Damn Heron - 16 fish dead, 5 frops. (BH pic)

[jpinard]

Not looking for sympathy, just thought I'd show you what we're up against. This thing is not afraid of anything and I got soaked and practically had to tackle it to make him fly away. The pool he's in is a pool where we had 12 fish we were giving away. There's only 1 fish left. There are scales littered over the bottom of our main pond, and you can see the splats of where he picked of frops. As best we can tell he's eaten a few of our special fish and there's one injured one with a hole in his side we have to catch and euthanize.

Our netting should arrive sometime soon.

By the way, the closer I got to it, the more I started to think it was a bad idea to take it in a wrestling match fight. It had this wild-killer Pterodactyl look in his eyes. And he's fricking huge. At least 4 foot tall.

I took one quick pic before running out (from inside the house through a screen window). Is it just me, or is that a yellow DNR band on his left leg (hard to see since his right leg covers it up)?

http://www.jeffpinard.com/Heron.jpg

[Ezdaar]

You really need a ballista.

On a side note, heron seem to be very easily scared off. I ride by them a lot on my way to work and they bolt anytime I get within about 20 feet.

[jpinard]

You really need a ballista.

On a side note, heron seem to be very easily scared off. I ride by them a lot on my way to work and they bolt anytime I get within about 20 feet.

Not this one.

[Talisker]

Mentioned this to my Mom, she said she has a friend in GR who had a blue heron that found their fish pond -- it wouldn't leave until all the fish were gone. Wonder if it's the same one.

You have the most interesting problems of anyone I know -- if it weren't eating all your fish/frops, it'd be awesome to have hanging around you yard :)

[jpinard]

if it weren't eating all your fish/frops, it'd be awesome to have hanging around you yard :)

It would be.
Of curse the ultimate irony being I told Tom the very night he came back that he was gone for good.

[Adree]

http://www.jrcompton.com/photos/The_Birds/J/September-07-j/903-gbhlanding-JR99049.jpg

[rei]

man, that's a lot of shit happening to you guys. you need a lance armstrong livestrong wristband or something.

[Anaxagoras]

Maybe you could put out a heron feeder so the bird goes for your cheap food rather than frogs & fish? I have no idea what you might put in a "heron feeder", or even if such things exist, but... *shrug*. Might be worth looking into.

[Talisker]

Is your yard fully fenced in? I could loan you a dog, although he might be just as dangerous to the critters :)

[Moore]

AIR HORN.

[John Many Jars]

You need an animal in the yard that will scare away herons but spare fish and frops.

Most of the animals that occur are silly, though: llamas (such as shepherds use to repel coyotes), ostriches (though for all I know they'll eat fish and frops).

I feel like dogs will ignore fish but chase frops. Anyone know?

Or a robot, a robot would be good.

[Hanzii]

Get that croc Krayz offered - he might first eat the last frops but boy is that heron in for a nasty surprise!

[jpinard]

Is your yard fully fenced in? I could loan you a dog, although he might be just as dangerous to the critters :)

YOu know... I was thinking eariler today that I wish our cats were "outside cats" for the first time... and then I remembered this pic of a Heron eating a teenage duck and realized our cats wouldn't stand a chance against a Heron of this size.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/06/24/article-1029057-01B94D5E00000578-258_468x286_popup.jpg


But Jen came up with something brilliant. Our netting didn't come with the UPS guy today, so we needed something quick. Jen went to the store and got some heavy duty fishing line, but what I'd been thinking was putting stakes in the ground and stringing the line ~1" off the ground so when the Heron "walks" to get into the pond/bog he'll catch his foot (which is supposed to irritate and frustrate them). INstead, Jen tells me she has a different idea and grabbed all the tomato and tree poles we have - and in just 45 minutes built an literal fence out fishling line encompassing the ENTIRE bog and pond. We also got a tin of tennis balls so I don't have to take him on in hand-to-hand combat. I'll throw them and hit him in the hindquarters.

Necessity certainly is the mother of invention. Of course now we really can't get in to fish the injured fish out... anyone have some scuba gear?

[JMR]

Cast LIGHTNING BOLT on the damn thing already.

[arctangent]

Does heron taste like chicken?

Maybe you could find out for me.

[John Many Jars]

Ooh, you know what? you could string the line ACROSS the water in places, so the beast is tripping over it while wading! That'll surely interfere with his hunting, and the fish and frops won't care that the line is there. You could even string it just below the surface.

[Athryn]

YOu know... I was thinking eariler today that I wish our cats were "outside cats" for the first time... and then I remembered this pic of a Heron eating a teenage duck and realized our cats wouldn't stand a chance against a Heron of this size.


Yeah I grew up with Herons and egrets wading around in my back yard, and they have pretty much no fear of cats, and aren't really all that afraid of people either.

[Dean]

We also got a tin of tennis balls so I don't have to take him on in hand-to-hand combat. I'll throw them and hit him in the hindquarters.

That makes sense, melee relies on STR and ranged combat relies on DEX.

Now if you were only a halfling, you'd get a +2 racial bonus on thrown objects.

[jerri blank]

My dad put in a rather large pond on their rural property, and it's a constant struggle to manage the ecosystem out there. Gotta have fish to keep some other fish from getting out of hand, but those fish attract other critters they don't want... As I recall, he actually got a special permit to shoot herons or whatever bird was harassing his baby bream and bass.

