I used to detest the herons. Yes I've had some large valuable fish skewered too. But I won't apply for the $100.00 Fish and Wildlife permits or shoot them anymore. Why? There are nonlethal ways to discourage them and I would hope I'm smarter then they are. Killing them is only a short term solution until the next one shows up. It's like thinking you're going to eliminate flies by swatting them. It's just a never ending destructive process. And the process of eradicating them is wasted time i could be using for more productive endeavors. I also detest killing any amimal unless it's absolutely necessary. I guess I'm getting sentimental in my old age.
Additionally if you resort to just shooting them, most likely you will have one visit and do destruction when you're not around. I can assure you they can show up on a moonlit night while you're fast asleep. Been there done that.
My stakes and lines work for me 24/7. No dead birds, wasted time, and best of all no dead fish. I may even try and electric fence sometime.
If i was a recreational pond owner I wouldn't be concerned at all. I'd just enjoy their presence. Most of the time your larger healthy fish will be in too deep of water for them. Other than spawning time if a large bass or bluegill is hanging around in shallow water there is something wrong with them. Many times sick fish get speared by a heron and he gets the blame when the fish was on the way out anyway.
It's your smaller more abundant fish they are after. I once had a pond owner complain about the damn herons eating his fish, but in the same breath he complained about his stunted 3 to 5 inch bluegills. Go figure.
They eat snakes, mice, moles, and rats too. I started to have a problem with five star moles that hang around my waterline and do more damage than muskrats. And terrestrial crayfish that were digging up my yard. Guess what? After laying off the herons it seems their numbers are down.
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 06/11/10 08:22 PM.
