the case of retriever training. It's not the same as baiting fighting animals.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

My uncle had bird dogs. They do not eat or “hunt” in the sense they are running down the animal and ripping it apart. After the bird has been shot it is their job to go out into the thick brushy fields, marsh or water and bring it back to the hunter.

 

[NanaK]

Years ago I rescued 2 retired bird dogs (English Setters) from our local pound. They were in danger of being quickly euthanized because they were older.

They ended up great pets. My neighbor had ducks and guineas that come over to our house everyday. All by bird dogs did was "point". They did not go after the birds.
They would also find wild rabbit babies in the summer and bring them to me. They had a very soft mouth and never injured any of them.

Later I had a rescued Labrador Retriever. His reactions were the same.

Bird dogs don't kill. They retriever at the owners command.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Years ago I rescued 2 retired bird dogs (English Setters) from our local pound. They were in danger of being quickly euthanized because they were older.

They ended up great pets. My neighbor had ducks and guineas that come over to our house everyday. All by bird dogs did was "point". They did not go after the birds.
They would also find wild rabbit babies in the summer and bring them to me. They had a very soft mouth and never injured any of them.

Later I had a rescued Labrador Retriever. His reactions were the same.

Bird dogs don't kill. They retriever at the owners command.

Ya years and years ago before I had good fencing and I free ranged mostly I had occasions with dogs coming and killing birds.
My closest neighbor took in two bird dogs and let them roam. I was thinking this isn't gonna be good. Over the next year or so they visited many times but never once killed, chased or tormented any of the birds.
They never pointed at them either though so maybe they weren't trained bird dogs.

 

[NanaK]

Ya years and years ago before I had good fencing and I free ranged mostly I had occasions with dogs coming and killing birds.
My closest neighbor took in two bird dogs and let them roam. I was thinking this isn't gonna be good. Over the next year or so they visited many times but never once killed, chased or tormented any of the birds.
They never pointed at them either though so maybe they weren't trained bird dogs.

My setters were older. I was told the hunters often turn old dogs into the pound. My vet said they had probably had a lot of pups in their younger years.

The first time the setters (Gretchen and Precious) brought me a baby bunny I was so shocked at how gentle they were. Gretchen dropped it at my feet. My first thought was oh no, not going to be good. Then I saw it was moving. It was wet and slobbery but not injured at all.
I used to love to watch them point.