Lucky ducky

[BLACKJACK]

Took Friday off and was out working my food plot, wanted to finish it up before the rain, and what do I see running along the edge of the field? A baby duckling!!! Me off my tractor in a flash, off after him, he saw me coming and ran into the weeds and stinging nettles at the edge of the field. I spy him at the far side of the weeds, I'm after him again, he ducks under a dead branch nad under some dead leaves and grass, with a little digging I grabbed him. Peep, peep, peep, its a little merganser. Now what to do?

I proceeded to look around that area, no hen. Then I walked toward the closest pond about 80 yards away, I had seen a hen wood duck with duckies a few days before, if nothing else this little merganser was going to become a wood duck. Got to the pond, no brood. Started walking around the pond and out underneath a overhanging branch swam a hen merganser with three new borns!!! I walked to within 20 feet of her, shes making racket, flapping around, and I launched little merganser at the pond edge. Last I saw he was catching up with the brood.

Starting to see more broods, looks like the ducks are having a good nesting year.