I live on a cove known for good bass and recently I have watched as the cormorants come into the cove to feed. It is fascinating to watch them. I estimate there are two to three thousand at a time with a dozen or so pelicans joining in. They start at the mouth of the cove and leap-frog each other all the way down the cove. The birds in back fly to the front and beat their wings on the water as they go scaring shad into the waiting cormorants up front. I've even seen them line up maybe twenty birds deep and 200 yards long along the shore and swim toward shore chasing the shad into shallow water. They must be taking literally a ton of bait fish out of my cove.

So, here is the question. No doubt this is nature's way of controlling the fish population. But I want a healthy cove that attracts good bass. Should I try to scare these cormorants out of the cove? Or do I want the bait fish thinned out to make the bass have to hunt a little more aggressively?

If you do, remember they are a protected bird.

It isn't every day someone asks "good or bad" about this piece of [censored] bird.

Do you realize they conservatively eat 1.5 pounds of fish per bird per day. Do the math and ask your question again.

Nothing, absolutely nothing good about water turkeys. The only good one is a dead one.

Find a tree they are roosting in and start fishing for catfish

BAD ! Seen them eat 12" Bass not just shad ! !

Cormorants are protected by state and federal laws, be careful hazing them. I would expect that cormorants are doing well on population numbers, there are more assessable feeding locations than in the past. We have impounded more waterways and created more standing water that allows there feeding style than was in historical records. We have changed the balance of fishery and select bird predators.
All this does is promote fish hatcheries and spend funds A never ending battle of getting the state to set priorities.

I went to a seminar this weekend hosted by Tarponfly - Carey Thorn - he said they
were no longer protected.

Bozz

I thought only private land owners could shoot them now. No hunting cormorants allowed by the general public.

They devastate trees when they roost.

Why do you think fish farms have been given special permits to eradicate cormorants? Why do you think a lot of State Game Wardens here in Texas don't care if you shoot them? Bad BAD Worst.

They need to have an open, unlimited season on them like they do for geese on the coast.

It is illegal to shoot cormorants.

http://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_lf_w7000_1159.pdf

That link doesn't say shooting the double-crested commorant is ILLEGAL - it says it is CONTROLLED. Follow requirements, and they can be shot - though i have no idea how hard or easy the hoops are to be allowed to do so.

Remember, the taking of almost every critter is controlled to an extent, some more than others. Personally, I'd like to see the double crested commorant limit restricted to 100 per shooter on days that end in "y".

Need a permit and be a landowner where the birds r considered a nuisance.

Actually if you will read the "link", it says regulated by state and federal government. But you go ahead and shoot all you want.

Double-crested cormorants are one of approximately 800 species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, and subsequent amendments. This act was first passed to implement the terms of a treaty between the U.S. and Canada for the protection of migratory birds.

You can get a special permits to hunt them on private property. You have to keep a log and bury or burn the bodies.

Basically cormorants compete with other fish for the same food source. In addition they can feed heavily on game and food fish fingerlings and young.

Between intensive conservation efforts, state, federal and international laws and regulations, as well as state and federal programs to help cormorant populations recover from previous problems involving certain pesticides, they have become far more numerous than the wild food supply can provide for.

At some point they and other predatory birds come into places like farms and intensively managed fisheries and eat up most of the fish. Even risking being shot and killed in order to not starve to death.

Licensed (or permitted where there is no license requirement) aquaculture facilities in 13 Southern states have a general permit to kill cormorant depredating on crops. Beyond that, I don't know.

I do know that other than fire ants, they are one of the scourges of the Earth, at least the wet parts and the edges.....