Pa State Game Warden Mike Yeck said he gets about a dozen calls a year regarding waterfowl with fishing line entangling their feet.

Yeck said, “It’s usually geese more than ducks, probably because there are more geese where I patrol. I’m in an urban-suburban environment, and there are a lot of bird watchers and fishermen and people feeding geese and ducks. When you put people and waterfowl together, there are bound to be some problems.”

Despite fishing line disposal stations located at some lakes, Yeck often sees discarded monofilament or fluorocarbon on shore, posing a greater danger to wildlife.

Yeck stated, “Although some birds can still fly, swim and run while tangled with line and especially when they see a warden coming with a net, the damage can ultimately be fatal.”

He also said, “I’ve seen line wrapped so tight the leg loses blood circulation and atrophies, and then I get calls about a one-legged goose, it’s not what you would like to see.”

Yeck said he keeps topical antibiotics in his vehicle, but if an infection is advanced enough and the animal is obviously suffering, he may resort to euthanasia.

He recalled an incident. “I rescued a great blue heron, which isn’t easy because they have a lot of neck to them. It had a very bad infection from the line wrapped around its legs, and from that and the stress of handling, it died as I was trying to save it.”

He once spotted a duck ensnared with line and a hook in his bill, and a bald eagle with a treble hook stuck in its leg and trailing 10 to 15 feet of line. Line can wrap around birds’ necks or accumulate in their stomachs, leading to starvation and a slow agonizing death.

Monofilament is made of nylon or a mixture of plastics, and it can last 600 years in the environment before biodegrading. Fluorocarbon can take even longer.

Spokesman for the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Mike Parker said, “Littering with fishing line or another tackle is a summary offense punishable with a $75 base fine plus additional costs. The PA Fish & Boat Commission has hundreds of line depositories and recycling stations at lakes and access areas around the state.”

Parker said, “Where there are no depositories, anglers should take their line with them, noting that litter is one of the main reasons private property owners decide to post their land. Anglers who choose to litter, shouldn’t be surprised if their favorite fishing spot isn’t available next season because they didn’t take time to clean up their trash.”