Cormorants !!

[h2ofowlr]

I have noticed the large quantities of cormorants in the area and there population seems to be growing uncontrollably.  I have had to sit there and watch them gobble up tons of fry.  I am assuming those are probably salmon, but that is an assumption.  I wanted to see if anyone has heard of any management plans in order to control them as it is illegal to shoot them.  If given the green light, I am sure the hunters could help control the numbers while providing great eats for all the local food banks.  Can any of the biologist or wardens weigh in on this that frequent the sight?

[Dustin07]

i thinks they eat all fish fry they can get a hold of, including trout, bass, etc. I've seen them on my fav duck luck chowin down. as far as I know they are still protected and will be as long as seagulls are... 

[Professor Chaos]

i think if you could scientifically prove that they are hurting certain runs of fish there might be a way to start shooting them.  I believe that is the case with the terns down on the lower part of the columbia. 

Just an FYI.  They are known to sink when shot.   

[chester]

you can shoot terns?

[Professor Chaos]

not everyone.  Just some people with the OK from the ODFW i think.  i am not 100% on the logistics of that shooting but i know they kill some terns down there.
a 270 and a bunch of comorants lined up on pilings sounds about perfect 

[chester]

i was hoping washington was giving that the green light.

[NW-GSP]

they opened a season in michigan, no limit on them

[h2ofowlr]

I was down in Chinook, WA in August and the locals were talking about harvesting a bunch.  It is insane how many are flying around.  Thousands of them everywhere.  Chinook is located near the mouth of the Columbia River where the Cormorants, Terns and Sea Lions are putting a hurt on the salmon.

[Ray]

I'd love to shoot em. Bet they taste horrible.

[chester]

yea im just north of chinook. they are everywhere in the bay and the columbia. wonder who you have to talk to to get the go ahead on them.

[teal101]

I was down in Chinook, WA in August and the locals were talking about harvesting a bunch.  It is insane how many are flying around.  Thousands of them everywhere.  Chinook is located near the mouth of the Columbia River where the Cormorants, Terns and Sea Lions are putting a hurt on the salmon.

We used to vacation in the Fort Stevens park and bike up to the tip of the peninsula.  It was insane to watch thousands of cormorants flying all over in huge groups..

[Dustin07]

i bet they taste similar to any other meat eating game animal. flavor is probably fixable with the right ingredients 

[addicted]

they taste fine to me. just like any other bird, you gotta pick out the pellets 

[woodywsu]

Cormorants, gulls, and mergansers are all making a very large impact on out-migrating salmonids. These three species are actively hazed at most dams and are lethally removed at a few. However, caspian terns are a larger problem than anything. It is very hard to obtain a permit to remove them from tailraces (below dams). I believe USACE is contracting out USDA wildlife services to actively haze/remove avian predators from their projects. To my knowledge, Douglas, Chelan, and Grant PUD all have avian predator control programs active during spring and summer run off when smolt are out-migrating.

[ducksdoom12]

i have actually cooked cormorants up before. there not bad. the best way to cook um is
too brine it in some salt water and any herbs you have in the house
take the meat and put it on a peice of wood (apple wood works best)
barbaque for about 4 hours with really low heat
take it out of the barbaque (wood and meat)
but some sort of sauce on it, i use bbq but anything would work:drool:
then put it in the oven for anther 2 hours at 225.
after that take it out of the oven, take the meat off of the peice of wood, throw away the meat, and eat the peice of wood