Bad Ass Mama Duck vs Big Black Snake

As I write this, she sits on her nest, alone and eggless. It is a sad thing; none of her babies have ever made it. This time I had hope for her. She seems so sad and dejected.

A little bit ago I kept hearing what I thought was just another duck fight. It was odd because I didn't hear the wings slapping like usual. I got the flash light and the batteries were dead so I grabbed the other one. The duck was fighting alright, she was defending her nest, and from my window I thought it was a skunk. I grabbed the gauge and a couple shells and ran out bare footed. I was leery of sticking my head in the pen because I didn't want to get sprayed. It was my duck and she needed me so I did it.

It wasn’t a skunk; she had a huge snake by the neck and was fighting for all she was worth. Why hadn’t I acted sooner, she needed me? I aimed the flashlight and the shotgun at the snake. I pulled the trigger and only blew a small chunk out of the snake. It turned and came towards me. I cracked open the gun and popped in a new shell. I knew it was going to get under the trailer before I could get reloaded. I stopped, focused, and slid the new shell into the chamber and slammed it shut. I aimed and fired at the snake. I blew a huge chunk out of it but didn’t hit the spine. It was as good as dead but I still wanted to see it die. I put the butt of the shotgun on its head and grabbed its neck. I carried it out to the deck, cut a board on its head and pulled on the snake till its head came off.

I’m going back out; I’m going to take some of the eggs from the incubator out for her to sit on. If the snake bit her she could be sick. She looks ok from here and she is wagging her tail so I am hoping she didn’t get hurt too bad.

Update

I took the eggs out and made a little nest out of hay. She pecked at me of course, when I tried to pet her but she looked at me with a renewed sense of respect. One of the big male ducks looked at me the same way when I was leaving. It was as if I had moved from that annoying guy that brings the food to an equal, maybe even an honorary duck. Momma duck is standing over the eggs, I think she will accept them, she just needs some time to accept what just happened.

I guess we have another snake to hang on our wall of death.

Take care my friends and always keep the gauge handy, country or city, there are predators in both our worlds.