Seen a couple a week ago counted 22 this morning on my property sitting in a maple tree over looking a pond
can we shoot them yet legally?
the tree is already showing leaf thinning
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Seen a couple a week ago counted 22 this morning on my property sitting in a maple tree over looking a pond
can we shoot them yet legally?
the tree is already showing leaf thinning
there is still the 3S'S rule.
If they open a season, it would likely be the same time as other waterFowl. End of September to December, when Cormorants have all but left. Then when there little to no Cormorants shot they can say there is no interest and no need for a season.
I’d save the tree
We spent the past month of February in Louisiana. I gave up counting but for the first few evenings I counted roughly over 500 within 10 minutes coming in to our bay to overnight. After seeing that, I wonder if shooting a few dozen would make any difference.
.
The season would need to be over the spring and summer. When the birds are here.Quote:
Originally Posted by sawbill
I've always been puzzle why we think the Cormorants should be shot off. Have they now become more successful than the human specie and the desire to shoot them is rooted in jealousy?
You don't stop hunting because youn grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut
To simply answer the OP's question. No you can not shoot cormorants legally yet.
say goodbye to your tree.
Bad weekend to really do any shooting Comorants move on by 7:00am
But on a side note this pond had a tremendous frog population where you couldn’t sit outside after 8:30 pm without going deaf
last two mornings I would say the Cormorants have removed 70% of the frog population fish were taken early in the spring
Bring on the mosquito’s ?
On Rice Lake for Pickerel last week and went trolling around West Grape Island. The Cormorants have virtually defoliated all the trees and it looks like the bird crap is ankle deep. There were dozens of them continually diving on fish. What a mess! Permission to shoot on sight won't come soon enough.
There are other explanations for the frogs going silence apart from Cormorant predation, although that may be factor. There are other factors that can switch them off such as changes in temperature or an increase in wind, “ ... the frogs of any one species in one area are similarly adapted to conditions of that locality, they can all switch on or switch off with amazing synchronicity. One night, the chorus frogs (Pseudacris feriarum) are calling like crazy, and the next night there is silence. High temperature in particular seems to have this effect. And the effect of high temperature is fairly universal across many species of amphibians, which is why I suspect that if you had several species calling and then silence, it was probably a rise in temperature that switched them all off at once.”Quote:
Originally Posted by js4fn
You don’t stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut
Do you believe that the over abundance of cormorants, and the spreading of their range is beneficial to the enviroment? If yes, please explain why.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gun Nut
My question is what are people going to do with all the cormorants they shoot?
Not a big fan of just shooting stuff for the fun. Would imagine they would taste like &;$$; but don’t know. Anyone ever tried one?
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What do you do with : ????Quote:
Originally Posted by Saskfly
Gophers
Groundhogs ( if you had any)
Crows
Starlings
English Sparrows
Magpies
Jackdaw
Quote:
Originally Posted by js4fn
Yes you can shoot any animal destroying your property legally. I think it’s in the hunting regs. Let some steel fly[emoji16]
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Shot gophers out west for the bounty. Ground hog tastes pretty good, like it roasted. Never shot any of the other species.
I’m in if the government puts a bounty on the cormorants.
Just curious if anyone has tried one before.
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I have seen recipes in a couple of old Irish CookBooks, but the Irish....they...I mean....you know tha.....:confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by Saskfly
They have a "taste" for the ....:rolleye:.....Whiskey.
:joker:
If you read my initial premise carefully, you might understand where I’m coming from.Quote:
Originally Posted by zoli 16ga.
Do you believe that the over population of the human specie, and the spreading of their range is beneficial to the environment? If yes, please explain why. The Cormorants haven’t begun to be as detrimental to the environment as our specie. Why should we attempt to eradicate a specie that doesn’t stand a chance of messing up the environment half as much as we have. The Cormorant may even be an asset in dealing with some of the invasive species that have been devastating our fishery. The last great population of a specie that use to break tree limbs and wreck forests was the passenger pigeon. It’s number were so extensive while flying over head they could literally blot out the rays of the sun. It was hunted to extinction by market hunter to provide table fare an expanding population of humans. Maybe it’s a good thing that the Cormorant isn’t that eatable.
