We have one that visits nightly, after almost dark. I always thought they went to roost by the time this one comes in. Easy early evening snack I guess before retiring.
I don't mind them getting a fish now and then. But the fish I saw floated up to the bank today really made me sad. To be fair, I can not say for sure the GBH got it. Looks like a resident snapping turtle took a big bite out, but that could have been before or after the fishes death.
Do 12" snapping turtles actively attack 9" fish? I thought they were mostly scavengers. My guess is the GBH stabbed and killed this fish and the turtle started the clean up process.
The irksome part is this is by far the biggest fish to come out of my pond. Biggest BG caught to date is 6.5" and this RES measured 9". Both opercular tabs were gone but the coloration looked right to me for a RES and the gill raker's were very short.
Wouldn't you know it. The fish I have the least of in the pond and wanted to increase, and something (besides me and a fishing line) gets one of the biggest and best.
I guess the good news of the situation is, I now know I've raised at least one 9" RES in a little over a year from stocking 3" fish.
