Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations New fish eating Bird at the pond this morning

...Amen

Spotted a big GBH at the trout pond a little while ago. I ran him off.

A couple weeks ago, I saw pelicans for the first time on our pond

but I saw the canadian gander chasing them, then they took flight

So they landed on the neighbor's pond and spent the night there instead

The End

ahhhh....I feel sleepy now.
Where you been, Lance?

A GBH got really lucky today. He nailed one of my big brook trout but it was too big to eat. Drilled it twice. When I put the bead on him the shell failed to fire. I wasn't sure if their was something wrong with the shotgun or the shell was bad. So I got the .22. I missed! I don't get it. I can hit a coffee filter at 60 yds. dead center every time but I miss the bird at 30 yards!

Dude you are living on borrowed time. Now I'm mad.

Now I have found three dead brook trout in the last three days. However up until now I thought they were egg bound females.

Note: I have a federal permit from the feds to take out up to two if I need to as an aquaculturist. If you do not have a permit don't try and kill one. They are federally protected. I am not advocating shooting herons.

GBH are eating your fish, you have a permit, blah, blah, I get that part of the equation and don't blame you there.

It really angers me though that you are killing innocent coffee filters.

...and what are the grounds?

Venting more or less. And he doesn't eat them. Just likes to poke them and leave them. To big to swallow.

Ya know a used coffee filter might be more of a challenge and better practice. Harder to see.

Brettski sounds like he is trying to brew trouble....

Cecil...

GBH, Bald Eagles, California Condors, etc. were all put on the endangered species list in the late 70's/early 80's due to DDT causing the thicknesses of their shells to decrease. When the birds would sit on their nests, the shells would break. Just thought I would answer your question.

Theo:

You referring to that marvelous "AAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWKKKKKk....thpthtththth...splat".

There's a reason I taught my daughters the local name for them...

@#*& a quart

Haven't seen too many, but the LBH's are around alla time, along with 2-3 kingfishers. They're welcome to me, as they don't eat much and they're kinda cool.

(c'mon Theo...your turn)

"I'm Brett McKenski, and this is my brother Jeff, eh?"

Take off, Hoser!

Yep I knew that. Thanks!

Got up at the crack of dawn this morning and watched for a while to see if my buddy showed up. No show. Then when I went out to feed my trout I found one dead 16 inch brook trout on the bank with a hole just behind the head on each side.

I watched on a off all day yesterday and before dark except to the point where there was not enough light to see anymore. This morning there's the trout laying there dead. I can only surmise he's showing up when it's almost dark or at night. I do have a lot of illumination in the area (people overdo it on the security lights because the power company pushes it.) And I have a highschool near me that is lit up like the fourth of July every night.) I can't imagine what the school's electric bill is except I'm paying for it through my taxes.

Now I really need to get this bird. Four dead and wasted fish in four days. I'll camp out on the back deck motionless if I have to. I respect this bird's cunningness and learned behavior but he has to go! I've run him off a few times and he keeps coming back!

^%$##@#!

Sorry guys I had to vent again.

Cecil, can you borrow a ground blind from someone?

I've got it covered. I'm adapting too!

Believe it or not my permit says I'm not allowed to use a blind! Can you believe it?

Wow! Any other restrictions? They really don't want to let you shoot one.

I could loan you my ghillie suit but I'd need it back before the next Pond Boss magazine is in the mail.

Steel shot only!

Okay, I finally downloaded the my digicam and have the picture of the goose nesting on top of the backstop at my rifle range. For your amazement, I present "Branta canadensis with a death wish."


I am struck by the similarity of nest sites to the goose that nested on (DIED's) outhouse.

Is that house in the background in your line of fire?

If so, they might be Residentia Americanus with an imposed death wish.

Line of fire is to the right. That house actually belongs to our favorite subdivision neighbors.

Theo I don't know. A ricochet off that Branta canadensis' hard head might take out the neighbors face . - -