You don’t stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut
No one said anything about "eradication" which would be impossible,at any rate. What we need is a concerted effort to cull the species from over population. Declaring them as varmints is only a first step. Biologic methods are also useful. There's simply far too many of them,nobody can deny that. Your analogy to human over population is ridiculous.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gun Nut
When they don't have any facts they use Emotional statements.Quote:
Originally Posted by trimmer21
Things that make one give their head a shake !!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Gun Nut
If they need “facts”, take a ride to the islands in the west end of Erie!!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowwalker
If that is the case it is equally ridiculous to cull another specie if it has over population problems. It can't help it if it enjoys procreating when there is no need for it to do so. As the environment seems to be entirely in a state of crisis. Humans endeavors to point their finger at every thing else while neglecting to realize they have three remaining fingers that curve round and point back at themselves. Wonder who finally figured out that climate change was a direct result of human activity. If it is and I say if, the obvious momentum behind it is human over population.The more of us, the hotter it's likely to get. Because more humans mean more human activity. There's simply far too many of us, nobody can deny that. So the analogy to Cormorant over population is not that ridiculous.Quote:
Originally Posted by trimmer21
You don't stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut.
Hey Gun Nut, I have a Cousin that is working a Phd. Could you talk to him for a while?
Actually at one point we did have a method of culling the human specie, it was call war. The Napoleonic Wars, World .War I, followed by World .War II. Then we discovered nuclear weaponry and decided a war fought in that type of theater could spell the end of our specie, as well as a goodly number of others. Back then we didn’t use terms like varmints, they were just referred to as enemies. After population numbers leveled off, peace treaties were signed , after which population numbers would again increase towards a later time of conflict. When nuclear weaponry came along it upset the pattern, there were still culls but they were more or less localized conflicts, nothing of mayor proportion . These, of course, have spawn ensuing refugee crises, while the rise in population numbers have lead to the current migration trends. Overtime as human spread across geographical area, they displace wild habitat and wildlife. Talk about crisis, a few years back there was always a paragraph in the Ontario Hunting Regulations that use to list endangered species. Now the list it seems has grown so long it would fill a booklet as thick as the Regulations. I can’t imagine why. Let’s blame the Cormorants they are as good a target as any. Maybe they should be added to the list of unprotected song birds along with the American crow, red-wing blackbird, cowbird, sparrow and starling,Quote:
Originally Posted by trimmer21
You don’t stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut
Sorry,bud,but,I think you're right off the wall with this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gun Nut
You need help dude....seriousely.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gun Nut
Maybe he will be kind enough to show us the way......Gun Nut You start and we will( not bloody likely) follow.
I was thinking that myself....just didnt want to say it. I guess he chose not to procreate.....you know....to slow down the world population growth.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowwalker
I think Gun Nut has made some good points. Us humans are the ones who have screwed things up more than any other animal. I'll even bet that there are some populations who would refer to some of us as invasive species!!
I would agree with that statement wholeheartedly.Quote:
Originally Posted by redd foxx
I believe that most people do have some valuable input on this thread. Humans have changed the environment more then any other creatures as far as we know, but nature is and has always been about change, that is not going to change.
Some animals however have changed our environment more then we as humans feel they should whether it be our fault or not. For instance rabbits in Australia, Asian Carp and gobies in N.A., and now the overpopulation and expansion of the cormorant just to name a few.
One huge difference is that we as humans can change the balance back in our favor concerning the build-up of these birds as they do adversely affect their own environment if left unchecked and move on to the next area,not unlike a plague of locusts would.
Some are going to like these cull/eradication options, some are not. Oh well. Better to try to control before it is too late.
John
Well said Johnjyb-best short summary of what is happening and what should be done.Quote:
Originally Posted by johnjyb
Not challenging or denying our ,very negative impact on the nature around us..........yet thing should be kept in certain checks.
I clearly could not understand one more circumstance-in this topic,and/or related concerns(bear,coyote , wolf,now cormorant protection)-all those bleeding hearts somehow easily and without any guilt disregard the fact that those very species are actually harming-eradicating other species, by them being out of control.Simply by their sheer numbers they impact "others"environment -they need to eat,house somewhere-and that very negatively impacts other species.
