Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction What did you do at your pond today?

Nutria is GOOD eating. The one time I had it, it was grilled as kebabs- pieces of meat on sticks & on the grill. Very, very tasty. Texture like very tender flank steak & a not dissimilar flavor. I submit that Cajuns started eatin' them things, 'cos they's hungry, but kept eating them because they were tasty.

Same if any of y'all have to remove a beaver. That's a goodly chunk of great meat. Haven't tried groundhog or muskrat yet. Older folks 'round here eat groundhog & based on my experiences eating other large rodents, I'd bet muskrat's pretty tasty as well.

I'm fond of squirrel and rabbit and have heard that beaver is good. So why not nutria? One rodent I have heard to avoid is the porcupine. Not just that they have quills but also that they smell really bad. I've never been close enough to smell one so I can't say.

Goundhog is delicious. The YOY are the best, very tender and reminds us a lot of rabbit. The mature ones we usually put in the crock pot and it reminds us of a lean beef roast. Very delicious either way.

I'll pass. Glad y'all enjoy them.

Where's catmandoo when you need him?

That guy would cook and eat anything!!

I remember he called catfish belly meat "West Virginia Lobster." And loved it.

This reminds me of the story my Dad once told of him and one of his buddies that used to spend a lot of time hunting together.. They had shot a Rabbit for a gent that had never tried it. He got back in touch with them and asked if they'd bring him another sometime... My Dad's Crazy buddy shot a feral cat in the middle of nowhere, cleaned and gave it to him. Several weeks had went by and I guess the guy had called one of them to say that Rabbit was way better than the first one...???....
I'm "guessing" there was alcohol involved...

I saw a big one bookin' across the pasture while I was mowing. Followed him to his lair under our little reefer box/outdoor storage thingy. I'ma git him. Thing's as big as our Dachshunds, so minimum 15lbs or so. I'm thinkin' either groundhog kebabs or maybe some carne asada whistlepig tacos.

Sorry, I was raised by grandparents who were dirt poor farm kids during the Depression, so growing up, there weren't too many critters that were off limits as table fare. I'm also a redneck prepper & adventurous eater. Hell, even bobcat's on the menu, should the opportunity arise. It's a lot like lean pork, just don't over cook it.

Back on track. Took a walk around the pond & had a look-see, now that things have dried up a bit. It's about 2/3 dug & full to the brim. Apparently, the spring we tapped was a strong one, as it stays full. Visibility's ~2', with a pea soup greenish cast to the water, so I'm hopeful my H2O will be good to go. I have one of those Pond Master test kits on the way, so I'll have a better idea what's going on. Can't wait to get 'er done & start growing some tasty sunfish.

The mallard tube tipped a bit more and our 55 mph winds finally tipped it into the drink. The eggs i had put back in fell out again. No saving them this time and the mallard hen has not been back to check on them as far as I can tell.

Tipped it up, added a steel stake for better support, restuffed it with dry hay and we'll see if another hen decides to use it yet this season or not.

Eggs have a neat greenish tint of color to them. Just a fuzz more oblong than a chicken egg

No need to apologize, Carl!

I wasn't raised by them, but certainly some of my best memories were from spending time with my "dirt poor farm kids during the Depression" grandparents.

As you said, not many critters were off limits for eating. My grandfather used to hunt rabbits with a thrown hammer. He said he was good for about one rabbit for every three tosses. We ate both rabbit and squirrel at their house growing up, even when food was plentiful. I think they both considered any "meat" a treat since in their younger days they had gone long stretches without it.

In addition to gathering critters, my grandfather knew where all of the pawpaw trees and sand plum thickets were down by the river to supplement the larder when in season.

He also used to noodle catfish in the river. He would never show us boys how to do that, and that was one of the few topics on which he clammed up under eager boy questioning. I believe he had a buddy drown while noodling based on something my grandmother told me years later.

Oddly enough, Rod, I came closer to drowning today than probably any other time in my life. Still hacking up pond water occasionally. Sheesh!

Added 25 lb fertilizer only to deeper parts of pond so as to encourage a bloom more than plant growth. Refilled feeders and was surprised to see how differently they distributed feed despite identical throw times & same pellets. One feeder was half full, one 3/5 full, and one was maybe 1/4 full.

Decided to check out goose nest to see how many eggs she had. Transfer from boat to end of island didn't go so well, as grass clod gave way & into the drink I went. Problem: I was still wearing the face mask I used while throwing fertilizer. Even though I'm a fairly good swimmer, and I fell in maybe two feet of water, I couldn't catch my breath. When wet, the mask prevented me from getting air. Whenever I tried to inhale, I got water down my nose & throat.

Would have been ridiculous to drown that way, so I finally realized the problem & tore off the mask. Sopping wet, with pond weed in my hair, I made quite a sight for my wife. She was both frightened & amused at my antics, as was the goose.

By the way, there were seven eggs. That knowledge was definitely not worth getting my wallet, cash, phone & clothes submerged.

Dang it!

Glad you came out of it OK!

I also had chills reading about Snipe's close escape from drowning when he was pinned under his ATV.

When planning my pond slopes, I was hyper-focused on the plant and algae areas and ease of pond management. I never once considered ensuring that my side slopes would facilitate a human being able to easily get out of the pond.

Fortunately, someone on Pond Boss added that reply to my planning thread. I have since noticed that someone adds it to most of the threads discussing the slope designs for a new pond.

Keep up the good work people! I come to Pond Boss to read about happy family adventures, NOT obits!

That was a close call Frank, I am so glad you're OK. Be vigilant and do not be hesitant to seek medical care if you need it.

Since Ken isn't posting much, I have to take up the slack for him.

Here's your recipes!! Enjoy!!

https://cantbeatemeatem.com/recipes/nutria/

I usually leave the wallet and phone in the truck when on the water in a pond..... Glad that everything turned out O.K.

Was the fertilizer the water soluble powder kind or the pellet type?

Here alone today. So I got to fish a little. My SMB are continuing to grow.
Had a 1.5” rain yesterday, so I have water going out the overflow pipe. Makes for a relaxing moment. After I let that guy go.

(19.5” I forgot my scale.) More rain coming tonight. Going to scare up some turkeys with my grandson tomorrow.

Better pic.
Also, I don’t know where all the frogs go, but we have thousands of bull frog tadpoles once again.

Nice fish!

I agree with RAH. That is just a gorgeous SMB as shown in the second picture!

Nice looking smallie. They are fun to catch!

Went to flooded timber upper end of pond with top water and caught 12 lmb to 4# most being over 2#. Had to horse them on surface to keep from hanging up in downed limbs and trunks. That was fun. Those Pop-Rs are fun to use

Surprised to find a 6" dead creek chub in one of our wetlands this morning. I threw a couple little ones in a few years ago, but assumed they would not survive since its maximum depth is only 4' when completely full, and maybe only 12-18" during summer droughts. The water is very clear though, except when the dogs get in. Maybe just died of old age?

RAH,

I am trying to determine which "creek species" of fish on my farm would also flourish in my ponds.

Do you think any of your creek chubs pulled off a spawn in your ponds? Do you think any of your other species of small creek fish were able to establish populations in your ponds?

I would like to utilize indigenous forage fish to supplement the initial FHM forage in my ponds. I am even considering a small forage pond where I could start with a few brood stock from the creek and then transfer forage to the main pond after the population explosion.

I can manage almost every habitat need in the forage pond, EXCEPT moving water, so any advice on dual environment forage fish would be greatly appreciated. (From RAH, or anyone else too.)