Open to suggestions

[Waterbug]

You would be toying with violating the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. I mean, how you would determine the voltage high enough to make you happy, but not so high that a judge fines you. Then there's the problem of running the wire. Many fish farms put a low voltage wire around ponds to keep out racoons, but herons have no problem going around it.

If we're talking about Great Blue Herons and standard plant shelves I'd say it would be pretty hard for them to stand on the shelf. Just not enough room. And how much closer does a plant shelf get a heron to the fish...8".

They don't care about any of this stuff. They only care about getting the fish. Most can wade just fine in water up to about 3'. Deeper? No problem. They'll fly out, hover, and take a fish. Not a great hunting style in a lake, but in a backyard pond full of bright fat fish, works just fine. And of course standing on the side they can reach maybe 4' or 5' out into the pond because they'll lunge to the point of falling in...but they will get the fish.

IMO I don't think herons give a hoot whether there's a plant shelf or not.

 

[addy1]

During my months long heron visits, daily, I recorded the sucker and kept changing the deterrents. I started out with fishing line strung between poles, 6 inches apart, horizontal, the heron wiggled through, didn't get a fish though, got it feet tangled and nose dived off the edge of the bog. Then put up the chicken wire fencing, 2 foot high, kept them all out except one. It flew over the wire did a header into the pond, got tangled in the fishing line and took off. Most of the time they circled the pond looking for a way though the chicken wire.

They would "visit" for over a hour each time. Except for that one time, they would give up and head up into the garden eating those large black crickets and whatever else they could grab.

I never saw one fly in and "hover" over the pond to pick off a fish. My pond is big enough it could fly in and snatch one, but never saw them try it. I have hours of recordings of their behavior, around my pond. My fish are bright gold / white show up like neon signs, the water is very clear. The herons sure wanted to get to the fish.

When I bought some alligator heads, those seemed to add to the chicken wire deterrent. The herons then circled the pond staring at the alligators, one at each end of the pond. They would not go close to water. They would circle the pond 2-3 times then head off into the gardens. The alligator heads where attached to a piece of fishing line that was attached to a rock, tossed into the water. Enough play that the head could move to each side of the pond and spin around in the wind.

Long summer fight made short.........just once did the heron enter my water, a fly and flop move lol. o/w stayed and circled first trying to find a way to walk in , then trying to see if the alligator would eat it.

I lost one fish to the heron, before I realized they were visiting, it walked up to the shallow area and snatched a small goldie that was among the plants, didn't even get its feet wet. I saw it just as it snatched the fish. That started the deterrent battle.

 

[sissy]

You could move where herons have not been seen .I have yet to ever see one here .I did have a duck scoping out my pond the other day and I explained to him it was to small for him .He did leave so maybe a stern talking will help .

 

[Jeremy]

You would be toying with violating the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. I mean, how you would determine the voltage high enough to make you happy, but not so high that a judge fines you. Then there's the problem of running the wire. Many fish farms put a low voltage wire around ponds to keep out racoons, but herons have no problem going around it.

If we're talking about Great Blue Herons and standard plant shelves I'd say it would be pretty hard for them to stand on the shelf. Just not enough room. And how much closer does a plant shelf get a heron to the fish...8".

They don't care about any of this stuff. They only care about getting the fish. Most can wade just fine in water up to about 3'. Deeper? No problem. They'll fly out, hover, and take a fish. Not a great hunting style in a lake, but in a backyard pond full of bright fat fish, works just fine. And of course standing on the side they can reach maybe 4' or 5' out into the pond because they'll lunge to the point of falling in...but they will get the fish.

IMO I don't think herons give a hoot whether there's a plant shelf or not.

Well, then I guess the best solution would be to stock the pond with fairly cheap, easily replaced fish. :dunno:

Alternately, I guess one could rig something up with a motion sensor and a (loud) truck horn, but I'm thinking that the neighbors would get tired of that REALLY fast. :chair:

 

[taherrmann4]

Looks like I am going to be starting the battle as well. While my in laws were staying at our house while we were on vacation they said the heron visited several times and ended up getting a goldie one time.

 

[addy1]

Good luck tmann, if you find the best solution, let us know. So far for me it is the alligators and chicken wire. jw says her talk radio station keeps them away.

 

[sissy]

bad birdie bad birdie tmann gonna get you