Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help Water Turkeys

Hi Guys, Built a new lake two and a half years ago, stocked with coppernosed bluegill and bass. Fed protien pelletts twice a day. Fertilized. Lots of reproduction and things were going swimingly well until...The darned water turkeys showed up. Last year there were only one or two, chased off by my 22-250. This year they brought their buddies and show up 20 to 40 at a time. We run them off with gunfire, but on days when someone is not around all the time they settle in for a feast. I know some of you have had the same problem. Any pearls of wisdom to pass along? By the way, The lake is 18 acres and 35 feet deep at the dam. Thanks for any feedback...
Bing

Three letters...BFD (Big Fast Dog...not what you thought !!... )...also, your 22-250 is good, if you can legally do it...I deal with those birds on Toledo Bend on a routine basis...they absolutely do not like people close to them, they'll leave at the first sign...try the "human" scarecrow method, it may work for a while...

We probably don't have as many cormorants as others. When they show up, a couple friends and I harrass them immediately. We make sure they actually leave the area. We do this continually.

We've not had problems with other species. We always have one heron and I put up perches for kingfishers. We only have one or two kingfishers at a time.

Some of everything is great. Too much of anything is bad.

I would love to see a post or article about legally controlling cormorants. Then I would also like to see more information about how much damage other species actually do and under what conditions they become a problem.

Dear Norm and Torchy, Thanks for the swift replies. A scarecrow might work. I noticed when I was around a lot during the holidays, the mere sight of a human sent them on their way.
I too would be interested in knowing how much damage they can really do. Populations around big bodies of water seems to be on the increase, ie, Lakes, Fork, Montecello, Bob Sandlin, etc. This affects fishing for everyone not just the Pond Meisters.
Appreciate the feedback...Bing

Cormorants are bad and so are blue herons. My comorants usally start scouting in septemper and then swarm in by november. Then now here comes the worst of all the fish eating birds, the white pelican. they dont scout like the cormorants, they just appear one day by the 100's. i 've seen them school a whole ponds fish and devour them. The only good thing about them is that they are very weary of humans and a scarecrow flaping in the wind usally keeps them away.

Guys, Took the advice that was suggested about the scarecrows. I put up four, made them out of pressure treated 2x2's, adorned them with red flannel shirts, white trash bags for pants and old white gimmie caps. For now it is working. The breeze moves the fabric of the scarecrow and the birds have left and not returned. I know this is temporary so I did some more liiking and found a wholesale source for the ZON propane guns and have two on order. Sounds extreme but when you invest thousands in fish and five fish feeders along with the feed it makes sense to do everything reasonable to protect what youve started. Thanks for the feedback, both posted and direct. Bing

could someone tell me what a water turkey looks like.i keep reading about them and wondering just what does this bird look like.

Lee, Water turkey is really a cormorant. I believe it is a crested cormorant.

Specificially, water turkeys are Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus).

lee, big black bird with a long neck and wingspan. We see them up north in summer, usually in colonies with pelicans. Eats many fish.

One way to tell a water turkey is that they will dive under the water and can stay under for a long time, or until their belly is full of fish. I have seen them stay under water for what seemed like 3-4 minutes. We are all conservationists or we would'nt even be present on this site. However, we all want to protect or investment and the overall well being of our pond, lakes. I have stated on this site in the past that you can control both the herons and water turkeys to some extent. Eliminating them is virtually impossible. Scarecrows, horns, guns, and anything else are temporary fixes. Some large fish farms have trucks with people in the back shooting shotguns that ride non stop all day long. Even this does not eliminate the problem.

In the lakes near me there is some bird that is black and looks similiar to the pictures of water turkeys that I've seen. However, these birds are alot smaller than what everyone here has described. In fact I don't think I've ever seen one bigger than a mallard. They do go underwater for extended periods of time and then pop-up down shore sometimes 100 yards away. Any idea what this maybe? Water turkey?

Chris

Sounds like a small water turkey.

If less than half the size of mallard probably a grebe.

My guess is an anhinga.

From the pictures I've seen on the internet it looks alot like a grebe.

Triton

Bird books are pretty inexpensive and add so much to the enjoyment of our lakes and surrounding land.

Bing,

Any update on your water turkey problem ? How are the "scarecrows" working ? Just interested 'cause I may be facing the same problem here shortly...still think a "legal" 12 gauge is the answer !!

Hi Torchey, Thanks for your interest. I put up four scarecorws made out of 2x2's and adorned them with old gimmie caps, old red flannel shirts and white plastic bags for legs. As a final touch I put orange streamers on the outstretched arms. When a breeze blows there is movement and noise from the plastic bag legs. This totally drove the birds away for a week when a few, very few in ones and twos started to show up. I was very encouraged because the flocks of twenty to fifty did not return.
I also ordered two ZON guns that run on propane. I set them up last week set to go off every 6-7 minutes. I got the timers and tripods that allow them to swing around after making a report. This has for now really discouraged them. I have seen singles come over, set their wings to land, a loud bang goes off and they fly away. I think a few adventurous ones may try to sneak in but I think if I keep pestering them with my "real" gun, I can thin out the brave or stupid few. I would caution you however that these guns are pretty loud and if you have close neighbors they might not like to have the noise around. Our place is pretty rural and the nearest neighbor is a half mile away and they can hear it but laughed it off. I bought these from an outfit in California that was half the price of other guys. If interested I'll pass along the contact info. Hope this helps and thanks for your interes. Bing