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Location: Westland, Mich. | news on the cormorant problem was in my latest issue of michigan out of doors magazine. the story reads as follows.
"the final rule to permit agencies to shoot nuisance double-crested cormorants was published by the FEDERAL REGISTER and became effective nov. 7, 2003, through april 30, 2009.
the rule authorizes state fish and wildlife agencies, federally recognized tribes and state directors of the u.s. dept. of agriculture and it's animal and plant health inspection service to prevent depridations on the public resources of fish, wildlife plants and their habitats by killing or otherwise taking without a permit double-crested cormorants found to be committing or about to commit such depridation."
we, as individuals will not be allowed at this time to take matters into our own hands. still, this is a start on preserving our fish resources and the habitate that these preditors are consuming. the whole rule may be viewed by going to http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html type in "cormorant" and you will be given the whole rule along with all the history.
i do believe that this is a very nice christmas present.
Edited by JAKE 12/19/2003 10:31 PM
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Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Jake.
Anything to reduce the comorants numbers is a good thing. But I wonder who gets to determine rather any one flock or group are threatening any one school or migratory run of fish, to keep within this new law. I believe letting duck hunters or having a special season, where just a few can be harvested by each hunter would go a lot further to reduce the mass of these small fish decimators. I seen unbelievable massive flocks of these flying parasites this year on the Saginaw Bay. More than in years past.
And I wonder where you apply to be one of these federal shooters.
Edited by walleye express 12/20/2003 8:39 AM
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Posts: 714
| I guess I would have to ask this, is the shooting of some "problem" comorants going to reduce the problem, or just spread that problem to other waters where those birds feel safer? In other words, will we end up with fewer birds on say, Saginaw Bay, because they were killed off, or because they have relocated to any number of say 50 other lakes in the area, and thus spreading their carnage over a greater area than just the "Bay"? |
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Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Good point Jake.
The solution used to be destroying a certain amount of their eggs while in their rookery. I think this was the best method, rather than letting them mature and incumpus a whole other block of problems with PETA and others crying about shooting the poor birds. This also reduces the birds in that area without chancing the problems you've described. |
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Posts: 188
Location: Westland, Mich. | w.e. that was jldII not jake, but his question is still valid. because these birds colonize, i think that they will go after nesting areas and damage the eggs. the birds don't know it and they waste themselves sitting on a bad nest. the other thing is that cormorants are voracious feeders and it would take a pretty good sized body of water to support a flock. |
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Noticed a (very) large flock of these birds in the Manitowoc Harbour a few years ago. Then someone told me the DNR had just released a batch of fingerling trout and the birds were there for an easy feast.
Wonder how these birds taste?
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Posts: 714
| Originally written by Rick Larson on 2003-12-20 10:42 AM
Noticed a (very) large flock of these birds in the Manitowoc Harbour a few years ago. Then someone told me the DNR had just released a batch of fingerling trout and the birds were there for an easy feast.
Wonder how these birds taste?
Never tried them myself, but I heard they like a cross between a loon and a coot! LOL
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Posts: 714
| Originally written by walleye express on 2003-12-20 9:18 AM
Good point Jake.
The solution used to be destroying a certain amount of their eggs while in their rookery. I think this was the best method, rather than letting them mature and incumpus a whole other block of problems with PETA and others crying about shooting the poor birds. This also reduces the birds in that area without chancing the problems you've described.
Who is to say you couldn't live trap some racoons and release them on an island comorant's use as a rookery, and let them feed on eggs till their hearts desire is filled? When the eggs run out, they might take out a few birds, but probably just swim back to land and continue life. In other words, let nature help us with this problem and keep all the fanatics quiet.
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Location: Green Bay, WI | Now I like that idea!!!! Get the coons off the turkey and grouse eggs and get them on the flying rat eggs. I know a number of small islands in the Bay of Green Bay where it would be a great experiment, the only problem the cormorants droppings have killed all the trees, the poor coons wouldn't have any place to hide out during the day. |
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Posts: 540
Location: Milw, WI | At Erie last year in Canada waters we saw dead rats floating, yes dead ones.
They had choked and drown on med. sheepheads, that the Netters had turned it to giant dead fish slicks out there. |
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