[Aeon221]

I remember herons shitting and puking if startled when we lived out in coastal South Carolina. I'd be wary about chasing them around (them beaks is huuuuuuge), but throwing shit at them always worked for us. Wing it a couple of times with a softball -- they're not hard enough to hurt it, like a baseball might, unless you're like a really good pitcher or something.

If that doesn't work, a pellet gun is a great investment -- works on children and animals alike!

[jpinard]

I remember herons shitting and puking if startled when we lived out in coastal South Carolina. I'd be wary about chasing them around (them beaks is huuuuuuge), but throwing shit at them always worked for us. Wing it a couple of times with a softball -- they're not hard enough to hurt it, like a baseball might, unless you're like a really good pitcher or something.

If that doesn't work, a pellet gun is a great investment -- works on children and animals alike!

The way I first read this, I thought you were suggesting I throw literal excrement at them...

[Bill Dungsroman]

Pellet gun, hell yes. You can buy hunting shot for a pellet rifle. I used it to kill pigeons. One shot would drop those disgusting little finks.

[Lorini]

Big ratter type cat? I know cats eat fish but I don't think they actually fish, as in put their paws into water.

[Aeon221]

The way I first read this, I thought you were suggesting I throw literal excrement at them...

You damned dirty ape!

But hey, fight fire with fire. They shit and puke at you, so return the favor!

[Lloyd Heilbrunn]

Fishing line is really dangerous for birds, if he gets tangled up he could die.

[shift6]

Potato gun.
Bonus #1: you like building stuff.
Bonus #2: fun for the neighborhood frop-kids to man when air raids are imminent.

Serious suggestion: water hose with one of those attachments on the end that makes it like a high-pressure hose. Just go out there, turn it on at the spigot, and give that flying bitch a bath!

[Funkula]

Maybe you could put out a heron feeder so the bird goes for your cheap food rather than frogs & fish? I have no idea what you might put in a "heron feeder", or even if such things exist, but... *shrug*. Might be worth looking into.

Sadly, another name for "frop bog" is "heron feeder."

[Bahimiron]

It's the flippin' fropocalypse!

We need Johnny Cash to come back and sing a song about it.

There's a bird goin' 'round eatin' frops!
And he'll snap up and eat anything that hops!
When he's full is the only time that he stops.
There'll be a golden frop bog reachin' down
When the heron comes around

[Griddle]

Well, you now have tennis balls, throwing them will work, but why throw, when you can CATAPAULT!!!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AK5BY4/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=2298759611&ref=pd_sl_6x3cc25gyj_b

[nutsak]

An axe.

[None]

I can't get the image of a heron chasing a teenaged duck out of my mind.

The tennis balls seem like a good idea but it would seem that you'd still have to maintain constant vigilance. I like the air horn idea. Maybe you could rig it to a motion detector or something?

[extarbags]

I can't get the image of a heron chasing a teenaged duck out of my mind.

The tennis balls seem like a good idea but it would seem that you'd still have to maintain constant vigilance. I like the air horn idea. Maybe you could rig it to a motion detector or something?

That was my first thought, but wouldn't he draw tons of complaints from the neighbors?

[azzl]

Maybe you could get this and modify it (http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/cubegoodies/9b78/)?

[JM]

We used to use a fake plastic heron. It scared off the real ones!

[RepoMan]

Go all the way and make a shit pellet gun. Also razor wire over the pond. You'll have panicked, puking, lacerated, shit-covered heron in no time.

Wait a second. The fuckers aren't endangered or anything, are they?

[SpoofyChop]

Can anybody explain to me the origin of the word "frop?"

My guess is that Jeff was trying to type "frog" and he misspelled it due to medication. :)

[Talisker]

Can anybody explain to me the origin of the word "frop?"

My guess is that Jeff was trying to type "frog" and he misspelled it due to medication. :)
Ding! Winner.

[Jasper]

See http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=46714

[Brendan]

Ok, how about we start with not shooting the thing with a pellet gun and possibly causing it to die a slow and painful death.

[DanielElliot]

Have you called animal control? They might have advice or even be able to help you.

[Talisker]

Other suggestions (http://www.ponddoc.com/WhatsUpDoc/Predators/DreadPred.html). Apparently you're not the first person to have this problem :)

[Angie Gallant]

It really looks like a net is the most reliable way to save the frops. And keep it up, since it looks like herons remember where they had good eatin' before and will keep coming back to check.

[Lum]

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/1161363562249.jpg

[Gladguy]

Other suggestions (http://www.ponddoc.com/WhatsUpDoc/Predators/DreadPred.html). Apparently you're not the first person to have this problem :)

#4. Float an alligator in the water. Most predators won’t go near an alligator.
Or, our very own krazykrok can, for a small fee, send you a real live one!

[Brendan]

Or, our very own krazykrok can, for a small fee, send you a real live one!

The problem is that crocs don't differentiate between herons and sweet nieces.

[Rimbo]

Pellet gun, hell yes. You can buy hunting shot for a pellet rifle. I used it to kill pigeons. One shot would drop those disgusting little finks.

BD beat me to it. Airsoft gun, BB gun or pellet gun. Doesn't kill 'em, but really hurts like heck.

If you're sure that the animal protection regs are loose enough in your state may I recommend the Israeli Military Industries "Negev" 5.56mm belt-fed portable machine gun.

http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/small_arms/negev/negev_b.jpg

In action (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOz0424vmjQ)

[Tman]

Here's a auto-aiming Paintball Gun. This thing is wicked

http://kotaku.com/5024636/some-guy-went-and-built-a-sentry-gun