I know you are right Pat. I just don't like them, I have seen a few nice bg dead with what appeared to be heron strikes. Fish way too big for them to eat. I prefer to discourage them.
If you do a youtube search CMM for great blue heron eating fish or swallowing fish you might be surprised how big of fish they can eat. They can eat some pretty big fish.
I also find the occasional fish killed from a heron strike and also catch some that have had strikes but recovered.
I don't think I could get rid of them completely if I wanted other than doing something illegal and today with the civil forfeiture laws, being a federal law being broken, they might end up with my farm. It is my understanding that anything being used in the commission of a federal felony crime is subject to seizure. Guns, 4 wheelers, boats, pickups. Even heard of a house being seized. So I shy away from federal crimes.
GBH eating Looks like a big sunfish Eating full grown duck 
