Glad to see your net worked .Very nicely done, Looks very neat.
I know they will strike even though they can't reach the fish. Sometimes they will spear the fish but can't get them through the netting.
My wife made the same weathervane comment... Minus the stuffed part.
In regards to spearing through the net... I had read the same thing so I made sure that the distance I have between the net and water surface takes into account the heron walking on the net and then how far his beak could wedge down through the one inch openings. I even bought an old school chalk board and chalk to do all my calculations like Einstein probably had....So I hope my math works out.
A cheaper and simpler frame that can be set up on the pond is a frame made of PVC and PC elbows. Although I like the set up in the OP! You can attach the net to the frame with zip ties. PVC can also be painted with paint you can get at the hardware store. They would be heavy enough so that you would't have to secure them and can be easily lifted to do whatever you need on the pond.
I build frames like this for the top of my fish cages I use to hold or separate fish in my ponds.
The risk I took was calculated, but man am I bad at math!
I tried the pvc... which works... but I found it would have to be raised off the water a lot more.... this being because I couldn’t pull the netting taught without warping the pvc.
I might have to net my other tiny goldfish pond in my front yard now too... which is against the front porch and under a crabapple tree...the dumb heron must have found it anyway. Half my fish are gone and the rest won’t come out from the back corner even for food. It’s been two weeks and they still don’t move out.
Last edited by Nevermore; 10-21-2018 at 07:14 PM.
Nevermore, regarding your posted photo of your child protection screen, was that typical woven wire fencing secured to the bottom of the lumber with screws? Did it also have removable sections? Do you think this aluminum frame would support a child if wire were used?
Thanks.
Last edited by Cecil; 10-27-2018 at 07:39 PM.
The risk I took was calculated, but man am I bad at math!
Grumpy... The wire fencing was held on with a bunch of the galvanized fencing staples hammered in to the underside of the wood. And for openings....The same section I have hinged to open now was hinged on the kid version too. You can see one of the black hinges is the photo. That version was heavier of course... But not the worst. Could the aluminum frame with wire fencing hold a 50lb kid?... I bet it could in my situation... Much much more and it would start bending. You would need to think about how to hold the fence to it though...the aluminum wall isn't too thick.
Cecil... I don't remember what type of pvc I tried... But for this aluminum version.. I pulled the netting tight enough for it to start hurting my fingers to loop around the screw heads... Which started bending the long runs. Either type of pvc would have more give I would think. If it would work to have the net higher off the water... I would go the pvc route and paint it.
If money wasn't an issued, I would learn how to weld and make a metal frame.. Get it powder coated... And make it reeeeeal naaace' That way I could get rid of a lot of cross beams
Last edited by Nevermore; 10-22-2018 at 12:35 AM.
Since I raise fish for a living I can get a permit from Fish & Wildlife and my state to take out herons with a gun if all other non lethal methods fail. It's not cheap at $100.00 a year and Fish & Wildlife determines how many I can take out. I hate to do it but have removed a small number that just can't take no for an answer and get by every non lethal method I have come up with on the four ponds.
I will tell you as soon as one takes one out another will take it place in short order. They are quite common in my area (I have about 100 lakes in my county.)
Another thing I have noticed is there is not much to them although they appear quite large. Mostly feathers and legs! A large bird can't weight more than a couple of pounds!
Last edited by Cecil; 01-21-2019 at 11:07 PM.
The risk I took was calculated, but man am I bad at math!
Heron with lemongrass stalk recipe
https://youtu.be/fyGnU8YDHGY
I see Heron's early in the season and later - which are the 2 problem times since i have normally have no plant cover for my fish. i love your solution but wouldnt be practical for my my pond. so i normally do 2 things to deter them: 1) i have a motion water sprayer which seems to do a great job and 2). i have a floating gator in my pond. those 2 seem to work well until my plant cover grows in and provides shelter.
my koi are all larger now so heron won't eat them but they will spear them and throw them up on land because they see larger fish as competition for them and will normally try to kill them (rather than eat them). the other issue is once a heron finds your pond - you are likely to see it every year.
i'm actually surprised the heron flies near your pond given the cover around it. they are very cautious birds and will normally look for an easy way in and out before they will attempt to come close and attack.
I found the best defense is a dog!! For 14 years i had a dog and NEVER saw a heron. we only started seeing them after our dog passed away.
The dog comment is spot on. I remember reading in an aquaculture publication where a kennel in the southern U.S. was selling trained border collies to run off herons.
I had a dog trained to do the same, but unfortunately she was a house dog s she had to 1. See them out the window and 2. I had to let her out. However all I had to do was say "Bird" and she was ready to run them off! It wouldn't be difficult to train a dog to run off a Great Blue Heron. Dog's tend to be territorial and want to feel useful.
I respectfully disagree with your contention that GBH's see large fish as competition. Just my opinion of course but I don't believe they have the thought process to go that far. But I could be wrong. I believe it's just an instinct thing to spear anything that moves in the water.
Here is a large fish that was speared at my farm a while back and thrown up into the willow leaves (hence the light markings made by the leaves). The GBH really went to town on the fish as you can see. Unfortunately for the GBH I was ready for him the second time with my federal and state permit. He is no longer a threat.
Last edited by Cecil; 01-07-2019 at 06:59 PM.
The risk I took was calculated, but man am I bad at math!
I think they lack the intelligence to determine the correct size to eat and try to spear anything. After successful spearing if they can't lift and swallow its left on the bank to die. Not a very smart bird that can access danger correctly. After easy fishing is on the brain it overrides any sense of danger. Once seen one come back three times in quick succession after being ran off by a Jack Russell Terrier. The third time he didn't get to fly off. We have multiple ponds, a creek and river in the back of the farm that a heron could fish uninterrupted but they always pick the most dangerous (koi) pond next to the house.
I would worry about a dog getting too close as that beak is fast and could blind a dog. Was told once they go for they eyes when they feel threatened up close. A guy told me a friend of his got one in a muskrat trap and went to free it. The bird blinded him in one eye.
Last edited by Cecil; 01-13-2019 at 10:03 AM.
The risk I took was calculated, but man am I bad at math!
I've seen some crazy internet videos of people not experienced with large birds getting bit and pecked while trying to help free or catch them. If one is ever caught in netting be careful. I was always fearful something would happen to this dog but being a JR they know how to deal with it.
The Great Blue at my place was a Die Hard fan who pumped iron. I had these posted here years ago: https://www.koiphen.com/forums/showth...553#post512553
* Nevermore your netting system is awesome. So neat and fits well into the rest of the decor.
Last edited by DarkStar; 01-13-2019 at 01:09 PM. Reason: *added content