Pond in Southern Illinois

[Sheetmetalman]

Sissy is right--I would never put a snapping turtle in my fish pond--I used to catch them as a teenager on trot lines--we butchered them and ate them ( I know I'm a hillbilly, Anne's told me many times) anyway their claws are very sharp and they are strong --in fact the whole time you were cutting the hide off of a headless turtle their legs were still moving (we cut the head off first or they would get you instead of the other way around--same with the severed head it would still snap on a stick 20 minutes afer it was cut off--now thats a tough animal ) also they have a little worm-like appendage on their tongue that they use to entice fish ( or your Koi) into their open mouth. I actually like and respect snappers and alligator snappers but their holly terrors--although they do taste like chicken, LOL. they can live 70 years in captivity and its though that they may live up to 200 years in the wild, adult male alligator snappers can weigh in excess of 225 lbs have a shell 2 and 1/2 feet or more accross and sever fingers and toes easily--kinda the jaws of fresh water, lol

 

[DrDave]

That is one ugly turtle.

 

[addy1]

I have read about those, they can stay down in your area, I will stick with our little land guys.

 

[CountryEscape]

Land turtles around here (box turtles) probably would stay away from the pond. Snappers are a different story. They sit in the bottom of a mud pond (like my farm pond) and wait for prey. If I ever see one in my koi pond, he will NOT be happy by the time I get him caught and out of there. Worst part is that I will have to drive it far far away, as they can talk a long ways to find different digs.
JW, the only thing about a short wire fence is the "short" part. I've witnessed a box turtle climb a kennel fence up over 4' tall! I suspect other turtles could do it as well. I guess if it was angled outward, where they would fall before getting over the top, it would work, though. If need be, I will put up a fence, but for not all seems to be ok. How long do I have to worry about herons? Can I assume I am safe for this year, since none have visited that I am aware of, or do I need to keep a watch out? Tim, you would know the answer to that, since you live on the lake. I'm still hoping that since I have the nice shallow farm pond with food provided, they will choose that over my pretty clear water koi pond in my back yard! We shall see .....

 

[j.w]

Country never think you are safe cuz just when you think you are they will arrive. One day all of a sudden perhaps a young newcomer who is unwelcome at the farm pond will turn his eyes on you. Keep a watchful eye and take precautions and once they come they will not quit til they have tried everything they can to get yours. I know cuz I have been there and it's not a pretty site. So far I have done what I think is working and still I keep watch. Geez, it sounds like I'm talking about vampires or something from a horror movie, lol!

 

[CountryEscape]

You're right, JW! I should take precautions BEFORE they come and find me! I have this idea that if I put in electric fence posts (not electrify them, just use that as a description) as they are about 3' tall after pushed into the ground, and then string fishing line, that will not hardly show up and cause any problem with the view, but I've heard that if the herons get ready to land and they touch fishing line, they will high tail it out of the area, never to return. But, I'm wondering do I also have to string the line over the edge of the pond as well, or just around it? I do have a shelf on the one end of my pond, where the lily pots are right now. Do they come in and hover and land IN the water, or usually next to it and then walk to the edge? If they walk to the edge, my initial idea will work perfectly. Cheap way to keep them out, too!

 

[j.w]

I think the fishing line thing would work as long as they can't duck down underneath it easily. I have this wire fence from Lowe's and I had to re-enforce it with more pieces of wire in between the gaps in the wire cuz one day a smaller younger heron just tucked his head down and walked right through the fence holes. Now he can't do that anymore w/ my fix. I have heard if they can't just walk in they may not come to your pond but I think they can fly right in and land if they see a shallow spot like a ledge. I do have a ledge but it's 18" deep and so I don't think he can see that and decipher it as a bottom to land on. I don't think they can really hover but kinda just swoop down and land. The ones that have come to my pond have always landed away from the pond and then walked towards it and then did their planning on how to get in. My fence is 2' tall and has gaps maybe 4 - 6" wide and then wire strung in between. You just have to make sure he can't fit through any gaps. I do have another fence inside that outer fence w/ just poles w/ fish line on it for good measure. It's not real pretty w/ all this fencing but better than losing more fish. Someday I may make improvements with nicer fencing. Here's some pictures of the fencing and the size of gaps and all the wire I added in between (which rusted by the way).

