Heron Deterrent?

[Brookfish]

My mate has spotted a Heron visiting his pond and asked me if I knew
of any way of deterring it without shooting it! (protected species)
I suggested netting the pond but he only wants to do that as a last resort.
Got any ideas guys?

[mommy1]

we have trouble with buzzards in our cities park. the park rangers shoot off fire crackers when the birds are starting to nest for the night. they have to do it several times each day for a few days.

[Brookfish]

we have trouble with buzzards in our cities park. the park rangers shoot off fire crackers when the birds are starting to nest for the night. they have to do it several times each day for a few days.

That might work but i'm not sure if the neighbours would appreciate
the noise, especially the ones with kids or animals, I suppose he could
always go around and ask their permission.

[mommy1]

That might work but i'm not sure if the neighbours would appreciate
the noise, especially the ones with kids or animals, I suppose he could
always go around and ask their permission.or just let them know what he is doing and it is only few minutes each day for a couple of days. i think most people would be understanding.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Mike, a friend of mine with a rather large pond actually got a couple of large bird statues and placed them in her pond. She has to move them around every couple of days, but for some odd reason they keep the birds away.

[Brookfish]

Mike, a friend of mine with a rather large pond actually got a couple of large bird statues and placed them in her pond. She has to move them around every couple of days, but for some odd reason they keep the birds away.

Where they statues of Herons or some other kind of bird?
I know Owl statues work in keeping small birds away.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

I think they were Herons

[Brookfish]

Thanks for that bud!

[glarior]

What about just making a big scene towards the bird? We have a white crane that comes to my friends ranch's pond and eats our fish. We can scare him off just by make a noises or acting like we are going to run towards it. I am sure the bird comes back when we are not there. The best thing is fireworks/shotgun but don't shoot the bird

As others stated a stature or scarecrow type thing should work too.

[OscarFan]

Large fake herons work for scaring away other herons and birds.

[Brookfish]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

[mommy1]

That might work but i'm not sure if the neighbours would appreciate
the noise, especially the ones with kids or animals, I suppose he could
always go around and ask their permission.i didnt mean m-80's or military issue ones mike. just the little ones that make a little bang! just enough to scare the bird away.

[Dave66]

I'd use a motion-activated sprinkler. Bird lands, gets a strong squirt from the sprinkler, and soon learns not to come to the pond.

The sprinkler also deters fish eaters like raccoons and the like, and one or two posted around a home garden can keep the varmints from eating your veggies.

The sprinklers are available at pond supply places on the 'net. Safe, easy way to deter critters.

Dave

[fraggle]

That actually sounds like a great idea Dave!!! I like it! Hmmmm have to get a pump for my rain water tank, aren't allowed to use sprinklers at the moment. Think it would work to keep the foxy loxie's away from my chooks!

Don't think the heron would like it either.

[Fishguy2727]

The best thing I have found is to put tent takes around the pond and criss-cross a bunch of fishing line across it. They can't see it but they stumble around in it, give up, and won't come back. Meanwhile the pond still looks good since you don't see it either.

This also works for raccoons, hawks, and if you do it right cats and foxes. It could even work for otters.

[Brookfish]

i didnt mean m-80's or military issue ones mike. just the little ones that make a little bang! just enough to scare the bird away.

I know you didn't mean for me to start a war.thumbs2:

[Brookfish]

I'd use a motion-activated sprinkler. Bird lands, gets a strong squirt from the sprinkler, and soon learns not to come to the pond.

The sprinkler also deters fish eaters like raccoons and the like, and one or two posted around a home garden can keep the varmints from eating your veggies.

The sprinklers are available at pond supply places on the 'net. Safe, easy way to deter critters.

Dave

That's a great idea Dave, no Raccoons in these parts thankfully,
but it sure sounds like it would work with the Herons.

[Brookfish]

The best thing I have found is to put tent takes around the pond and criss-cross a bunch of fishing line across it. They can't see it but they stumble around in it, give up, and won't come back. Meanwhile the pond still looks good since you don't see it either.

This also works for raccoons, hawks, and if you do it right cats and foxes. It could even work for otters.

That sounds like a great idea as well bud, maybe a combo of your
fishing line and Daves sprinkler system.

[cubby]

i let the herons fish my pond.... they weed out the smaller pan fish.... i think he got a few of my very young koi (8" and under).... we has some many small bluegill, sunfish, minnows and such, it eases the load a bit to have alot of the smaller fish eaten....

now, the pet fish are large enough he SHOULDN'T be messing with them.... all over 18" or so.... but if he does..... "protected" doesn't mean bulletproof!! hahaha!! :help:


and a few japanese cranes stopped by the other day........

[smaug]

Heron at smaugs pond 15490,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Heron sleeping peacefully after smaug discovers heron.15491
Moral of the story,quality koi starting price of 40-50 bucks for 4 ",value of adult koi after years of taking care of them and watching them grow and hand feeding them ,,,priceless. To see one going down the gullet of a common as cockroach heron and not do anything?Unthinkable at any cost.


Pictorial displayed is not an actual representation of any real event,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,yet :jaws:

[Fishguy2727]

Anyone have any links to show they are actually protected? I hear they are all the time, but when I tried to look it up I couldn't find anything that said they were protected, that includes the state's official website.

[DrNic]

You could try a scarecrow maybe. Or one of these new motion activated sprinklers. They are awesome. You put them at the edge of the pond or garden. When the sensor detects movement it turns on, scaring off animals. The only questions is will the heron be big enough to set off the motion sensor.

[Algenco]

Anyone have any links to show they are actually protected? I hear they are all the time, but when I tried to look it up I couldn't find anything that said they were protected, that includes the state's official website.


last I heard they were on the "threatened" list

any animal not classified as Feral or a game species is protected

[Northernguy]

Brookfish I have seen my dogs make a heron take off real quick.
Why doesn't he get a good dog.A border collie would be perfect.

[smaug]

They are a federally protected bird because they fall into the migratory classification.They are a dime a dozen here in pa,I cant imagine they are threatened,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,except in my backyard.

[AquaLene]

As a matter of interest - why not a net, or why net as last resort?

We had a Kingfisher bird who decided to snack upon our pond fish once, it only got one. Thereafter we put a net up straight away and the Kingfisher returned only for another 4/5 days & realised the "restaurant was closed" and it had no chance with the net and it was waisting it's time.
Then it tootled off to seek another hunting ground - thereafter it has never returned (that was about 4 years ago, not another Kingfisher since). Just a suggestion - am not sure if Heron's are more determined and may return regardless?

However bear in mind our pond is well camouflaged by large tree's. Might be worth planting fast growing tree's around pond (depending on how large pond is of course) to deter future herons . If the birds cannot see the pond easily, the fish are relatively safe. They go for the easy targets, so make this pond the difficult one to spot and they should soon be deterred. :ssmile:

[frank_zappa]

Large fake herons work for scaring away other herons and birds.

just make sure to yank 'em during their mating season or you may have you a little show going on....:1luvu:

im not sure if that is actually true, although i can assure you that a wild turkey will with a decoy...it is rather funny

[Sarkazmo]

Sharks with fricken "LASER" beams....

Sark