Blue Heron Eating My Koi

[Doc Tinker]

A blue heron has taking a liking to the easy prey in my pond. He's already eaten most of my largest koi (6" - 8").



What can I do to keep him away? Two big dumb dogs just sit back and watch. And seven cats could care less.



Doc

 

[Paychk]

Is it a protected species? a 12 gage would work wonders!

 

[me4osu]

12ga is too loud and messy if Doc has neighbors. 22LR or a 22-250 for long range works well, if you are a decent shot.



Too bad there are no koi/pirahna crossbreeds. That would be fun trying to watch a bird eat them.

 

[JPope]

Blue Heron/Dogs

"Two big dumb dogs just sit back and watch. "



Maybe they are not so dumb, herons can do some damage with the bill. Have seen what they do to hawks, cats, and dogs, sort of like dogs trying out a raccoon, in the water!, the coon has them on home territory, like the heron!!!

Any good with a cast net?, other wise, maybe time for the bang toys, quieter may be to discourage him with a pellet gun, of course some of them, in the head, can do the trick!

Aren't herons subject to migratory bird regulations? Perhaps a net over the pond, or something else to discourage him to easier pickings.

 

[Paychk]

Originally posted by me4osu

Too bad there are no koi/pirahna crossbreeds. That would be fun trying to watch a bird eat them.

 

[TowPro]

even if its a protected bird, its eating his farm stock. The next bird my dad blows away eating his fish wouln't be the first!



He now has a big plastic Owl in the tree on a limb that hangs over the pond, for some stupid reason it keeps the fish eating birds away, now if we could just get rid of all the crows that keep coming around!



At the local trout hatchery they have ospreys lining up on the concrete runways where the trout are like a 747 at the airport.



They ran strings about 8" apart up and down the runways, now the birds just went away.



But a haring goes in and stands there to get his food, an osprey picks them out of the water while in flight.

 

[Todd G]

Go to local pond and catch 4"-6" bluegill.

Attach said fish to 2/0 hook.

Tie hook to at least 20lb test line.

Lob fish near heron.

Prepare for good fight.

 

[Champane Flight]

Buy

Buy more Koi and don't forget dessert.

 

[Doc Tinker]

LOL - You guys have some good ideas. My son went out and drove stakes around the perimeter of the pond and stung fish line between them. The heron has been back, but I wasn't able to watch to see if that deterred him.



My daughter works at a gag store and will be bringing home a motion detection animated monkey that makes noises, tonight. Maybe it will be fun to watch that in action.



If nothing else, once the koi are gone, maybe I'll go fishing and restock the pond with bluegill and let the heron eat them, then I can go fishing again to restock. I get to go fishing more often, the heron gets an easy meal and Mrs Doc can sit and watch the heron.



Doc

 

[Vaquero]

S.S.S

1. Shoot

2. Shovel

3. Shut-up

 

[illflem]

What they do at the fish ladders at the hydro dams in the NW is run a grid of very fine wire about 20 feet over the ladders. The grid isn't tight at all, maybe four foot squares. What happens is the birds can't see the wire and once they hit one they never come back. They tried plastic owls and bird cannons but the birds get used to them and come right back.

 

[NETim]

I guess I'd go the "Carl" route and build some "C4 Koi".



Tim

 

[wmorden]

If your pond is large enough, try a "gator head. "



http://www.bird-x.com/products/gator.html



We've used one in a pond at work and it keeps all the geese, ducks, and herons away very successfully. But you have to pull it out during the winter... it looks foolish with a pile of snow on its head frozen into the pond.

 

[Crash_AF]

Get a paintball gun with the new clear paintballs for wildlife control. The Air Force has been using them to control migratory geese congregating around runways for about 4 years now and they've been pretty successful.



Although if you want to mess with people's minds, I guess you could just hose them with different color paint... Now it's a blue/orange/yellow heron.



Later,

Joe H

 

[mcoleman]

The fish farmers are allowed to kill 1 a year or so I'm told. If they get into either of my ponds they will get the shoot, shovel, and shutup treatment. Uh What bird sir? What did it look like? No I haven't seen any of those flying around here. LOL I only share with the local Eagle. He's welcome anytime.

 

[Kickin Y2K]

We had the same problem, strung up some wire and the thing hasn't been back again.

 

[Tardog]

They got those motion sensing gaarden sprinklers at Home Depot (Ithink) that are easy to set up (battery operated senser) +- $30

1 - attach garden hose

2- turn on water

3- let sensor fire away

4- crack open beer



and if that don't work, I like the I like the three "S" system

 

[John]

seriously though...

I'd be more than happy to take the Blue Heron hide (whole or partial) from anyone that found one that had met with an untimely accident.



And yes, I know they're protected. I also know they can be used to tie the most *****in spey flies (for Steelhead fly fishing). And no, I don't want to hear how marabou is a "great" substitute...

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

Interesting topic and replies to this problem.



my first choice would be a 12 gauge... . #4 buckshot.



My really outlandish choice would be a Stinger missile. Figure ya might as well have fun while dispatching the problem. Although you might want to make sure you aren't in an air-traffic corridor before trying this.



I've seen the wire idea used alot on hatcheries and stuff... . works well.

 

[Champane Flight]

Depressed?

I think living with the Heron is a better solution. You could always hide near the pond and ambush said heron, shoot it, then lay the weapon next to the bird and call animal control. Just say the Heron looked a little depressed when he flew by?