The Rise And Decline Of The Olympia Oyster 



DUCKS 



Some kinds of ducks are also fond of oysters, and the 

 Olympia Oyster, due to its small size, causes it to 

 say "You are my oyster." Although I have seen them 

 swallow full grown oysters, yet they prefer the smaller 

 seed oyster, or better yet, the single oysters that have 

 been put back on the beds after the larger ones have 

 been culled out for market, and the smaller ones, mostly 

 single oysters, put back to grow. I have seen large flocks 

 of these ducks, often watching from a distance the spread- 

 ing of these culls, fly to the spot where the oysters had 

 been re-planted. By the time the oyster grower had ar- 

 rived at his culling house with the scow or float from 

 which the culls had been spread, the ducks would have 

 arrived at their new feeding ground and disappeared in 

 the water. They would come up with an oyster in their 

 bills, swallow it with a gulp, then dive down again for 

 another. 



The losses to the oyster growers becam.e very heavy, 

 and a problem. These predators were mostly "Scooters" a 

 duck commonly known as a "coot". They were not gen- 

 erally used as food, as the flesh had a strong fishy taste. 

 But the "Blue Bill" which was classified as an edible 

 duck, or a game bird, also was fond of oysters. Hence, the 

 game authorities prevented the shooting of any ducks, 

 even in protection of our own property. 



Finally, the oyster growers of Olympia Bay came to 

 an agreement with the Game Warden that if the oyster- 

 men would employ a patrolman who would only shoot to 

 scare the ducks away from the oyster beds he would co- 



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