Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations My butt continues to be kicked by this bird!

Been watching diligently for the GBH that stays just out of shotgun range that I probably tickled with pellets a few days ago. He continues to make me look like Wily coyote and he's the road runner. I even had him croak at me as he flew over one day instead of the road runner's beep beep.

Anyway, I have been up at the crack of dawn watching out of the guest bedroom window, and during the last hour of light before it gets dark the last four days. Nothing! Even peek out the blinds several times a day whenever I head up stairs out of the shop for some reason. Nothing!

Now keep in mind I am doing everything possible to discourage this bird nonlethally, which includes staked lines all the way around the pond he is hitting on, along with staked lines all around the pier I have my perchlight on. And for those of you that don't know I did spend $100.00 to get a federal permit for the "final solution."

Well went out around midnight to check on the perch belt feeder. Guess what I flushed out that was standing on the power cord to the perch light? You guessed it! (There is a drop to the water of about 4 feet there so I couldn't see him until I was right on him.) I never thought about the damn powercord. It's now mostly in the water so none of that sheet again.

Went back in the house and got the shotgun and waited in the dark for over an hour. He didn't come back.

The game between man and beast continues!

Well it's 1:47 A.M. I need to go to bed.

Why am I hearing the song "I'm all right!" from the movie "Caddieshack"??

"If you want to catch a heron, you've got to think like a heron. And, if necessary, look like one."

Cecil, I am currently being outsmarted by a Groundhog. You have my sympathy.

Yeah I thought about Caddieshack myself a few times. Eventually he won't be "all right." He will screw up eventually.

So what am I supposed to do Theo -- wear stilts and dress up in feathers?

As far as the groundhog you need to go into Bill Murray mode!

Cecil,have you thought about small land mines? Just kidding

I never knew that GBHs fed at night.

Cecil, you should get a Mountain Lion. I bet that would take care of things.

Yes IED's as a matter of fact.

Well the artifical light probably helps although I have seen them on my big pond during a full moon night. I also heard from a fish farmer they are very adaptive and will feed at night if it's productive.

Cecil, How about using some electric fence wire connected directly to 110v? Place it where you know the heron will be in water.

What if I forgot to turn it off during the day and my dog made contact in the water?

What if you forgot it was there and YOU made contact?

And most likely that WOULD happen! I have one of those infared scarecrows you hook up to a garden hose that blasts any movement in the vicinity. Do you know how many times I forgot to turn the water off when I went out on the pier? Did you know you can't get away fast enough when you realize you screwed up?

.22 rifle

could make the shot from your house with ease.

.22 Win. Mag. rifle, payback time, just watch from the house...one shot, one kill. If you REALLY hate that bird, do the same thing with a .223 and 'puff' him If he's only feeding at night, I'll loan you my .223 with a night vision Gen III scope, I hate coyotes & raccoons like you hate GBH.

Officially can't use a rifle according to my federal permit. I think the bird knows that. LOL Got houses around me too within 200 yds.

A friends says #4 buckshot will go up to 100 yds. with a .12 guage. Is he right? He says there are about 42 of them in a shell and it's like 42 .22 bullets. That sounds soooooooooooooooooooo gooooooood!

Cecil, with # 4's, if you took a shot at that bird flying, the shot will go a LOT farther than 100 yards. On the other hand, it you aimed just right at 100, your shot would not kill the bird, but still may be effective and keep him away.

You need to wait for the right opportunity where you can sneak up behind a pond enbankment. Being a weekend, I would get up at the crack of dawn, watch for him while posting on PB, then try to sneak up the slopes to get a shot. GOOD LUCK! They learn very fast don't they

Why the difference?

Keep in mind I'm talking about buckshot # 4 not birdshot # 4.

Cecil, IIRC birdshot will travel 300 yards easy. #4 buck would likely go notably farther.

Update:

It appears I knocked some feathers off of the bird. There's a big chunk of them laying in the water.

No bird showed up this morning or this evening. Just like Anold I know he'll be back though.

Cecil I use #4 buck to dispatch beaver. If you hit the bird in the body (4 buck will go 200 yards)it is history.

Well I have to pick up some fish at my Bait & Tackle pick up drop off points today. Hopefully the one that sells ammo will have it.

Was up at the the crack of dawn again this morning. No GBH yet, but I did scare off a couple of Green Herons in the front pond.

With this in mind,are you sure you want to consider IEDs?

I am having a problem with the big birds also. I have been down for about 3 days and I lost at least 3 nice sized fish and some smaller ones also. I need to get rested up and get my shotgun out. I keep a 22 and a 410 at the back door ready to go. This morning I looked out the window and I did not see anything and when I went out there was a dark colored large bird that I did not see. I guess I have bad eyes but these birds are getting too many fish. I wish someone had the answer to this problem but from all I read is just keep an eye out and shoot the birds. I need Cecil since he gets up early, these birds learn if you sleep late and they come in for breakfast.

.223 with a sound suppressor can, of course with properly obtained ATF stamps etc. The process is easier than you think, wait time is 2-4 months. The quality of cans varies greatly, the better ones have tremendous suppression capacity.

Benefits:

1. round accountability in the urban neighborhood, v. the golden pellet that might get away from #4 bs

2. much greater accuracy and stable shooting platform

3. greater distance for the stalk, alleviating the possibility of being detetcted by the bird prior to shot

4. satisfaction of watching the bird explode silently