Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Cormorantophobia

James,

Update...I just ordered one of those babies on a rent to purchase plan. If it does not work, I can return for only the cost of the rent.

$250 is the best price I've seen. I should get mine in a few days, just in time for the first birds. If it works, that would be a super bargain. The time savings alone in how much time I have to spend and gasoline I burn trying to defend against them...worst case is that I will have a July 4th cannon to be the envy of East Texas.

ML great price. Let us know how it works. I just got back from ND and they use them alot for geese. The farmer said it worked for awhile on migratory speices (npot resident geese) so hopefully I'm worng on comorants b/c of migration. I just know on GA resident geese they do a poor job. I wish you luck, hard to beat that offer.

Please let us know if it works!

I saw 2 of them over a Fort Worth subdivision lake today.

Burger...

Long Magnum Caliber 7.82 (.308) Warbird (Cormorant Rifle)
Velocity around 3,750, laser flat shooting, allowing you to sight in dead on at 350 yards and not hold above or below the point of aim all the way out to 400 yards. It has an oversized cartridge for 97 gr. (Eastland special gunpowder), the 150gr bullet is used successfully on game animals weighing up to 1,000 pounds. It makes a cormorant, an EVENT ! “It’s Snowing”, “Parade Confetti” come to mind !

The only good cormorant, is the extinct one, it's pure and simple Rape.

I was in Orangeburg , SC yesterday. 45 acre lake had 24 of 'em. POnd owner thought they were fun to watch. I asked him what he thought they were doing? ONce I told him the rate of fish they comsume, well anyway they got a good scare and a few are no longer with us.

I'm just wondering. Since cormorants can't swallow larger fish, maybe they would be beneficial for overpopulated ponds.

If I had a jillion bucks worth of freshly-stocked HSB, I would murder every one I saw, of course. Did I say murder? I meant "shoo away".

In parts of rural China they use comorants to catch fish, they clip their wings so it can't fly, then they slide a ring over the comorants neck so it can't swallow the fish. When the commorant surfaces they catch it and make it spit out the fish from it's neck.

Dang, the things one learns on the Forum.

I would just like to slip something around their neck.

I have one for everyone. The past week I have had what looks like a falcon fishing in my pond. He isn't scared of me of the dogs. Pretty neat to watch as he flies around and comes crashing to the water and comes up with what looks like a 3-5" BG or Tilapia. Anyone know what this might be? I will try to get pictures. Never seen one till the past week.

Eastland, 25-.06 works really well.

Does it look anything like one of these?

http://www.ospreys.com/photo-links.htm

I've had one hanging around for several months now, making an occasional dive into the water for a small fish. I figure it doesn't eat much...certainly nothing like a water turkey.

I remember that from watching Captain Kangaroo as a kid - "Everything I need to know I learned in Kindergarten."

Theo,

Re-reading this original post...you really did a terrific creative "job" on the topic. It is just as funny today as it was when first read!

I've noticed through the years that water turkeys prefer to roost next to, or over the water in dead timber. We hardly ever see them at our pond but we don't have any dead timber for them to roost on. Just a thought, maybe getting rid of the dead falls near the water and the standing timber in the water might be the best way for a pond owner to discourage them from visiting and staying for a while.

shorty that is EXACTLY where they were yesterday evening when the client decided to rid of them. Roosting in 2 dead oak trees that are right over the water. I will tell him to cut them down asap, thanks. They will make good fish cover once they fall,

Greg, heres my hypothesis, after eating a big fish meal comorants need a nearby place to roost and digest their meal and they prefer not to travel far. It would be like you or I going for a 5 mile jog immediatly after thankgiving dinner, it's not likely to happen, loosening your belt and hitting the couch is more likely. If you remove the larger standing timber in the water you have basically ruined their resting area. If they do not have a good resting area then they will likely go somewhere else that does. The one common denominator I have seen when observing cormorants is very larges trees standing in the water nearby. I have rarely seen them at lakes with no standing timber. I would be curious to see if removing their convienent roosting spots has a significant impact on the frequency of their visitation. So if anyone wants to expirement, I would be interested to know how it turns out.

