drupe
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2005
Posts: 1,245
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Post by drupe on Jan 19, 2006 12:56:28 GMT -5
Yes, I said killers, murders in cold blood. I have two other hobbies beside rocks. I collect old holiday postcards ( 4th of July, Halloween, Christmas w/Santa Claus, etc.) and Koi Fish. My Koi were beautiful. Yes "WERE". I looked out my side window yesterday and there was a large crane like bird standing in my pond. I had 8 of the prettiest Koi you've ever seen in that pond. They were 14 to 20" long with beautiful shades of gold, silver and orange. The fish were 4 and 5 years old. And in the warmer months I could put a chair in the shallow end and they would eat out of my hand. They are no longer. That SOB (Son of a Bird) ate every last one. They were loved pets in every sense of the word. I hope that SOB returns cause I'm going to return the favor and assassinate him. Thanks for letting me vent. Pete  |
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Post by Cher on Jan 19, 2006 13:18:07 GMT -5
Awww Pete I'm so sorry, what a horrible thing to happen. It's amazing how those darn cranes can find fish. I know it won't help but he didn't know they were your pets, he was just doing what comes natural to him.
Could you leave your fish out all year or did you have a heated pond?
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Post by sandsman1 on Jan 19, 2006 13:34:56 GMT -5
that really sucks --- i know what ya mean i raised like 5 red belly piranhas i started with 10 from the size of a quarter to double fist size and like a dummy i went fishing one day and brought back a live crappie small one and let them have there way with it and one at a time they started dying must have been a desies the crappie had --- so i know how it is to lose fish most would say its only a fish but there just as much a pet as a dog or cat,, i usta be able to stick my arm in the tank and work around them and they never even tried to bite me or charge me they usta swim to the other end till i was finished once in awhile a brave one would swim around my arm and check me out but never a bite
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Post by americanbulldogsnj on Jan 19, 2006 16:15:08 GMT -5
That's a shame Pete, I'm sorry to hear that. It was probably a Heron, they will fish in people's koi ponds and they arent shy about it either. A friend of mine put aluminum screen over her pond when she caught a heron raiding her pond, worked pretty well even though it didnt look all that good. The Racoons would also eat her Koi from under the screen. If the pond is small you can try building a small screen house. Hope this helps...
Marian
ps
I kinda know how you feel, I hate squirrels I can't keep them out of my Peach trees and they eat all of them! Makes me want to pull out the old varmint gun!
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Post by xenaswolf on Jan 19, 2006 16:35:44 GMT -5
Two words...shot gun
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Post by sandsman1 on Jan 19, 2006 16:57:06 GMT -5
hey i was just thinkin make a few of eds agate gold fish and let him eat them that will teach him hahaha
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Post by xenaswolf on Jan 19, 2006 17:40:42 GMT -5
Two more words...alka seltzer
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earthdog
Cave Dweller 
Don't eat yellow snow
Member since June 2006
Posts: 2,731
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Post by earthdog on Jan 19, 2006 22:42:27 GMT -5
You can't put alka seltzer in the pond. I live in the city and use a green net with 1/4 holes, only use it in the fall to keep the leaves out. They make a owl that shoots water when the motion sensor is tripped, it's like 80 bucks but have read in the pond forums that it works well. I wouldn't use a shotgun, to loud, us a 22 with a scope and get some "cb shorts" no noise but a small little pop. Neighbors won't hear it then you can go out and stomp the s.o.b.
Were they expensive koi?
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Post by Toad on Jan 20, 2006 6:43:16 GMT -5
The crane ate them all in one sitting? I'm surprised he could take off. Sorry about that. Truly a tragedy - but that is naure for you.
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Post by Cher on Jan 20, 2006 8:28:33 GMT -5
My kids and their cousins used to have more fun watching the Great Blue Heron come to my grandparents dock to eat in the morning. They didn't even care if they had to get up at 5 am to see him. We had an old dryer/washer barrel with all the holes in it sitting in the water next to the dock. The kids would fish during the day and catch little sunnies and perch to throw in there. How the old man found them, I don't know but he did. He was cool to watch, had a beard dang near as long as his neck.