So-why worry so "loudly" about one specie-at a cost of another one?
Hypocritical at best.
I agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by johnjyb
Perhaps we only flatter ourselves into believing we have some magical means of regulate a specie through culling. In some cases, it does help bring their numbers in line with their habitats ability to support them, at least that is the hope behind wildlife management. However, when it fails there can be a dramatic turn about, as was witness in northeastern Ontario a few years back. where the winter die off of deer serve to ignite an explosion in the coyote population. The coyotes had it so good. they up their litter numbers, with the result that the deer herd has had something of lack luster recovery. Now, of course, culling the coyotes seems to have gain in popularity, but has had dubious results. What seems to be happening is when you knock off a breeding pair of alpha coyotes, it opens up the way for non-breeding pairs of beta coyotes to start families. I’ve herd that the MNRF has suggested a more effective way to reduce coyote numbers is through disease. Something like mange which progress through the population as a whole. Biological control or if you like germ warfare.Quote:
Originally Posted by zoli 16ga.
Early I spoke of the extinction of the passenger pigeon, they were shot off as a result of market hunting. They served as an example along with the bison, why there was a need for regulated hunting. However, with the passenger pigeon there was another item that was into play, which came to my attention a year or so ago, some where amid the passenger pigeon’s population explosion a biological switch was thrown. The mating pairs reduce their clutch size, such that they only raised one offspring. In other words their breeding habit changed to ensure a declining population dynamic. It may have been their over population numbers that threw that switch.
What causes throwing of such switches is hard to say. I came across an article the other day, where I read groups of younger humans are contemplating forgoing children. They fear the uncertainties of climate change. As I recall with us baby boomer it was fear of nuclear war, However for us that fear didn’t appear to trigger any biological switches to be thrown, which might of slowed the growth of human population numbers.
You don’t stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut
Gun Nut the massive killing of the bison and little to do with Market hunting, yes there was a market for the meat and hides.
The very unpleasant fact is that one of the main reasons behind the killing off of the bison herds was to limit or remove a major food source for the Natives.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowwalker
I fully agree with you on that one Snowwalker, when the Europeans colonist move westward and want to clear the plains of the indigenous people they did there, what they did everywhere else. They would set up settlement next to indigenous lands. Trespass onto the land held by the indigenous people kill off the wild game. Hence when they had no wild game left for to carry on their traditional indigenous rights, It made it much easier for colonists to coerce them into treating for their lands. The bison were slaughtered for their robes which were shipped east to be manufacture into drive belts to feed a growing industry of steam operated equipment. Apparent the flesh of bison carcasses was left on the plains to rough in the sun. The demise of much of the vast bison herd of the plains was still a convincing argument to be used by a number of concerned hunters to push for an end to market hunting and have some type of wildlife management and a regulated hunt.
You don't stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut
looks like gun nuts has all the answers. Boy he's smart, and I'm assuming he's a he. Far be it for me to ask why he polutes the world even more to just go out and shoot things becuase he is a gun nut. hypocrite anyone.....
With gratitude to President Theodore Roosevelt who introduced game management tools into law and ended "market" hunting,forever,we fast forward to today where "culls" appear to be necessary in some instances to restore the natural balance. Cormorants appear to be at the top of the list in Ontario.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gun Nut
And add the guys who bought, then organized/regulated, Long Point duck hunting....and helped create the North American waterfowl conservation act....and the LPWMU...but I could be wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by trimmer21
Actually I don’t take game unless it can be legally shot and I think it is likely to serve my table or it’s doing unnecessary damage to my property, or posing a threat to my safety. I’ve have never found that Cormorants fall in anyone of those categories so they are not something I would go out of my way to waste my powder on. If I’m that desperate for something to target, I have a trap and plenty of clay pigeons. I have property in an area where bear are present so I rarely go afield without a gun, I have no interest in shooting bear, but if bear takes more than a passing interest in me I will attempt to stop it. There are many forms of escapism in this world, I found mine many years ago. It’s to go afield with a firearm in hand and be surround by the beauty and wonders of natural world. If that makes me a hypocrite so be it.Quote:
Originally Posted by zoli 16ga.
