Eagles vs herons

[lestrout]

Is it because of the rough winter, or is the resurgence of eagles cutting down the heron pop? Every year, for the last 10 or 15, I've noticed increasing numbers of herons. They are a primary beneficiary of the stocking programs. In fact, I've used them to spot likely trouty areas.

Adult herons have few predators, and the bald eagle is one of the few.

Maybe because it's still been cold, those herons that migrate haven't made it back North yet?

 

[Maurice]

Can a heron swallow an adult trout? This is something I've always wondered. I have seen, caught and released or otherwise found dead or dying trout with 1/4" - 1/2" triangular puncture wounds assuming they were from Herons who did not succeed in eating their target. because they would not be able to swallow it.

On the other hand Eagles can catch and kill or eat anything they can carry back to the nest.

Herons have always indicated to me the "good fishing areas".

 

[troutbert]

Maurice wrote:
Can a heron swallow an adult trout? This is something I've always wondered. I have seen, caught and released or otherwise found dead or dying trout with 1/4" - 1/2" triangular puncture wounds assuming they were from Herons who did not succeed in eating their target. because they would not be able to swallow it.

Great blue heron eats huge fish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-p2AI9uTs0

 

[Maurice]

Well I guess thats that.

 

[afishinado]

Never knew that........

Bald eagles commonly eat great blue heron hatchlings and eggs from the nest. This is especially common during mating season when the nests are full. The eagles will often chase the adult herons away from the nest and then eat the baby birds and eggs inside. Bald eagles are also known to prey on grown great blue herons as well.


Link to source: http://www.ehow.com/list_6593162_animals-eat-great-blue-heron_.html

 

[Chaz]

I saw a heron on the Ltl. Lehigh about 15 years agitate an adult trout, probably 14 inches and choke it down. The spring is late all migrating birds are late, but I think eagles may be getting some herons too. Eagles take large prey.

 

[afishinado]

Maurice wrote:
Can a heron swallow an adult trout? This is something I've always wondered. I have seen, caught and released or otherwise found dead or dying trout with 1/4" - 1/2" triangular puncture wounds assuming they were from Herons who did not succeed in eating their target. because they would not be able to swallow it.

On the other hand Eagles can catch and kill or eat anything they can carry back to the nest.

Herons have always indicated to me the "good fishing areas".

Mike wrote this on here a few years back:

One thing that I did not mention in an earlier response to troutbert as a likely cause of the residency problem seen in some streams, especially in my region, is great blue heron predation. This was my observation early on in our residency work and later was documented in Centre Co by a PSU study of tagged stocked fish (and many tags showing up around the heron rookery).

 

[Fishidiot]

Once while fishing the Potomac at Harper's Ferry, I watched an injured or dying walleye about 17" in length float past me. The fish was struggling but was too far from me to net, but a heron on a nearby rock saw the fish too and flew from rock to rock until he could grab it. That walleye went down the throat in seconds!

Interesting fact about the eagles. There are certainly plenty of herons around these days - some predation on 'em would be a good thing.

 

[FarmerDave]

Drove by Pymatuning lake this past Friday, and there was still quite a bit of ice. Things are definitely late. Been seeing some blue herons though.

Had two pair of wood duck on the pond yesterday. First I have seen this year.

 

[salmonoid]

Fishidiot wrote:
Once while fishing the Potomac at Harper's Ferry, I watched an injured or dying walleye about 17" in length float past me. The fish was struggling but was too far from me to net, but a heron on a nearby rock saw the fish too and flew from rock to rock until he could grab it. That walleye went down the throat in seconds!

Interesting fact about the eagles. There are certainly plenty of herons around these days - some predation on 'em would be a good thing.

Agreed - it is not uncommon for me to go a whole day fishing somewhere and not see another human angler. But I almost always see a feathered one. And if I don't, there's a big white splat that indicates they were recently present. I've found one heron rookery while fishing - 8-12 nests high overhead. My presence made the birds extremely uncomfortable and they would circle around high overhead squawking. Unfortunately, it was right overhead of a small wild brook trout stream. Interesting population dynamics there, I'll bet.

An interesting thing that I learned about blue herons is that they almost went extinct at one point, because they were being killed. For their feathers. To be placed in hats. Seems they got the last laugh (or cackle) as it may.

 

[duckfoot]

FarmerDave wrote:
Had two pair of wood duck on the pond yesterday. First I have seen this year.

I offer my services to off them in approximately six months' time.

 

[mikesl]

I have seen a heron scarf down a surprisingly large wild brown from my favorite stream. Maybe 12-14"

I always figured they were taking the 6-8" fish, which I am sure they do as well.

 

[UncleShorty]

I was flailing, (you can't really call what I do casting...yet), the Yellow Creek FFO stretch last fall when a huge brown raptor, maybe an osprey flew within ten yards of me. In its talons was a trout at least 18 inches long.

I yelled, "hey, catch and release", but I was ignored...

Should I have called the warden???

 

[JackM]

Uncle Shorty, your description of your casting reminded me of this excerpt from a John Gierach story:

 

[afishinado]

^ :lol:

 

[PennypackFlyer]

They had Canada nature on one of the channels last night and it showed an eagle carry off a baby ram. It was a surprise to me seeing the strength of an eagle. Baby rams grow fasts so the eagle only has a few short weeks to enjoy. It also mentioned that eagles will rob the nests of herons and eat their young and also eggs.

So, the eagle vs heron is in the eagles favor except if they name a football team after the heron.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

PennypackFlyer wrote:
.....it showed an eagle carry off a baby ram.

Sam Bradford? 🙂

 

[FarmerDave]

duckfoot wrote:

FarmerDave wrote:
Had two pair of wood duck on the pond yesterday. First I have seen this year.

I offer my services to off them in approximately six months' time.

I would be very hesitant to allow that. Wife loves seeing the wood ducks.

You would however be welcome to take as many geese as you want.

There are plenty of them and they actually hang around unless I harass the crap out of them, daily. There was 8 or 10 on the pond the same day as I saw the 4 wood duck. After sunset last night I noticed a pair of geese still there. It looks like they are setting up shop. I heard a bunch more in the neighbor's pond.

Fields will be planted in corn this year. It should be good goose hunting after it is harvested.

 

[pcray1231]

Well, I played tug of war with a heron on a fly rod once. It was on the Tully near Reading. I had hooked a stocked trout. During the fight, it wondered a little too close to the heron and that thing grabbed it.

I won the battle and ended up landing the fish.

Though, I rarely call them herons in person. I call them pterodactyls. They should open up a hunting season again. They were rightfully protected when they were threatened, but that's no longer the case and their populations could use a bit of a culling. Especially since we artificially feed them with stocked trout.

 

[afishinado]

pcray1231 wrote:
Well, I played tug of war with a heron on a fly rod once. It was on the Tully near Reading. I had hooked a stocked trout. During the fight, it wondered a little too close to the heron and that thing grabbed it.

I won the battle and ended up landing the fish.

Though, I rarely call them herons in person. I call them pterodactyls. They should open up a hunting season again. They were rightfully protected when they were threatened, but that's no longer the case and their populations could use a bit of a culling. Especially since we artificially feed them with stocked trout.

I agree that things are now out of balance a bit and the herons are overpopulated in some areas. If I had a say at the US Fish & Wildlife Service, I would allow the State Fish & Game management people to determine if and where the populations are too high, and allow the Fish & Game departments to thin the population where needed. Problem solved.