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Cormorants


rdebadts

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Anyone notice the massive increase in cormorants in all the ponds along the parkway between greece and the oak?  It's really concerning how many birds there are roosting there now.  It stinks, and many of the trees are already dying.  Hope the Dec is able to do something about that soon!

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On 10/11/2022 at 11:06 PM, rdebadts said:

Anyone notice the massive increase in cormorants in all the ponds along the parkway between greece and the oak?  It's really concerning how many birds there are roosting there now.  It stinks, and many of the trees are already dying.  Hope the Dec is able to do something about that soon!

I haven’t seen the birds along the parkway, but there is a noticeable increase on Irondequoit Bay. They’re roosting in shoreline trees where I’ve never seen them in 25 yrs. They killed most of the trees on the island in front of Helds Cove and Snider Island is not far behind. The open season in Ontario could be the reason. Hopefully the USFWS is looking at that and gets there act together to make a logical decision.  NOT!!

 

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I don’t duck hunt anymore but when they green light killing those birds I’m going to get after them. Ideally an open season, could have killed a bunch of them trolling this summer. 

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They're also starting to show up in retention ponds on local golf courses.  If they ask us to organize shoots or put a season on them, I'm all in.  For those of you who don't frequent the St Lawrence, you would not believe the destruction these damn things have caused.

Edited by Grady95
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On 10/12/2022 at 8:13 AM, tuffishooker said:

Not seeing the huge flocks since we could shoot them in Ontario !

Get in your boat and go around Chippewa and down river. They are all over the place. Must be doing some serious damage to the fishery. Man they stink too, islands covered in white crap with all the trees stripped bare and just a flat out awful smell even from a distance. I hope somebody is doing something quick.

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On 10/12/2022 at 7:21 AM, Kevin J Legg said:

Maybe because they are now shooting them in Canada.

When did they start allowing them to shoot them? For many yrs NY was oiling eggs and Canada wouldnt do anything. Now it looks like its reversed.....

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Oiling the eggs!  Oh yea, that sure had a big impact didn't it?  Makes about as much sense as installing screen doors in a submarine.  Can't even imagine how they thought this was going to accomplish anything.  This situation has gone way past the touchy feely stage.  I'm almost glad they tried this though so it became apparent what a ridiculous idea it was.

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59 minutes ago, Grady95 said:

Oiling the eggs!  Oh yea, that sure had a big impact didn't it?  Makes about as much sense as installing screen doors in a submarine.  Can't even imagine how they thought this was going to accomplish anything.  This situation has gone way past the touchy feely stage.  I'm almost glad they tried this though so it became apparent what a ridiculous idea it was.

Maybe dumb but if Canada didnt do anything all those years, how do you know it wouldnt of worked? From what I remember most of them were on the Canadian side too. Well whatever they need to do something, I see them carrying fish all the time.

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My point exactly.  We would never have known what a futile effort this was unless it was at least attempted.  OK, so, they tried this and it failed completely.  Meanwhile, as you point out, these birds are carrying fish off in unsustainable numbers and absolutely deforesting the island trees on The River.  Cormorants have the ability to dive a full 30 feet down (1 atmosphere for you divers) and decimate fish populations.  When's the last time you found perch on The River like we always have in the past?  These birds are more than just destructive.  They are an unchecked menace to the ecosystem.  They have no known predators, yet they feed with complete abandon.  I grew up on this river.  We have survived poachers, gill netters, viral hemorrhagic disease, mirex, PCBs, zebra mussels, "pro"bass fishermen and now gobies, but there is no check or balance for cormorants.  

And as I mentioned before, they are advancing into new territories.  I have seen them at the golf course I play at, as well as at ponds around where I live.  This is a serious problem and it needs a serious solution before the balance becomes so far off that no solution will be even possible.

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