You don’t stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut
You did just prove my point, so thank you. Have a great day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gun Nut
He seems pretty smart to me. Not sure what your issue is thoughQuote:
Originally Posted by zoli 16ga.
He sounds ok to me as well and he seems to get his point across without resorting to degrading others.....unless I've missed something in his/her posts.Quote:
Originally Posted by zoli 16ga.
looks like gun nuts has all the answers. Boy he's smart, and I'm assuming he's a he. Far be it for me to ask why he polutes the world even more to just go out and shoot things becuase he is a gun nut. hypocrite anyone.....
This for a start. perhaps he does not understand the word cull...Quote:
Originally Posted by Gun Nut
cull
noun
1. a selective slaughter of wild animals.
Then he lovingly becomes an invasive species and walks into admittedly bear country and carries a gun to possibly kill a bear that wishes to eradicate him from their habitat....?
You can't be a hunter, or as he explains, be a human as part of the over population as he discribes is ruining the world, and be good with it.....
I'm sure he does not drive a zero emissions car, has a zero carbon footprint, shoots only nontoxic shot, and only kills an animal as a last resort, or give up his land and give it back to nature. I'm sure he'd kill a rat, mouse, carpenter ants etc, that has infected his premises. Perhaps he would aslo not resist people from another country trying to impose their rule on him? Stating or preaching the obviouse also does not make him wise by any standard.
As long as he admits he's a hypocrite, he's good with me.
Wow.....
That was my thought as well. Some people can’t seem to participate like an adult.Quote:
Originally Posted by redd foxx
Just this so-called definition alone makes me wonder. Any cull done properly can hardly be called a slaughter. Most are carried out within the boundaries associated with a legitimate and legal hunt.
I don't kill animals I don't eat.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowwalker
Simple.
Zoli 16ga is definitely a challenge, and he seems to likes to set some pretty narrow limits. That he views my personal hunting ethics as hypocritical may says more about him than does me, but that's okay too. I do have some more information for him to chew on.
Let me begin with the word “cull,” From the Random House College Dictionary: - v.t. 1. To choose; select; pick; gather the choice things or parts: 2. to collect; gather pluck. - n. 3. act of culling. 4. Anything picked out put aside as inferior. The Eskimos believe that the wolf was an ally in the hunt for caribou. The wolf would remove from the caribou herd the diseased and weak animals, leaving them with health and strong animals for their food supply. Hence their view that caribou feed the wolf and the wolf kept the caribou strong.
Back on the farm I raised chicken, in the fall I would cull the cockerels and the pullets, the pullets were kept for egg production, with the exception of maybe one to keep the pullets active, the rest of the cockerels were used to provided table meat. The MNRF likes to use the word cull to describe the removal of animals from the deer herd to bring population into line with the supply of habitat resources for over wintering. There goal is to separate out enough animals to protect the integrity of the breeding herd. With wildlife, of course, separating out (the meaning of cull) often means killing off.
However cull can be apply to other aspects of life. For instance corporations do culls. They separate out and remove seemingly non productive elements within the organization. In that manner, resources can be made available for more productive element to survive downturns in the economy, sadly one the most recent example has been GM.
The Cormorants are, of course, is our focus. I believe it was point out to me that the Cormorants in the Great Lake Basin were at such a low ebb that they might have been able to worm their was on to the Endanger Species List. Then something happen and biological switch was thrown, leading to a population explosion. When it happy our club. conservation director, raised a couple of concerns the one, of course, was that of the tree destruction around their nesting areas, the second was the impact on the game fishery. The fear was because of their abundance they would out compete the game fish population for the ground fish in the lakes. A campaign began to locate their nesting sites in order to oil their eggs. Then shoots were attempted in certain areas in order to reduce their numbers. Apparently both endeavors have only resulted in a marginal impact.. Why?
My guest is that there is an abundant food supply, and a lack of completion for it. I have to imagine when their number were low in the Great Lake Basin, they nested further north where they competed for the available food resources with the various diving ducks species . The Great Lake Basin may only been a fly pass until some event interrupt their migration and landed them in the Basin to discover its rich resources, so they stay and began nesting..
