Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Floating alligator decoy??

Has anyone used floating alligator decoys to try to scare off GBH? I see they make JUST a head and some companies are 3 piece linked together with "o" rings. With my pond being over 4 foot low I have submerged tires showing up by my feeder and GBH are standing on them at feeding time!! I can never get near them. Everything I have tried has not worked.

I have known people to have extremely good luck with a claw trap set in about 6 inches deep water and covered in a silty mud, with about 4' of really light cable anchoring them to something. placed at a spot where they really like to hang out. from that point they can be relocated to a safe place.
The ones around here wouldnt know what an alligator is other then a spot to land on.

Flame, yes, I have 2 for the hatchery pond, and have had mixed results. I do put them on long paracord because I want them moving with the wind. They seem to work for a while, but eventually the GBH get used to them. If they're roosting on the tires, then get chicken wire from any farm or big box store, crumple 5-10 feet up, and tie them to the top of the tires. The higher it is, the better.

I'd stay away from traps, especially at pond banks.

Al, I actually had been thinking of what I could "temporarily" put on top of the tires to make it taller where they could not reach. I have a LOT of very tall tomato cages I was thinking about in some kind of way! ???

I have one of the three piece alligator floating decoys. When I first got it and put it out it worked great........and funny. I would see the GBH coming in for a landing, see the gator and see an abrupt wing change and "oh fit" moment then fly on. Great!

Well that lasted about two days they they summarily ignored the decoy. I would move it around the pond and maybe keep one away another day or maybe it was a newby herron. But after a while they get used to it and pay no attention.

I've had similar luck with different predator decoys. Owl to keep sparrows out of our sheds, etc. They all seem to work for a while till the prey figures out if is nothing but a decoy.

Well, I'm just going to save my money on the gator decoys. I have employed my Big windsock dancing man to go off on a timer again at feeding time. It has worked well in the past. Hopefully I'll get enough rain soon to cover those tires again.