cormorants and trout plants

[Brad Harshman]

A study found that terns nesting on potholes reservoir had a healthy diet of tagged juvenile salmon.  The birds would fly to the Columbia, eat, then fly back to potholes.  The amount, though I can't remember exactly, was significant.

It just goes to show the plan has to be comprehensive.  And tale into account birds with long daily flights and migrating birds too, not just the residents.

[Ricochet]

Planting larger trout isn't the answer.  Cormorants can and do take larger fish.  I took these pic earlier this week here in Oregon.

[Curly]

http://ww.  w.animallaw.info/articles/dduscormorantconflict.htm

the above link is interesting article about cormorants and why is they are protected the protection has to do with an international treaty Signed almost a hundred years ago.  the bottom line appears to be that The United States can kill cormorants without any retribution Canada since there is no teeth for enforcement in the Treaty.

[h2ofowlr]

Time to thin them out!

[singleshot12]

They can start removing them on the mouth of Steaboat slough if they want to make impact here. Those darn things nest out there by the thousands.

Steamboat slough in Everett?  You'd think if enough of us would beach to the state that something could be done locally. Destroying the nests(eggs) in the rookeries makes the most sense.

[lokidog]

Not saying cormorants aren't a problem, but all you guys whining about them, are you shooting every merganser you can during duck season?

I saw one flock of Common Mergansers this year, on the last day of duck season, that had over 500 birds in it.     This is way more than the number of cormorants I see out here.

[splitshot]

30-40 years ago we had no cormorants in the potholes.   now we have thousands.  if every hunter would shoot a few it would help.  blast away.   mike w

[singleshot12]

Not saying cormorants aren't a problem, but all you guys whining about them, are you shooting every merganser you can during duck season?

I saw one flock of Common Mergansers this year, on the last day of duck season, that had over 500 birds in it.     This is way more than the number of cormorants I see out here.

Always feel good about shooting mergansers and they do make good crab bait. What do you think they are feeding on up there Loki? Figured mergansers mostly ate crawdads and sticklebacks where I see them.
Hoping we'll get a season on cormorants in the near future so Loki maybe you can come up with a good recipe for them by then

[singleshot12]

30-40 years ago we had no cormorants in the potholes.   now we have thousands.  if every hunter would shoot a few it would help.  blast away.   mike w

I see V's of them flying over Pugit sound more than grey geese now. They are birds from Hell.

[M_59]

If you are OLD and can remember back to the 60's-70-s, you never saw a cormorant inland of the salt water. Seems like they used to be legal to shoot. I knew guys that went black mouth fishing back in the day after waterfowl season was over and they would shoot up all their left over reloads on roost rocks out in the bay. There are approximately 300 that roost on the power lines every evening at Lions Park in Mt. Vernon. I figure that if they eat "only" 10 smolts per day , that would be 90,000 per month and over one MILLION per year. The state is short on funds, can't fund hatcheries, and we would more than gladly help with the predation problem for FREE. They had/have this problem in Nehalem Bay, Oregon. If you do a search I would imagine you can still find a copy of the study results online. Kinda like the seal/sea lion issue. They spend untold thousands on studies and they take out a couple "problem" ones when you could turn a sportsman loose with a .22 and a 59cent box of ammo. OOOPs, I mean a $10 box of ammo. There I go back to the 70's again.

[metlhead]

Legally, the only thing we can do for cormorants is put the pressure on for more state involved intervention. Don't take chances by shooting them. Responsible hunters in the public's eye are few. Mergansers on the other hand, blast away. SakoS got me hooked on targeting them during slow times, and we even make special trips. A friend made a half dozen full size foam floaters, and those birds readily decoy, making wonderful big and fast targets. AND, they have big fillets that taste just fine. Been doing a number on the cowlitz population for a few years now. Join in and let's make a responsible difference.

[Bullkllr]

Legally, the only thing we can do for cormorants is put the pressure on for more state involved intervention. Don't take chances by shooting them. Responsible hunters in the public's eye are few. Mergansers on the other hand, blast away. SakoS got me hooked on targeting them during slow times, and we even make special trips. A friend made a half dozen full size foam floaters, and those birds readily decoy, making wonderful big and fast targets. AND, they have big fillets that taste just fine. Been doing a number on the cowlitz population for a few years now. Join in and let's make a responsible difference.

That's a really good idea you're onto there. I've always shot 'em incidental- but why not target mergansers?
Plenty of places to hunt, plenty of birds, limited competition...
Merganser derby 2014/15!

I'm sure it's been done before:


http://www.knutsondecoys.com/decoy_duck/sea_duck.html
http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/showthread.php?t=823989
Zach Knepp Outdoors common merganser decoys

[ICEMAN]

I have eaten megansers and they are just fine. Don't expect chicken, treat them like steak.

[lokidog]

I have eaten megansers and they are just fine. Don't expect chicken, treat them like steak.

   I did Salsbury Steak with mine this year and even my, sometimes strong tasting meat finicky, wife liked it.

A Merganser Derby would be fun, although they seem to be a lot more wary than many other ducks out here on the salt, sometimes.

Singleshot, they are probably eating smelt or herring and any incidental fish, shrimp, and small crabs they can find.  They stretch out in a line and just work the bait like a huge net.  A couple years ago, I had 78 of them swim by the end of the dock where we keep our dinghy.

[singleshot12]

If you are OLD and can remember back to the 60's-70-s, you never saw a cormorant inland of the salt water. Seems like they used to be legal to shoot. I knew guys that went black mouth fishing back in the day after waterfowl season was over and they would shoot up all their left over reloads on roost rocks out in the bay. There are approximately 300 that roost on the power lines every evening at Lions Park in Mt. Vernon. I figure that if they eat "only" 10 smolts per day , that would be 90,000 per month and over one MILLION per year. The state is short on funds, can't fund hatcheries, and we would more than gladly help with the predation problem for FREE. They had/have this problem in Nehalem Bay, Oregon. If you do a search I would imagine you can still find a copy of the study results online. Kinda like the seal/sea lion issue. They spend untold thousands on studies and they take out a couple "problem" ones when you could turn a sportsman loose with a .22 and a 59cent box of ammo. OOOPs, I mean a $10 box of ammo. There I go back to the 70's again.

  You said it!!

As far as I can tell the cormorant is just another invasive predator like the wolf,cougar etc. being protected for what ever ridiculous reason?