My reason for thinking this. Back in the early seventies I was involved in an ethology course, in which I was required to research and write a paper. The subject could be on anything that was relevant to the field of study, and of our own choosing. Being hunter bird migration seem to be shoe-in. In my research I came across on article on the migration of geese. The article told of a very disappoint group of southern goose hunters. In that year, the geese migration came to an abrupt halt in the Delmar Peninsula area. The geese settled in and wintered. Farmers in the area were experimenting with a new type of corn harvesters, the machines appeared to have left more corn in their tailings than ended up in the corn bins. The geese prove themselves opportunist.
You don’t stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut,
Then your fine with your livestock breaking legs in holes, or having your Lambs, Calves and kids( baby goats) killed well the Ewe, Cow, or Nanny is trying to give birth?Quote:
Originally Posted by johny
Quote:
Originally Posted by johny
That's the problem when people are removed from rural live and grow up in the confines of suburbia, they lose their grasp on reality.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowwalker
I've said that on here many times and still some Hunters refuse to grasp that that is what their role is during the fall hunts. If we don't assist nature in culling the deer, the entire herds survival becomes endangered.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gun Nut
Over my many years of hunting 61 into 62nd., I have "culled " many groundhogs, cotton tailed rabbits, jack rabbits, pigeons, ducks, geese, grouse, deer, moose,starlings, crows, cowbirds, , coons, coyotes, possums, sparrows, squirrels, rats and mice. and some that I have probably forgotten about.Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
Some of these have been of the edible variety which we enjoyed , others were not., hides of the fur bearers were also not wasted as they were sent to North Bay Fur Auctions.
I suppose that in johny,s eye,s I am a bad guy because I have killed animals that I/We didn't eat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
There is a major disconnect when it comes to the public and it's understanding of culling Vs Hunting Vs Management. In the case of an area having a few more deer then is healthy for example, were the MNRF decides that the over population can be solved by issuing a few extra tags.Quote:
Originally Posted by jaycee
The funds from the sale of the extra tags, a few more tanks of gas and motel/hotel rooms and meals, help the MNRF and the local economy. BUT the public campaign against allowing MNRF to issue more tags sways the public and the Political pressure to Manage the deer and not let hunters shoot them wins out.
So now the MNRF announces that they have given a Wild Life Management Company a contract to "Stabilize" the local deer population and the public is all cheers and smiles because they saved the deer.
Company sends five shooters in to area and a number of deer are killed and thrown in the local dump.
Oh and the company bills the MNRF a few million to do it. Guess were your's and my Hunting and Fishing License fee just went?
In regards to deer I have never heard of an 'contract agency' doing this. They usually get the First Nation (treaty rights) go in and cull the required deer for the meat.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowwalker
On farms they let 'agents' of the farmers 'cull' nuisance deer that are destroying crops, but again I do believe the meat is taken.
Back in the day, before political correctness, they used to have bounties on gophers etc to cull down the numbers.
Did The MNRF, NOT BRING IN "Snipers from New Zealand a couple of years ago , to cull the deer on Point Pelee, or Rondeau Prov. Park " ?Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
There were pictures/articles in the newspapers regarding this incident with a large outcry from the public.
Used to shoot them on sight or they cleaned out the fish in the pond and move on to the neighbors. Don't see any use for them around here....Quote:
Originally Posted by js4fn
You must find yourself in a real moral dilemma when it comes to setting a mouse trap... or do you eat them too?Quote:
Originally Posted by johny
Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
You are both correct. The thing that it boils down to is these days is that the cheap and cost effective ways of doing things is never an option.Quote:
Originally Posted by jaycee
I stood in a parking lot last night and listened to a farmer go on for about 20 to 30 minutes about Raccoons on his farm destroying crops and damaging buildings. Told him about the option to have a hunter or Trapper remove a few, but he said the government should hire an Agent to fix the problem. This was after I had already told him that any licensed Hunter or Trapper was a licensed Agent for the Province. The guy was willing to pay an agent hired by the Province, but did not want some one to do it for free.
Now I may be wrong, but if you as a land owner are willing to let me hunt/trap on your property, and I am removing Pests and protecting your Crops, Livestock and Property why should I NOT do it for ******FREE******?
Many times went I am talking to land owners about Pigeons for example, everything is going good till they ask what the removal of the pigeons will cost. When I say I don't want to be payed I'll just do it for free, they change their minds.