Pete, are you going to get more and see if you can find a way to protect them from alien bird species who want to eat them? I hope so, it sounds like they were great fun to watch and feed. Again, I'm truly sorry your pets were taken from you.
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drupe
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2005
Posts: 1,245
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Post by drupe on Jan 20, 2006 10:26:13 GMT -5
Cher:
Yes fish are left in the pond year round. You must keep the pond from freezing solid. We have a small fountain that keeps the water circulating. And of course in central Mississippi we don't get a whole lot of subfreezing temperatures unlike your neck of the woods.
earthdog:
Am trying with the 22 but pond only has a few small fry left and I think he's looking for a larger meal. 5 years ago I paid $65.00 for a pair X 4.
Toad:
I only saw him that one time but he may have been using my pond for breakfast stop for days.
Pete
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drupe
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2005
Posts: 1,245
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Post by drupe on Jan 20, 2006 10:30:24 GMT -5
Cher:
I believe my best security system will be to get an artificial owl and put him on a post at the edge of the pond. From everything I've read and what a few of my friends say they work very well.
Pete
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Post by xenaswolf on Jan 20, 2006 12:47:37 GMT -5
LOL Edog, ya don't put alka seltzer in the pond, ya feed it to the bird, the bird can't burp, and POOF no more bird. Works on seagulls muhahaha
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drupe
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2005
Posts: 1,245
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Post by drupe on Jan 20, 2006 14:32:31 GMT -5
Xena:
Do you hand feed the SOB, put it in a glass and let him drink it or throw it up in the air and hope he catches it as he flies away. I think the 22 would be a bit easier.
Pete
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Post by xenaswolf on Jan 20, 2006 15:18:15 GMT -5
Seagulls will dive for anything ya throw in the air...don't know about Herons....
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Post by Cher on Jan 20, 2006 18:04:58 GMT -5
Toss your hand up in the air around a heron ... if you can even get that close ... the wind from their wings as they take off will knock you over. At least the Great Blues will, them buggers are big!
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earthdog
Cave Dweller
Don't eat yellow snow
Member since June 2006
Posts: 2,731
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Post by earthdog on Jan 20, 2006 22:26:55 GMT -5
I think the s.o.b. will be back, I have read that once they know there was a meal there they will be back to check for more. Another trick you can do is put some low stakes in the ground then string fishing line from stake to stake over the pond, crisscross across the pond, so they will hit it when they try to land in the water. They don't like obstacles in the way of landing. Plus it's not so unsightly as green netting. I have seen them fly over the house tops here on the way to Lake Michigan. if I ever see them eyeing my pond, the Jack Russell will be let loose in the back yard. Drupe, if you ever go to koiphen forum, the owner has paid $150,000 for one koi, to show from Japan. I know that won't make you feel any better, but just saying koi can be expensive... I have feeder fish, 12 for $1.99.
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Post by Cher on Jan 20, 2006 22:40:38 GMT -5
That fish string is an excellent idea, especially if you can spread it a little further past the edge so he can't land close to the pond.
Are feeder fish just little goldfish? How big do they get and what do you do with them in the winter?
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offbeat
no posts
Member since May 2010
Posts: 0
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Post by offbeat on Jan 20, 2006 23:23:31 GMT -5
Earthdog, you are right about them coming back. I have a friend that "had" some of the big goldfish in a pond behind his house that were eaten. I think he said it was blue herins?? They came back 3 days in a row until his pond was empty. After the first day he figured the birds just got lucky finding his fish, he had some time to try and figure out how to keep them out. Nope, back they came and cleaned him out. He did say it was kind of creepy how fast they could pluck a fish out, you could hardly see their head strike it moved so fast!!
You might want to be careful with your Jack Russell, those Blue herons are big and strong!! And their beaks are very nasty looking, I sure would hate to see your dog get pecked by one of those.
Bill
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Post by rockyraccoon on Jan 21, 2006 0:31:49 GMT -5
drupe's in mississippi - if he starts shooting, people will get their beer and come over to help lol.
kim
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