206 Posted July 2, 2013 Report Share Posted July 2, 2013 On Mitchell lake Sunday morn and we were ready to pack it in, waiting for the other boat we were with, we seen a loon who appeared to be struggling. I thought maybe a pike has a grasp on him so we moved in to get a look. It actually had an other loon pinned down trying to drown it and beating it with its wings.....What a site!! Never saw anything like it in my days. My natural instinct was to save the bird being attacked. That bird was on a mission to kill the other it didn't care we moved right up on it...I tried to push it off using my net (man they are beefy birds) but it wouldn't budge...i had to move the boat around and tried again this time it dove a few feet away and then came right back to attack. i gave the net to my partner and drove up and got him to scoop the wounded bird into the net. We drove off and left the attacker with a soar look in is eye, The poor bird was beat senseless and we released it way down the lake, I'm not sure he could even recover but I had to try. Looking back I wonder if I was wrong to interfere with nature in this way...it was human instinct or my softness that I couldn't let something be killed like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cast-Away Posted July 2, 2013 Report Share Posted July 2, 2013 Don't feel bad, I would have done the same thing that you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted July 2, 2013 Report Share Posted July 2, 2013 I posted a few years back the exact samething. Two males fighting over a female. Go figure. At the end of the battle,we took the loser of the battle, back to the park. Called the MNR,they sent a local wild life place to take it into their care. Sometimes,we need to help. Dont beat yerself up.You did good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopheraaron Posted July 2, 2013 Report Share Posted July 2, 2013 I wouldn't worry, sounds like you did a good deed to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted July 2, 2013 Report Share Posted July 2, 2013 I'd have done the same thing too, but I'm just an old softie when it comes to injured critters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted July 2, 2013 Report Share Posted July 2, 2013 It would be hard to do but I would let nature, literally, take its course. On a more humorous note I once saw a similar situation between to ducks…. in the spring. Took me a while to realize what was going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigger Posted July 2, 2013 Report Share Posted July 2, 2013 Saw the exact thing a few years ago, didnt paddle hard enough, i guess. By the time we got to the scrap, the loser was long gone. Didnt see another loon in the area other than the two combatants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toad Hunter Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 yes but would the loon have done the same for you ? jk. I would hate to come across anyone that didn't have the same instinct you did Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 Nothing wrong with what you did at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Caster Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 I think you should have just let it happen... But... I completely understand why you did what you did. Hard to condemn someone for trying to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 Dude you're lucky to not have been attacked, those things are mean birds. They are very territorial and will drown newcomers to their lake occasionally. Once in a while rogue flocks of 8-10 loons will move onto a new lake and bully the current loons out this way too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtle Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 Loons are territorial and can be agressive. Last year a male chased behind my boat pulling away from the dock when it thought I was a threat to the female and baby 50 m out in the lake. Also had a seagull dive agressively at me when I got too close to its little island. Actually was swinging a paddle at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outllaw Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 great story. learned something t-day. I believe you did the right thing. guess they have not heard of the new thing ...bulllying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
206 Posted July 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 I posted a few years back the exact samething. Two males fighting over a female. Go figure. At the end of the battle,we took the loser of the battle, back to the park. Called the MNR,they sent a local wild life place to take it into their care. Sometimes,we need to help. Dont beat yerself up.You did good. I wish I coulda thought it threw more this bird may have had a better chance in the hands of an expert I think you should have just let it happen... But... I completely understand why you did what you did. Hard to condemn someone for trying to help. After the fact I thought the same....At the time I could only think about the poor guy on the loosing end. Dude you're lucky to not have been attacked, those things are mean birds. They are very territorial and will drown newcomers to their lake occasionally. Once in a while rogue flocks of 8-10 loons will move onto a new lake and bully the current loons out this way too. Yes mean doesn't describe the look in that birds eye, he had snapped and wasn't going to stop til the other was dead....I figured it would scare off as we approached, Never thought it wouldn't care i poked it with the net. At the time it never even crossed my mind my own safety. Thanks I'm glad to know there are others with a heart out there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenboater Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 While hard to see happen, I would have left it to nature to sort out. Last thing you would want is for someone in your party to get injured. As well, how are to know the losing loon wasn't the instigator and was getting it's due ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAW Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 You did what you thought was right. And I commend you for taking action on something like this. I think I would have just let it play out, but that's just me. I would assume that if the loon doesn't find a new lake, he is just going to get his beat down again.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jds63 Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 You did what you had to do ... thos Loons can be nasty, I saw one swim underwater right up to the dock i was standing on and snatch a duckling that was following its mother , what ensued was pure mayhem, but the Loon won and the duckling was gone, nothing I could do standing on the dock , i was surprised that a Loon would do that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 They are birds with solid bones and a hefty weight, they need to eat a LOT of meat to stay strong enough to survive... Sometimes this requires killing off the competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headhunter Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 They are birds with solid bones and a hefty weight, they need to eat a LOT of meat to stay strong enough to survive... Sometimes this requires killing off the competition.Can we train them to chase Cormorants Rich! HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bailey Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 Neither right nor wrong, you just did what you wanted. Leaving nature to take its course would also not be wrong, just a different approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbailey Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 (edited) i saw this happen between 2 massive male swans on lake ontario around col. sam park - had to interfere as there were about a dozen people screaming in horror from the beach, it was pure chaos Edited July 4, 2013 by JBailey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopheraaron Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 i saw this happen between 2 massive male swans on lake ontario around col. sam park - had to interfere as there were about a dozen people screaming in horror from the beach, it was pure chaos Should've let that one play out, maybe some others would realize what monsters they are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 Should've let that one play out, maybe some others would realize what monsters they are Monsters ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 LOL @ monsters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopheraaron Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 Lol, maybe not monsters, how about glutinous noisy balls of fluff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now