I have a question regarding the eating habits of a blue heron. I have a one acre pond where I am an absentee land owner for most of the year. The pond has been stocked with FHM,GSH,RES and YP for 2 years. It was also stocked with HBG about 18 months ago and SMB/HSB last fall. I notice the blue heron at the pond every time I get a chance to go home which is usually holidays. This time over the 4th holiday you couldn't buy a bite at the pond, but when the feeder goes off there is plenty of activity. I fished every evening and morning for 3 days and caught 2 well fed HBG. Is it possible that since my pond is a hybrid/low fecund setup that the crane has simply eat most of my stockers while I am helpless to prevent it? There is bountiful amounts of FHM and GSH is it possible with the feed that the fish are just not hungry? I am confused because my stocking rates where set high with the hopes of a kids fishing pond. Please any help is appreciated

I know from my experience that when the water temp gets in the 80s the yellow perch just about disappear or it seams. They are there they just do not need to eat.

The blue heron will come on the full moon and will train to the feeder too. When the feeder gos off the heron will be there ready to pick off what fish he can.

I wonder how many fish one could eat. Most all the fish they eat do seam quite small. The blue heron will barf in the pond to chum the small minnows in to eat more. I have seen live minnows barfed into the pond and shore by these buggers.

We fished Sat and Sunday. I threw some jigs, and lures. Nothing was biting, but when I hooked a red wiggler under a bobber at about 2', the grandkids were pulling them out. My fish are about the same as yours. I've got some little green herons that work the pond. A kingfisher or two, and a GBH. I dont see the GBH as often as I used to. I've got pretty steep banks. I'm also a little north of you in NE Missouri. My water temps always surprise me. The top few inches of water are warm, but below that it's pretty cool. In fact, swimming on Sunday when the dog was swimming around me, he was stirring up the water. Darn near gave me hypothermia..
We ended up catching around 15 YP, 4 HBG, and a SMB, all on worms. Some of our fishing was in the heat of the day.

I have noticed that this time of year my usual curly tail jig I fish for perch with is not as effective as in the spring and fall. I set out a minnow trap and then fished with minnows on the bottom and things improved greatly, even during mid-day.

The GBH by me has switched over to nighttime sampling of my pond fish only. I caught him last night in the pitch dark. I bolted out of the vehicle and ran at him/her arms waving hollering. He was so startled or couldn't see me well that I got quite close before he took off. I don't think you can win without a fence!

I too would wonder how many fish they eat. In the shallows they have to be getting the tiny fish I would think?

Ozark that's troubling...sorry to hear it. I don't have scientific data to support diet of GBH, but from personal experience I have seen many BG from my trophy pond [8-10"] with spear marks that obviously escaped, and have seen a few nice SMB dead on the bank with the same injury markings over the years. Suggests to me a GBH will target anything possible, even if it's too large to eat. Considering this, I discourage them whenever possible, but that's far easier said than done. I can't imagine the damage performed between visits as an absenteee land owner myself.

I despise GBH.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=382994&page=1

If only we could get a big Wels Catfish. Those things would eat the herons. I guess Florida and south Louisiana ponds would be free of herons if an alligator lived in the pond. LOL

I have issues with a GBH as well. He's got the timing down with the feeders, haven't seen him feed except when they go off and fish are abundant and unwary.

A fence should work, as GBH won't land in the water. They insist on walking from land into shallows, so a physical barrier to this will complicate their life. Also, steep shorelines help.

If you have a feeder, try to place it where the pellets fall into deep water and are pushed away from shore by prevailing winds. The GBH never tries his luck from the dock feeder, as it is over deeper water.

Some have had luck with GBH replicas (they are highly territorial) or even fake gators, but eventually they wise up.

Too bad we couldn't leave those kids toys (fake fish you throw in the tub) that are made of the expanding sponge material so that once they eat it and it gets wet their entire insides would be plugged up? At least they would fly over the pond and feel like they had just left the golden corral buffet all the time and pass up a chance to stop by for another meal?

Yeah and one more thing if you think they don't eat at night you got another thing coming. My Dad get up early to do stock trading once in a while and has scared the BH off our pond at 3 in the morning.... Dang things.....

Rc

I am back at work now. The kids and wife are still at home so maybe I will have them try some live worms to sample fish. I am just concerned that even at 2 fish per week your still talking over 100 fish eaten per year. If I am going to have to feed a crane full time I might have to make the switch to a LMB/BG style pond in order to keep up the buffet.

Last year at Kentucky Lake I watched a GBH land on the water and grab a dead fish that was floating on the surface, then take off. This happened 30 yards from the boat I was in and the fish was floating in 6 to 7ft of water. It surprised the heck out of me.

Yeah this Heron won't land in water thing does hold water I have seen this myself on my pond although I think the Heron new it was shallow so it didn't care... Steep banks help as they have a much harder time getting a fish cause they cant walk out into the water.

I have also tried the 20 lbs fish line fence trick and it will only deter him for a while and you must maintain it well. You will end up with all kinds of things busting the line. Deer, the Heron, dogs, coyote's. And wherever I didn't have the fence line guess where the heron was. Only one thing takes care of them for good and I'm not gonna go there....

