Should We Shoot The Heron?

[Pensdown]

maybe shoot a fox if I see one.

I do What have the poor foxes done to you? And before anyone thinks I am a townie, I'm not! I live and have lived for most of my life in the countryside. Poor foxes are very misunderstood creatures.

If you want to shoot something, come and shoot the blardy heron that keeps taking hubby's fish I won't tell anyone so you won't get fined

Wow Brightness, you opened up a can of worms here

Some background. Mrs Pensdown is a real animal lover so we often cross sords as I shoot game during the season and shoot pigeons this time of the year. I also shoot the odd fox as they eat the free range chickens and cr*p all over the place.

Now the problem. We like you have a pond and a "blardy heron" which keeps taking my fish, most of which have been brought for me over the years by Mrs Pensdown. Some of the fish were quite expensive and some have memories attached. Probably like you, we have tried every means to deter the bugger but none of them have worked. Over the past few years Mrs Pensdown has developed a deep seated hatred of the heron, and in the summer I get woken at first light by a mad women shouting "it's back shoot the blardy thing now" It has so inraged her, she's even, against all her principles tried to learn to shoot the gun! And I did say tried bless her.

Now the question is, I know it's a protected bird but who would know. Should we shoot the heron??

 

[Brightness]

I'm a real animal lover too and tbh I was only joking about shooting him. I know it sounds a bit hypocritical to say this but as a country girl I was brought up to believe that livestock was raised to feed humans but anything else, except foxes and rabbits should not be killed (and this is where me and my family fall out as I hate the thought of killing rabbits and foxes).

You can guarantee that someone would see you shooting the heron and then you'd get a whacking great fine and a criminal record

Methinks it's better to do what my God daughters parents have done. They went out and bought some metal grid and had it cut to the size of the pond then fixed it over the top and hey ho it stops that darned bird!

Mr Brighty is convinced that the naughty herons didn't really have his fish as his pond is about 3ft deep and raised (made out of railway sleepers). He said the heron wouldn't like to go into his pond But as I explained (or tried to) he probably sat on the side and waited for the tastiest looking fish to swim by, then wham yum yum fish for brekkie!!!!

He seems to have this strange notion that one of his fish exploded as we found bits of flesh and scales by the side of the pond Yeah right, that's why at 3.30pm every day the darned heron lands on my neighbours roof and sits there watching our pond

 

[Pensdown]

It was a "tongue in cheek" question, although Mrs Pensdown, if you could use the gun would shoot it, I don't know whats come over her! If I did get caught I would loose my licence and I'm not doing that.

I don't really want to cover it up, it's all natural looking and its a bit on the big side.

Anybody else on here got a solution that works

 

[Brightness]

I did wonder if it was tongue in cheek LOL Seriously though I think a grid is the only think that works. We bought a 'heron proof' net at quite a lot of expense and two days later there was a huge hole in it and 3 fish were missing in action

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Mrs Pensdown is a real animal lover so we often cross sords as I shoot game during the season and shoot pigeons this time of the year.

Is she a vegetarian?

Does she have no leather shoes, belts, handbags, coats, jackets, trousers or studded corsets? (oops - sorry - forget the last one )

Should we shoot the heron??

I love this concept of "the heron", as if there's only one....

 

[Gary_M]

........We bought a 'heron proof' net at quite a lot of expense and two days later there was a huge hole in it and 3 fish were missing in action

Get piranhas

 

[blondini]

Get a Heron Magnet.

Not really called that, just my little joke, but you would think a dummy Heron might attract other Herons? Apparently not. The sight of another Heron put's them off landing and they go elsewhere.

 

[Richardp]

I just don't get this, I'd rather have a Heron in my garden than common old goldfish. It would be worth keeping the pond well stocked with fish just to keep the heron

 

[empip]

May be worth trying ..... SHISHI ODOSHI or 'deer scarer'

Trip wire with or without 'loud bang' ... or custom electric fence...

The Heron isn't completely solitary .. Heronries etc... May look upon the plastic version as an easy lay
I have heard, they tend not to land directly in a pond, but 'walk in' .. hence the trip... Not observed that tho'.

Bet there are loadsa solutions out there .. I wonder if they are all effective all of the time? Probably not .. The bird learns how to circumvent !

 

[Moz]

Being a member of The RSPB ......you do know herons are a protected species an if you are seen shooting it you are liable to a fine upto £5000

worse still if you get dobbed in by a neighbour an up in court , these ALF /Animal welfare nutters then target people who get done by the RSPCA....just something to think about as you get that air rifle out


but on a lighter note Im with ban-all-sheds

you dont honestly think there is just one ...?

 

[Pensdown]

Mrs Pensdown is a real animal lover so we often cross sords as I shoot game during the season and shoot pigeons this time of the year.

Is she a vegetarian?

Does she have no leather shoes, belts, handbags, coats, jackets, trousers or studded corsets? (oops - sorry - forget the last one )

Should we shoot the heron??

I love this concept of "the heron", as if there's only one....

Talking about loving the concept...studded corsets..

 

[Slogger]

http://www.ponddoc.com/WhatsUpDoc/Predators/GreatBlue.html

go to this link and then make your natural predator model

 

[Pensdown]

Now we are going somewhere, all I've got to do is find a dead Raccoon, stuff it, sit it by the pond and fill it with electronics

can someone point me to the animatronics forum?

 

[Brightness]

LMAO we've actually got 3 different herons. A pair of loved up ones and a single one who sits on roof and calls the other two

I used to like herons until they ate our biggest koi - he was about 18inches long and we'd had him since he was a baby

Heron pie gets more appealing by the day........

 

[hermes]

A pair of loved up ones

Dammes und Herren.