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Question:

Late last summer I had my pond of 17 large goldfish taken by a heron.  It’s happened twice before.  Fed up I replaced the flexible liner with a fiberglass one 3 feet deep – added several cinder blocks, and an large owl decoy which is perched on a post looking ominously down at the pond.  So far – so good!

Response:

Dam….must be a pretty dam big heron to fly away with an entire pond, that big sucker…are yu sure it was not a Pteradactyl or something like that? foxeye – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Late last summer I had my pond of 17 large goldfish taken by a heron.  It’s >happened twice before.  Fed up I replaced the flexible liner with a >fiberglass one 3 feet deep – added several cinder blocks, and an large owl >decoy which is perched on a post looking ominously down at the pond.  So >far – so good!

Response:

I’ve had some luck with the "ScareCrow" device I found on the web last year. It is a motion sensor that shoots a burst of water in a set path when something enters the sensor . Last year Heron got all fish before I installed this. I still have every fish I bought since then. — Linda P. Stauffer Quakertown, PA Stauffer Ceramics new site! <http://members.aol.com/staufferl/index.html> Quakertown Swim Teams <http://members.aol.com/artistlps/QSST.html>

Response:

I’m looking forward to my first Heron, got the BB gun all lubed and ready to go! SSSQQQUAAAAAAACK!!!! Mike – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Dam….must be a pretty dam big heron to fly away with an entire pond, >that big sucker…are yu sure it was not a Pteradactyl or something >like that? >foxeye >Late last summer I had my pond of 17 large goldfish taken by a heron.  It’s >happened twice before.  Fed up I replaced the flexible liner with a >fiberglass one 3 feet deep – added several cinder blocks, and an large owl >decoy which is perched on a post looking ominously down at the pond.  So >far – so good!

Mike Patterson   –   Deacon Blues EAA #523920  NRA #920202222  ICQ #7161589 "Sharing the things I know and love with those of my kind…"  * In memory of Gunnery Sgt.Carlos N.Hathcock II "Long Tra’ng" – Semper Fidelis – Feb.23rd,1999 I never knew him, but I consider him an American hero.  * con?sult’ant n. 1. one who gives professional or technical advice 2. mental prostitute

Response:

> I’m looking forward to my first Heron, got the BB gun all lubed and > ready to go! > SSSQQQUAAAAAAACK!!!! > Mike

Mike, Don’t forget: fish are like little kids, they’ll put anything that fits into their mouths, especially if it’s like the pellets they’re fed anyhow. Somehow, I don’t think copper-coated lead pellets will be too good for them (Mama mia!), so please exercise gun control and make every shot count. (not that I’m advocating shooting at an endangered species) — Nick, Retired in the San Fernando Valley (*&^)/                        Usenet for the Web

Response:

>Don’t forget: fish are like little kids, they’ll put anything that fits >into their mouths, especially if it’s like the pellets they’re fed anyhow. >Somehow, I don’t think copper-coated lead pellets will be too good for >them (Mama mia!), so please exercise gun control and make every shot count. >(not that I’m advocating shooting at an endangered species)

Not that I’m advocating shooting anything, but Herons – endangered?  I don’t think so.  They’re not terribly common (in the sense that they aren’t everywhere, like sparrows), but I could almost guarantee that I could spot a heron on any reasonably quiet stretch of water in S. Ontario if I watched for a day. As for fish, lead pellets won’t do them too much harm, but what IS really harmed are bottom feeding water birds, like swans. — rec.ponds FAQ  http://w3.one.net/~rzutt/faq.html Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first, and the lesson afterward.

Response:

Herons are migratory birds (there are *some* year round colonies) so they are protected under the Migratory Bird Act. *Migratory Bird Treaty Act This Act, originally passed in 1918, provides protection for migratory birds.