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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 127
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OP
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Joined: Dec 2006
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Well I had a pair of bald eagles show up on my 5 acre pond. At first I thought that it was the coolest thing ever, but now after I learn that they are targeting the largest bass in my pond, not so much. So far I have seen them eating two fish in the 10lb range and one over 6lbs. Who knows what they have eaten that I don't know of. Does anyone have any experience with dealing with this?
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,794 Likes: 71
Hall of Fame 2014
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Hall of Fame 2014
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,794 Likes: 71 |
So far I have seen them eating two fish in the 10lb range and one over 6lbs. Wow...I would have never thought they would primarily target fish that large.
Fishing has never been about the fish....
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,864 Likes: 298
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,864 Likes: 298 |
Hey, one more cast. I have a pair of eagles at my place but haven't seen them get many fish. Far less than cormorants! But my place is mostly fairly deep, probably averages ten feet, deepest area near dam over twenty. Perhaps that's why eagles are only somewhat successful. How deep is your place?
Last edited by anthropic; 04/01/20 05:49 PM.
7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,902 Likes: 281
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,902 Likes: 281 |
Well I had a pair of bald eagles show up on my 5 acre pond. At first I thought that it was the coolest thing ever, but now after I learn that they are targeting the largest bass in my pond, not so much. So far I have seen them eating two fish in the 10lb range and one over 6lbs. Who knows what they have eaten that I don't know of. Does anyone have any experience with dealing with this? Sorry to hear about losing these fish. Did you also observe the eagle in the act of catching the big bass?
It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57 |
I've had one hanging around for the past two years and last year I saw a young one flying over the pond with an adult. I know they are eating my fish. They will set on things like wood duck boxes, and dead trees at the waters edge. Close up view of them many times as I come over the hill when headed to the pond. They are a really large bird and can kill and eat what ever they want. I liked have them at first but not so much now lol
Last edited by TGW1; 04/02/20 06:26 AM.
Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.
Tracy
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282 |
I used to fret over all the coyotes eating deer. Now I am appreciative they reduce the population and take out weak or sick animals as deer diseases are moving closer. None known to be in my immediate area yet, but reducing herd size is a definite help. I don't fret over blue herons or bald eagles either. Beaver that clog my drain pipes are a different story:)
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,902 Likes: 281
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,902 Likes: 281 |
I've seen footage of bald eagles catching fish. It looks like they catch them on the fly by reaching just below the surface to snatch them out of the water. I presume they were surface feeding trout. I've seen a lot of bald eagles, some times in groups of 6 or more feeding when I lived in northern OK. But they weren't feeding on what you might expect. They were feeding on winter kill cattle. Even turkey vultures keep their distance. A friend of mine recounted an observation of one killing a Canada goose. He claimed the eagle inverted and captured the goose from below.
There remains a possibility the LMB that the eagle was eating were in the process of dying at time the eagle captured them. It doesn't seem normal for bass that large to be spending extended periods of time near the surface. A bald eagle needs to spot a fish near the surface and the set up an approach to capture it. The fish needs to cooperate with this strategy in that it needs to remain near the surface long enough for the eagle to complete its attack. I've not observed bass spending a lot of time near the surface though perhaps basking for increasing temperature is a behavior that is common this time of year that would make healthy fish vulnerable or perhaps spawning in water shallow enough for the bald eagle hunting techniques.
I don't know, But we shouldn't overlook the possibility that the eagle was preying on sick or dying LMB near the end of life.
Last edited by jpsdad; 04/02/20 07:05 AM. Reason: improve sentence structure/grammar
It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 233 Likes: 15
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 233 Likes: 15 |
On two separate occasions I've watched bald eagles pull bass from my pond.
One, as I was having morning coffee looking at the pond, it was a swoop, splash, grab.
The other, had me entertained for a while. After repeatedly trying and failing the swoop and grab for over 20 minutes, he landed on the shore strutting back and forth peeking through the tall weeds. He would jump up and hover to get position, then back down so many times I thought he would never get a fish. But he did. He ate half on my lawn, then flew away with the rest. I guess the fish deserved it.
At that time, water had better than 5 feet visibility. Since then, water is dyed to less than 18" visibility and haven't seen eagles even trying.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282 |
Suppose that bass on a nest would be on the menu
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,864 Likes: 298
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,864 Likes: 298 |
All things considered, another advantage of highly fertile water that diminishes visibility. Even cormorants might find it more difficult to grab fish in pea soup, a consummation devoutly to be wished.
7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 127
Junior Member
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OP
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 127 |
I have not seen them catch a fish, but my son saw one get one today. My wife also saw an eagle eating a bass on my dam yesterday, so that’s three in three days. I assume that they are targeting spawning fish up shallow on beds.
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 997 Likes: 57
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 997 Likes: 57 |
I have seen a Bald Eagle eating the culls I have thrown up on the bank but I have also seen them take live fish on the fly out of my pond.
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