Floating alligators don't work...save your money. Fake owls don't work either, at least on water turkeys. Neither do shiny flashing objects. Parking cars, trucks, or tractors on the dam doesn't phase them in the least. Fake human "scare crows", even those that flop in the breeze don't work. We are talking about a bird that will "pattern" your behavior so as to be present when you are not and not present when you are...seriously!
The only thing that works for me is constant vigilance with the real willingness to protect your fish. Visible, audible use of force timed to meet their arrival is required. I didn't say killing, but certainly the threat of same must be made very real to them...especially the scout birds. Once they get comfortable with your pond, they will return with more and more birds taking more and more of your fish.
If this scares you, it should...those that don't have these pests to contend with can easily sit back and criticize and claim over statements of the problem. How can a bird hurt your pond, they say? This bird eats 1.5 pounds of fish per day. They have attacked my place in numbers well exceeding 30 birds at a time. If you are not there to defend your property, do the math...50 pounds of forage and small game fish a day...how long will your pond last at that rate? Even just 10 birds can remove over 100 pounds of fish per week.
One pound of fish lost to them is one pound too many, for me.
