Why not just leave the poor ducks alone? Well, there are actually many good reasons to intervene to so that the Ocracoke Mallard duck population reverts back to a healthy level. The flock has been estimated to be between 300-500 individuals - they are no longer acting wild, staying in Ocracoke for the winter and eating processed or human food. I just noticed a new family behind my shop...so add 24 more!
The Mallards have become a nuisance and health hazard. Some of our residents can no longer garden or allow their children to play outside. Think 300 defecating ducks in your yard.
A good description of Mallard ducks, their habitat and behavior:
http://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Learning/documents/Profiles/mallard.pdf
From the North Carolina Wildlife Organization
Published by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, this booklet is helpful in understanding why it's harmful to feed any wild animal:
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/habitat/wild-in-the-woods/feeding-wildlife-food-for-thought.pdf
In a memo dated December 10, 2015 David Howard, Director of Public Health, Hyde County recommended "a significant reduction in potential exposure of humans to such duck fecal matter by whatever means deemed necessary and prudent for the purpose of greatly reducing the risk of disease transmission to adults, children and immune compromised individuals." Howard listed the following links which are quite interesting:
Ducks: The Trojan Horses of H5N1 Influenza
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2749972/
Swimmer's Itch
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/swimmersitch/faqs.html
An article in the New York Times about the role of ducks and other waterfowl in spreading Avian Flu (thanks Connie Lienbach for sharing)
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/17/magazine/the-looming-threat-of-avian-flu.html?smid=tw-share&_r=1
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