Open Season

[Clampet]

Just read in the latest Ontario Out of Doors mag that MPP Ernie Parsons will be putting through Bill 156 to permit the hunting of the Double Crested Cormorants in Ontario.

Of course, animal activists are trying to stop this "private members" bill.

 

"Collectively it is estimated that the 450,000 to 500,000 cormorants in the Great Lakes basin consume 42 million pounds of fish each year, which has caused a serious erosion of fish stocks in some areas," said Mike Reader, OFAH's executive director.

 

They go on to say that their effect "has reduced some islands in Lake Ontario and the Manitoulin area to burned out shells".

 

My rant is: Why did it take so long"?

The Hunters and Anglers have been complaining about this for what, 15-20 years.

So now they decide to do something.

I know, better late than never, but why don't they take faster action, instead of waiting till there is serious collateral damage incurred?

Edited February 23, 2007 by Clampet

[Joey]

I say about time too Paul. I'll believe it when I see the bill pass tho. They've been talking about this for awhile now.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Joey

[GbayGiant]

My grandpa use to blast them around his dock all the time but he went by the old rules, you know' when there weren't any.

[Northhunter]

It was several years ago I believe that they implemented the first "5 year study". Everyone knew what was happening but couldn't do much about it. If you tried to bring in a bill like this without scientific evidence it would get shut down in a heart beat by the bleeding heart tree hugger types. They even protested the controlled studies that were being done to see what effect removing the birds would do (oiling eggs, culling birds, etc).

Last March or so was when the first MNR report came out that said the colonies threw fish stocks out of whack and backed it up with hard data, and here we are. That's the reason for the wait.

Edited February 24, 2007 by Northhunter

[dsn]

Open Season? Shoot to kill? Then what? Can't eat to those things. I think its about time to take them out but what do you do with it afterwards? Land fill?

 

 

dsn

[douG]

Me bruvvah suggests that a breeding pair of raccoons (raton laveur) be dropped on each cormorant infested island.

 

[bucktail]

About time.

Ernie has always stepped up for the Quinte sportsman. Stand behind him people!

[irishfield]

Had one on the end of my dock late in the summer. 10 minutes and you'd swear someone dumped a commercial bucket of white paint on the dock. Thought I should take it out before it brought it's family back with it, but by the time I made it home and then back to the lake with a gun..it never came back thru the fall. This spring the gun's goin with me so I'm prepared all summer...

 

DSN...Turtle Food !

Edited February 24, 2007 by irishfield

[Tdel]

Me bruvvah suggests that a breeding pair of raccoons (raton laveur) be dropped on each cormorant infested island.

douG, that is exactly what my fishing buddy has said for the last few years, and I thought he was one of a kind.

 

I also agree with Joey ............ seeing is believing!!!

 

Tom

[fishindevil]

well its about dang time.. ..but its still nice that people still try and run them over in their boats.. .lol..lol i hope they can get the limit to just OPEN SEASON....and target practice,we can send them all over to countrys that need food,i might just go get my bird licence now just so i can shoot 5 or 6 thousand it would be awsome,where di i sign up to be a cormorant killer.. ....yyyeeeee---hhhaaaaaaa

[OhioFisherman]

Never saw one as a kid on this side of Lake Erie, a bird from TV. Now they are all over!

[irishfield]

Shawn..I have a possession licence and can legally buy ammo. Target practice in my eyes.........

[fishindevil]

yes wayne thats a very good way of looking at it.. .lol...i like your way of thinking man...cheers

[pikehunter]

Shawn..I have a possession licence and can legally buy ammo. Target practice in my eyes.........

 

 

:clapping: :clapping: :thumbsup_anim:

[irishfield]

I can shoot "pests" in my yard without a hunting licence...these birds should be no different.

 

Now the only question is... 22 rifle, 12 gauge .. LOL

Edited February 24, 2007 by irishfield

[fishindevil]

its amazing how many of them have just taken over everything,up north on the ottawa river around the pembroke area there is an island about 1/4 mile long by about the same wide and it used to be a very popular spot for boaters to picnic on,and it had some real nice big trees and was a great shelter to fish behind if there was a strong north wind,well now there is no vegetation and the once nice big trees are now just dead sticks and the stink is unbearable,and there is at least 1000 birds on there its pathetic they just cause utter devistation....i hate them soooooooo much...lets kill em all....

[fishforfun]

12 gauge with buck shot, hit them twice that puts enough lead in to ensure they are well anchored

[John Bacon]

Me bruvvah suggests that a breeding pair of raccoons (raton laveur) be dropped on each cormorant infested island.

 

 

douG, that is exactly what my fishing buddy has said for the last few years, and I thought he was one of a kind.

 

I also agree with Joey ............ seeing is believing!!!

 

Tom

 

 

My understanding is that this has been tried and the cormorants will kill the raccoons. I only heard through word of mouth, nothing official; so it may not be true. But if you think about, a few hundred large birds against one or two raccoons; it does make sense.

Edited February 24, 2007 by JohnBacon

[bucktail]

The great 22 short. Pluck away all day and no one hears or complains!

[bigfish1965]

The biggest reason they could not be hunted was that they were covered by the Migratory Birds Act. This is an international accord with the US and we had to reach deals in order for it all to happen. Canada and the US agreed to remove them from this protection.

By the way...use a rifle. They scatter quickly under the noise from a shot gun and you need to be a good distance in order to get more than one.

[GbayGiant]

The great 22 short. Pluck away all day and no one hears or complains

 

Time to plink some vermon.

 

Herd that sentence in a movie (can't remember what movie ) thought it was funny.

[ch312]

lol its funny when u guys try to talk about guns/hunting

 

shooting at birds near water with a rifle is a bad idea due to ricochets...especially with .22's. if using a rifle, you need to use something thats small and fast so the bullet will break up when it hits a rock or water. 17hmr comes to mind. 12g would be good as well but limited to 50 yards or less.

 

im wondering how you would attract these birds to your blind to blast them? im pretty sure that bass pro doesnt sell cormorant decoys and calls.

 

.22 shorts arent powerful enough to kill these birds humanely....

[Fishmaster]

Cool glad this isgoing to pass the law ..nothing worse sitting duck or goose hunting and seeing more of these CRAP birds flying around eating fish all day ..they even spooke ducks away ...i cant see using a riffle around water you just never no where the bullet may end up ...i no i dont want a whole in my boat ...but it would be awesome out trolling for Kings blastin these dam things outa the sky while im fishing ..12 gauge on side Yahoo..

[Frankypro]

I hunt Geese and Ducks and recently the law changed so you cannot shoot lead shot anymore, so I've been using Tungsten Steel shot for Geese and it's about $3.50 a round. Don't know why because I hunt corn fields mostly (nowhere near any water) So I'm all in favor of keeping our waters free from lead but even steel shot is about a buck a shot ...I won't be wasting any money on them Sh!t ducks. Ever eat a cormorant? Hey, but I'm all in favor of the billing passing, it's just not for me.

 

My 350 cents

[Greencoachdog]

Be bewy bewy quiet, we're hunting Double Bwested Cormowants today!

 

When he pops his widdle head outta da water... I BWAST HIM!!!

Edited February 24, 2007 by Greencoachdog