Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Cormorant (water turkey) Status

We witnessed cormorants in our fly-way as early as September when I first moved to this fish farm over five years ago.

Now we've only seen one this fall season, and he didn't stay long. Haven't even seen them flying overhead.

What are the rest of you reporting?

I was hoping to use a new control technique.....a large radio controlled Piper Cub with an over-sized 4-stroke gas engine and pond floats. I flew it last year, knocking the floats off the plane upon take-off when I ran out of runway...but ditching the floats and burning an aeronautic tank of gas before an emergency grass landing.

I was hoping for a super-youtube video. Am still crossing my fingers.

There are hundreds of them up here on the Arkansas River.

We haven't been seeing quite as many either, Todd. They hang out around Braunig and Calaveras lakes (south side of San Antonio) year-round, though, so I know it's only a matter of time.

I've seen a few around Fort Worth; none noticed around Bowie.

One landed Wed afternoon and met the .204 ruger. What a caliber!
I estimate several THOUSAND on the 2 'Power-plant' lakes so. of San Antonio. Drive 37 so. or hwy 181 any morning at daylight and they come off the lakes in groups of 20+.

I read this quote, and my bleary 5 a.m. eyes left out the "radio controlled" part, and I honestly thought Todd was describing all of this as him actually being in a full sized plane.

I know water turkeys are bad, but I thought Todd had entirely lost his mind!!!

Haaaaaa!

It's like Cody flying the space shuttle.

There seemed to be an unusually high number of them at lakes up here this summer. They seemed to be dropping sticks and pooping all over the canada geese nested on the ground below them on an island in a lake near my house.

Just an occasional single at my pond in South Centeral LA. He seems to have learned not to come at my regular visiting times, but I can tell he has visited. He leaves "evidence" on my floating deck the size of a dinner plate.

I haven't seen one on the pond all year. Perhaps they have learned that Bremer Pond is off limits due to a flying projectile infestation.

I've never seen one----but several GB Herons...

I saw 2 about a month ago, spooked them out of some brush 10 feet from me. I also "had" one last weekend when I was duck hunting on the pond. I am only out there once a week at most, so who knows what has been passing through. I was worried about them since I need to keep all the forage fish I can.

The cold fronts that have come through in the last week should push them towards their wintering grounds in TX, you guys in TX should see lots of them in the next couple of weeks. The temp here this morning dropped to 11 degrees and the small ponds I drive by on the way to work were completely frozen over for the first time this fall. Look out, they should be heading south now.

I've never seen one on my ponds. But of course never say never. I can assure you if I do I will start out with some lead shot persuasion and if that doesn't work...