No guessing about it guys. Great Blue Herons are federally protected. If you don't have a federal predation permit, and you get caught by a conservation officer shooting one you will be cited and will probably pay a hefty fine. Granted they are quite common and not endangered, but that's the way it is. As a fish farmer I can buy a federal permit after I have shown I have exhuasted all nonlethal methods of discouragement for $100.00. I then am allowed to take out the number of birds they allow me to. For me it would be one. I am at the stage where all I have to do is send in the $100.00, but I can't bring myself to spend the money yet. (It was only $10.00 the previous year) And believe it or not, I really don't want to kill the birds as they are only doing what nature intended them to do.
I am not only concerned with them taking out fish (I have lots of trout in one of my ponds that are perfect snack size right now), but they may transmit VHS in our Great Lakes states and they definitely are part of parasite cycles with snails -- namely the yellow grub. My fish loose value considerably if they have grubs.
So it's primarily the stakes for me although I may try an electric fence in the future.