Shorty,

If only it were that simple...removing dead trees, I mean. It probably does help, but it does not stop them.

They prefer standing dead timber for R&R, but I don't have any dead trees over water, never have had any, and have always been plagued by cormorants. They just don't overnight on my ponds, which they would probably otherwise do with dead trees present, but they do just as much damage in terms of fish predation, nonetheless.

Removing the dead trees will help prevent roosting birds, but does not prevent or even discourage, as best I can tell, visitation at my place. They use piers, fish feeders, and any other vertical things on which to deposit their presents after processing fish through their systems.

You can usually set your watch by them...arrive between 7:45 and 8:15 in the mornings, and if undisturbed, leave by 2:00 in the afternoons. If you weren't present during those times, you wouldn't even know they had been there...except when you observe hundreds of fish trying to hide under a pier to escape predation and other fish struggling to survive the body piercings.

Remove the dead trees, but don't be surprised if it does not eliminate the problem.

Good observation, Shorty. I have seen literally thousands on Lake Livingston, a large reservoir in East Tx. flying from eating area to roost. I would see 1/2 hour of armies of these vial birds flying. The latest craze for catfish guides is to fish under the cormorant roosting trees. Makes you want to have the catafish buffet, huh?

There is always the scoped 30-06 method! Just don't tell anyone about it if more than just the loud bang is ummmm, spooking them off.

Burger, I not sure if I ever want to eat another catfish again after reading that.

The dreaded bird does not require trees. I have seen them by the hundreds assult a commercial catfish pond of 40 acres in the Miss. delta with no trees within a mile. 100 birds on a pond with 2lb. catfish at 5000 per acre ( thats right 10000 lbs of cats per acre right before harvest}. The cats don't stand a chance and the growers don't like it much. They use fireworks, cannons and guards to chase them off. Some even use mesh nets to discourage the birds.

The bird is not like water birds (ducks) its feathers ( are not water proofed) do not have oil to repell water. That is why they get out of the water to sun by spreading their wings to let their feathers dry after eating. With no oil to impeade diving they dive under water and swim by flapping their wings and feet under water for propulsion. Often they will climb on logs or get in trees to sun. If they don't dry their feathers they become water logged and they have problems. We have not had a problem with them on our ponds but have on the river oxbows. ewest

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormorant

Thanks ewest. I'm still trying to figure out why cormorants prefer some ponds and not others. Since they need a place to dry out would standing timber over the water give them a safe place to avoid predators when they can't fly very well?

EWEST,

The manager of the fish farm south of me (Danbury) told me that they have observed Water Turkeys "herding" small HSB in grow-out ponds into areas in which they then surrounded and then decimated the entire population. Vile, scum sucking birds!

Recently the Double-crested Cormorant has greatly increased in abundance beyond what was known historically. It is believed that the recovery was allowed by the decrease of contaminants, particularly the discontinued use of DDT. It is believed that it has increased to such great numbers because of aquaculture ponds in its southern wintering grounds. The ponds favor good over-winter survival and growth.

Everybody bulldoze in your ponds and break out the DDT. We can have them under control for our great-great grandchildren.

I am sorry ML, but the truth must finally come out. Point is that Meadowlark actually has an deep and passionate love for his water turkeys. In order to keep with his macho image, he has for years on end claimed to have absolutely no use for this bird. The term "hate" may have been used a time or two. It is time for therapy! We can work through your public denial and leave you in a much happier place.
For those who doubt my findings you need to look at the recent photo taken on Larry's farm. One has only to look at the pride in his eyes (if you can due to the blurred photo), and you too will see the love he has for his pets (yes, sadly he has even named several). The photo is not high quality because once he discovered a photographer was present...denial again!



Sorry to have to bring you into the open, but the healing must begin!

Deb

On a true note of reality we are plagued every year by these pond looters! Imagine 48 ponds full of fish. To date we have only seen 2 (this fall) and both "accidentally" had a run-in with a Remington 17. Oh well!

Deb, You're really beginning to fit in here!

I am so truly sorry. :p