'Sport' a gruesome aftermath for ducks of Navesink River
Gunning on the Navesink River has ended for the year. It has been 10 days since the last shots were fired. One would think that in the ensuing silence all would be peaceful … and yet as I stepped out the door yesterday, curled up in the middle of the lawn was a tiny black and white bufflehead duck. His limp little body, still warm, was riddled with duck shot and somehow in his final efforts to survive he had made his way onto our lawn.

I had never seen one of these sprightly visitors from the arctic up close. I have always admired these tiny ducks with their penguin markings from a distance. They mark the real beginning of winter with their arrival and are a sure sign that spring is on the way once they depart. Not long ago, thousands would find their way here each year but now only a handful seem to make the journey. The thought of this bird struggling for so many days blinded by duck shot is difficult to dismiss. Other ducks, wounded but too far out on the ice to help, flounder until they too slowly slip away.

It is hard to understand how anyone could want to use these harmless visitors for target practice. There is no meat on their bones worth eating. As I placed the bird in a trash bag, I realized that averting one's eyes and keeping silent is not always a choice. What is "sport" for some results in a gruesome aftermath for others.

Anne Goldberg

Fair Haven