Every year we would have a duck decide to come down the chimney, slip past the damper and make it's way into the fire box. I always took a sheet, opened the doors and grabbed it. Opened the downstairs door and sent it on it's way.

After 6 ducks i put a cap on the chimney, problem solved.

I hope if you fling the doors open and grab it, it's a duck lol

WS

You could always sell tickets to watch you open it up. It could turn out to be very entertaining.
Tom

A little while after I made the original post we heard some commotion in there, now it's been quiet for a couple hours. Maybe whatever it is is plotting......

Moosetrot

Maybe as entertaining as when a bat was fluttering around our house about a week after I had my first hip replacement. With my wife shrieking in the background, I was clattering around the house in my underwear with a walker, carrying an antique trout net trying to nail the little bugger.

Moosetrot

Maybe the cresote breaking loose and falling down? If I haven't brushed mine enough it sounds like a squirrel sliding down the chimney. My exposed pipe, I wait until no fire, whack it with the poker and listen to the cresote fall down. Then scoop it out.

Only an idiot would burn an animal alive, knowing it can't climb back out.

It's either a bird or squirrel, neither is too difficult to remove.
For a site full of outdoorsmen, some of you make me SMH.

Tome out! This is a democracy! I vote for this!!!! Camera please!

You ain’t got a hair on them kiwis, moose trot! Lol.

I will deal with the monster in the morning!



I know it is not creosote. I am kind of OCD about keeping my chimney clean.



I just don't want some soot-covered critter scrambling around, flying, or otherwise raising hades in my house. Besides...he might try to bite or peck me in the kiwis.

Moosetrot

Lol! I’ll pitch in a dollar. Who’s in with me!? Lol. I wouldn’t do it either.

I'ts probably not a legal method to take a duck, but it really seems like if a duck volunteers to that extent, it should be present in a prominent position at dinner.

Keith

Well, all's well that ends well! The dang thing was scratching in the chimney as soon as the sun came up this morning. Wife not happy. Stoked myself up with plenty of coffee, closed all the bedroom doors, opened up the front door, and faced the beast. Put my trusty trout net over the stove door and the battle commenced.

It was claw and beak for a while and I was not sure how the whole situation would turn out. It took all I had to wrestle him out of the stove and into the net. The beast seemed to sense he had been vanquished by a mightier foe and gave up....until I released him in the front yard. It was the happiest, fastest flying Catbird
I have ever seen.

Given the skills, strength, courage, and prowess I displayed during battle, I am quite sure that children will sing songs about the great warrior around the campfires...or woodstove.

Moosetrot

LOL

I'm glad things turned out well for you.

It is never a good idea or a humane act to light a fire in a chimney or fireplace to see what happens. I am surprised there are folks on here that really consider such things. Animals and birds make mistakes. Their curiosity of that dark hole gets the better of them more then some of us know. I hope some will use better judgement and reconsider in the future as has already been stated.

I have had many customers over the years kill a family of raccoons, squirrels, ducks and owls by doing such things. Consumers I would expect such behavior but not from seasoned outdoorsman.

Great followup and congrats on conquering the intruder!

A video of the Epic battle sure would have been fun to see...err...educational.

That's awesome Moosetrot, thanks for the laugh!

Those are really neat birds. One year I had them in my chimney. I let them be, but the next year I put a screen cap on so they couldn't get in.

Pure warrior stuff right there Oden would be proud!

Before sealing off my cap I used to get enough starlings coming down the pipe every spring that I never had to clean my pipe. They always did it for me.