 

[CountryEscape]

Thanks for the pics, JW. Sheetmetal, have you had any herons visit your pond yet? You're right next to the lake, so I assume you're hoping they will "fish" in the big waters. My idea with the fishing line is to go horizontal, they would have to step over it, but I see how they can get through the fence when it is more vertical, like yours is. My sister that has a large pond in AZ put up the fishing line, and she also has streamers hanging from it, and she has it across the top, too, I'm pretty sure. She had a VERY bold heron come visiting. Yelled and hollered at it, and it still stood on her 6' concrete wall fence and kept coming back. She was frantic getting her wire back up, but didn't lose any fish over him/her.

 

[Sheetmetalman]

No Patty, no Herons yet--hopeing the dogs and heron statue will keep them away. I do feel like, or at least hope they will concentrate most of their activities down the hill at the lake, easier pickings there but trouble is there are just so many here. When me and Anne are on the pontoon boat we will see between 8 & 20 of them every time were out. Never paid much attention before but I think they do normally land on ground and walk in, but they may land in water occasionally, who knows---I do know they like to land on my boathouse roof occasionally and take a big crap up there--now that really sets your property off from your neighbors, LOL. I usually dont take my boat out of the lake till late september or early october and I see the Herons still active right up till the end of boating season. Late in the year I have seen them flying in flocks like Geese and I know of a big cottonwood tree on the kaskaskia River thats a nest tree that will have up to 14 or 15 Herons nesting in it of an evening. I think Herons are a cool bird--if you didnt have to worry about them eating all the fish

 

[addy1]

With these new guys that are slower guess I need to put up some heron protection.......and they hang out in the lilies, one area is 18 inches or so, so going to do the fishin line at the lily end of the pond.

 

[CountryEscape]

I never knew where or how herons nested, Tim! So do they nest in those cottonwood trees, way above the ground, like the other big birds do? That would be cool to see so many of them in one tree at night. Buzzards always gather at one tree at night, too. Kind of eery .....
Addy, yes, I'm wondering about the babies, although they seem to be much more leery of me so they scatter quicker than the other fish. The koi and larger goldies, on the other hand, come pretty close to see what I'm doing if I'm near the edge, so I'm sure they would be easy pickings. And, it would take probably half of them getting eaten before they might realize what was happening, since I've heard the herons are smooth and quick. So, I think the fishing line is going to be the way to go for me. It shouldn't look too bad, only the posts will show really, and I can put enough on the curve to make it look like it belongs there. I, also, will only have to put it on my lily end. Wonder if they would stand in the bog, though, and fish over the edge? Hmm ..... I'll have to think about that!
Thanks for the info on the herons, Tim. You being in my area, now I know I can't relax after August, but rather have to wait until they are GONE for sure!

 

[j.w]

Oh Country yes they can stand in a bog or anywhere that is shallow looking to them. They would definitely stand on the edge and fish. Anywhere those suckers can reach they will try and they have much patience to keep trying.

 

[CountryEscape]

Darn! Then that means that I might as well have fishing line all the way around my pond, except the waterfall, where there are no fish anyhow. Hmm .... maybe won't need it against the deck. I just have a hard time thinking that a heron would stand between the pond and deck (3' maximum width between the 2) to fish.

 

[j.w]

I would think they are going to go wherever is the easiest for them to get to. Now if you say that you have area's around you that they fish now and get good results then maybe they won't go near your pond or your deck area for fear of humans. I have that same area between my front porch deck and the pond and I still put the fence between the deck and the pond cuz I just don't trust those birds at all. I'm telling ya tho since I put that radio out on the front deck and have it set to come on and go off I haven't seen a heron stop by here in ages. Could be a combination of everything..........even the time I ran out in my robe w/ my hair flying behind me w/ a big broom raised up chasing him all the way off the property. My one cat helps too tho. She saw him and ran all the way around the house after him w/ her hair all poofed up yowling at him and tail flailing back and forth. She wanted to eat that bird up, lol!

 

[sissy]

As a kid I used to live near a canal and up from that by my house was a swampy area and lots of snapping turtles and eels and people used to catch them to eat them .They would build a fire right there some of the times and hang the eel from a tree and skin it and cut it up put it on a stick and shove it into the fire and then eat it .Yukky to me .My neighbor here had a problem with the turtles since the creek runs right behind her house ,I have never seen a heron but we do get a few owls and buzzards doing fly by's .In the spring turkeys and the deer come up and drink from the pond ,ended up I bought them a water trough .Jw thought you only did that at halloween lol