They can be substituted for meat balls I hear.Quote:
Originally Posted by GW11
The Point Pelee was done by First Nations....the outcry was from non-indigenous hunters wondering why they weren't allowed. The Park in under treaty rights...Quote:
Originally Posted by jaycee
Quote:
Point Pelee National Park closed between January 10 and 26 for a deer cull to reduce the population by 50.
The deer population was estimated at 120 before the cull, up from 103 last January, according to Tammy Dobbie, the park's ecologist. The park works with the Caldwell First Nation, who take the deer for personal and ceremonial use.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
The NZ guys were the Islands off BC. They also were using Suppressed Rifle. Something you or I would be lined up and shot for even talking about.Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
Its the world we live in. You charge a fee than you are responsible for any adverse outcomes. Got to thank the lawyers for this one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowwalker
So your saying the old farmer wants to pay me, for what I am willing to do for free?Quote:
Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers
Not sure what your trying to get at there?
Cormorants seem like pretty smart birds too. I bet they will catch on very quickly when they are getting shot at.
And Im not buying any damn cormorant calls or decoys lol
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He pays for extermination service you get hurt... not his problem as he payed for a service.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowwalker
He lets you shoot some pigeons for free you hurt yourself you hire a lawyer to sue him for negligence.
Its a changing world.
I see what you mean now.Quote:
Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers
I have insurance for that as well, and do tell them about it.
I’m always amused in attempting to find historical information on the internet how sketchy it is. For instance I can find information on when the Cormorant population in the Great Lake basin began to explode. But information on when residential fishing licencing came into full swing doesn’t appear to be available. I stopped fishing at that time, and it’s so far back I’ve lost track of when it began.. I recall after the fishing licence got established they started fish restocking to give fishermen some return on the money they were spending on licencing. The earliest restocking started in the Great Lake basin and eventually after they received enough complains from those further back, they move on into stocking the back lakes. They dumped a lot of fry into the Great lake basin to improve the game fishery. After recalling the Delmar Peninsula thing with the corn harvest and the geese, I’m half wondering if the surplus of food from the restocking of game fish in the Great Lake basin may have been the biological trigger, that caused the Cormorants to stop their northern migration and take up residence in the basin. Something to think about.
You don’t stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut
The amount of fish being stocked in the lakes would not be enough to cause numbers to increase the way they have. Cormorants began showing up in the Rondeau Bay, Lake Erie areas back in the early 70s, long before any fish stocking took place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gun Nut
Do have any dates for the initial stocking? The graph I'm looking at suggest some rather low numbers up until the beginning of the 80s. There appears to be a small jump around 84, with a big explosion coming in the late 80s and early 90. Over 10,000 nesting sites by 1991.Quote:
Originally Posted by rick_iles
You don't stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut
No.... if my memory serves me correctly, the initial fish stocking was in the mid to late 80s, when coho were introduced. Again, I doubt that the number of fish stocked would impact cormorant numbers. I would suggest that their numbers went up as the lake water clarity improved due to zebra mussels. Prior to that, the lake was so dirty they likely couldn’t find fish. IMHO, factors including climate change and lake water clarity improvements contributed to the explosion of cormorant numbers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gun Nut
Timing coincides with the round goby invasion. I wonder what percent of their diet is gobies. Wouldn't be surprised if it's the number one fish by total biomass in lakes like Erie now. I remember reading that they figure the big increase in Red-necked Grebe populations in the Great lakes is attributed to this food source.
https://greatlakesecho.org/2010/07/1...sh-study-says/
Looks like it could be a factor
They may be eating fewer game fish because there are less game fish to eat..Quote:
Originally Posted by Fenelon
If you have ever seen a large flock of Cormorants feeding, you can see they are not feeding at the bottom, where gobies live. They are clearly feeding on schools of fish.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowwalker
Till the schools of game fish are gone, then and only then would they maybe feed on Gobies.Quote:
Originally Posted by rick_iles
Which was my point. When the game fish are depleted they have to switch to Gobies. Does not help the game fish populations.
Karen found a dead Cormorant this spring, it had a large Carp down it's throat but got tangled in fishing line and drown(?). They can swallow some pretty large fish