Stupid birds....

Be careful shooting at swimming muskrats when GBH's are around. I heard a guy the other day say he has shot at a muskrat in his pond 3 times and accidentally killed a GBH the muskrat was swimming past each time. I Guess accidents happen. The guy seemed real tore up about it.

This may sound nuts but I saw a gbh swimming to the bank and go into some really thick brush along the shoreline. I have never seen them swim and I have spent a lot of time on the water. There is no way the bird was walking in the water because its close to 6 foot deep where I first saw him. And I attempted to roust him from the thick brush by my side by side and then by boat but was not able to find him or her, so where do they have their nest? Do they nest in thick brush or in the nearby trees? Was this a ghost gbh, it did disappear in the thick brush? I have two or three at the pond most everyday.

Tracy, like you, I had no idea that they could swim. Heck, they don't have web feet.

We have a GBH rookery nearby and they frequent our ponds and wetlands along with green herons, kingfishers, and the occasional great egret. I enjoy seeing these beautiful birds. Just part of the pond experience for me. If I was fish farming, then I might have a different outlook on things.

RAH, there is a 27,000 acre cypress tree forest a mile away from my pond, let them eat there lol I also enjoy seeing all the birds but I have learned Mother Nature will take over and kick my butt it I let it. And the good Lord gave us Dominion over such things.

I know right!!! I too enjoy my King Fisher but he is small and only eats 2 or 3 inch minnow type fish once in a while that's fine.

He doesn't stab a 3 pound bass or 11 inch BG that I have raised for 4 years and then leave it on the bank because he cant eat it.... Ugh.... Don't get me started.

I also don't mind the heron these days. It used to bother me, but then I realized that a pond should be for enjoying, not worrying over. If the bird kills fish, fine. If the fish die without making the frying pan, that's fine too. I still mow and spray, cut weeds and brush, feed the fish everynight. Still stock a fish or two even, but no longer obsess over it. Whatever happens, happens for a reason.

I may have dominion over animals, but it still requires thought, patience, and understanding on my part. We share the ponds.

That kuumbiya attitude is killing me man..... lol just kidding.

Yes we all share and take part, but same goes as for cow's or a deer farm.... we don't want coyotes killing are hard earned raised cow's or deer. So why should I be ok with the Heron killing my hard earned raised with my money fish.... just saying..

RC

Don't count on that. When I was in FL I noticed Blue Herons right along right along side the alligators. I had wondered why, thinking like you said. Then at one area I seen why. An alligator was next to a blue heron with it's eyeball plucked out and still dragging along 2' away with the retina cord still attached. Thought to myself, "that's why you don't mess with a blue heron!!!!". I have a picture of that somewhere.

GBH will land in water, but I'm not sure if they swim or just flap their wings to get to the bank. Had one that would hit the 6:30 pm feeder throw while the CNBG were actively feeding. He'd grab a fish, then paddle it to the bank with it. They're smart birds, and can learn.

OHHHHHHH!!!! Not good.... I have a feeling if you had a gator to keep the Heron away wouldn't the gator just eat your fish then anyway.... Kind of giving up one for another scenario hey.... Yeah you don't want one of them birds attacking you dang bill is hard as rock....and sharp as a knife I bet... fricken birds..

RC

I suppose it's perspective. I place a much greater emphasis on a cow than I would a fish. And the deer, the coyotes can have what they need. I'm not concerned about the money, these days it's about enjoyment.

Why do they pick my pond when just over the tree line there is a 80 acre lake so packed full of stunted bass and bluegill that they would never be hungry a day in their life again?

since my water clarity has gone to the dumps the GBH has not been seen...no prints or tracks around the shoreline either. For you all with active GBH on your ponds right now, are they nesting near by? I don't think they travel too far to feed when the have hatchlings in the nest.

I hate 'em too....but not much you can do when your property is (for the time being) weekend only. It was fun scaring them away with firecrackers and bottle rockets last week.

Matzilla, Just since tropical storm Cindy and my introduction to aeriation in the last few weeks my clarity has gone down to about 8-10 inches if that. I must agree I have not seen my daily GBH since then!! I thought it was my imagination but apparently they can't see to catch them. They must be feeding somewhere else for awhile at least.

They are way better at catching fish than that! I would think 1-2 per hour if not more. I have watched them catch 5 or 6 smaller fish back to back in just a few minutes. In a target rich pond, no telling what catch rate could be if they didn't get a full belly.

We all have our pet peeves. My wife mentions Caddyshack when the muskrats start pruning too many of the plants.

I did scare one off that had about a 2 foot snake hanging out it's beak as it flew off.

I have not seen the blue heron around my ponds since they became murky a couple months ago from the plankton blooms. They seem to prefer clear water. Don't know why they would seek out my ponds since they have the White River only about a 1/4 mile away as the heron flies, and its usual visibility is more than two feet.

Rah... Wasn't that a gopher in Caddyshack?

LMAO!!! Yes sir I believe it was.... but hey what's the diff.... lol