Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Cormarant deterrents?

Has anyone had any luck using cormarant deterents? I was thinking specifically about the floating gator or some similar such piece of equipment.

You can shoot them in Texas and all you need is a permit. I think you can find it on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

propane cannon works in some cases. Shoooting is best method. However permit is a ridiculous $100 now and they limit how many you can kill.

Chad,

I purchased a propane cannon for that very purpose, but have never fired it. Being located on the property is the best deterent and I no longer need the cannon...anyone can have it for what I paid for it..just PM me, if interested.

Greg, I got a permit in Texas for only $12 year before last and it was unlimited "harvesting". The only requirement was for documentation of how many were harvested.

For some unknown reason, for which I'm very grateful, the water turkeys have just about disappeared from our place. Only one last year and only one so far this year and the season is about over.

Saw 1 yesterday, gave him a BIG Texas welcome. I suspect he has decided to move on...

: )

I had Merganzers, which are the pacific north-west's inland version of the Cormorant. They are VERY smart, AGGRESSIVE and tough as nails. Shooting them in the face at point-blank range was the only way, until I laid down on a piece of plywood and had my wife sketch my body. I cut out a life-size "scarecrow" and dressed it up with real clothes, even making a wire loop to hold a cap pulled over his face. I even put a piece of black plastic pipe in "his" hands, making like a gun. I secured him with a t-post in the ground. It works SO well that even my friends ask "who's up on the pond bank?" And no Merganzers at all now.

DC I think we need to see a pic of that scarecrow. Mergansers smart, now you might have another subspecies but the hhoded variety here are the dumbest ducks ever. I love the though b/c they decoy so dang well. ML let me know how much for the propane cannon I might be able to help you recoup the money. I guess although USFWS has authority over these birds they turn over regulation to each state. here in GA/SC permit is $100 and only allow certain numbers to be killed. This is a total joke and another example of big gov't not handling a simple as it should be handled.

Greg, I'll check for the receipt...but rather than money, I'd actually prefer fish in a trade...a couple of hundred $ worth of fish from someone off this site...either a specially good strain of BG and/or some especially good LMB genetics.

Greg,

You need to do what all the fish farmers do up my way. They get a permit for say five herons a year. They keep shooting them until they are down to five. Then they start recording.

I've got the go ahead to file for a permit to take out one heron. (Had to get permission here just to apply for the permit) :rolleyes: My first year I apply (this year) the permit fee went from $10.00 to $100.00. They said to apply ASAP as it takes a few months to get the permit. Trouble is I don't have the $100.00 right now.

GG: We are on the road right now, but we will be home again at the end of this month. (We drive long-haul, contracted to the DOD, keeping the world's ponds safe... ) I'll get a pic of "Henry", our scarecrow, and start a new topic with scarecrow pictures. And yes... MY Merganzers are pretty smart, but they weren't until after man-with-stick-that-has-fire limited many of their life spans. At first, they just swam away rather arogantly. Now? If they even spot me looking at them from the livingroom window, they are GONE...

Cecil one landowner siad if limit is 20 he will make sure to nto have more than 20 died on the water at one given time,

DC look forward to that. Yep you got them scared alright.

Chad I have used the Gator before with some success but this scarecrow sounds even better. Training these birds with your shotgun and then putting up the scarecrow sounds like a great idea! Where in Whitesboro is your pond?

I might someday be behind bars but I just don't worry about the legality of eliminating problems on my property.

James, Chad works for Lusk.

Let's all give em a reason to be on the threatened species.

I hadn't really thought about it, but yeah,,, Shooting the Merganzers for a week or 2, and THEN putting a fake "me" out there with a simulated 'shotgun' did the trick, 'cause the pair of honkers still come in and are comfortable out there. Like I said, the Merganzers even see a peep of me and they are outta there! Though, since the scarecrow, I haven't seen a single one.

Winchester supreme 3.5 in mag in BB or BBB mod choke at 40 yds leave the dead on the water thier pals will stay away. Great horned owl works too but near as much fun.

My owl has bird droppings on its head... Need I say more???