Anyone see all the dead coots/mudhens on the Fork hwy 154 bridge?

Any explanations? Did they fly over the bridge into oncoming traffic?

Was curious, never seen that many dead birds on a road around anylakes before.

LMAO..... Yes, they did.. It was bird nightmares....

I get a laugh every year about this time. Looks like a massive suicide! LOL.

Just wait till you get hit with one in the boat (at night)!

Now that is FUNNY!

I had one fly right into my spotlight, and land in my lap! I don't know who freaked out more me or it!

My wife "made" me free a cormorant caught in some fishing line Sat on Tawak. I finally agreed to go help the disgusting fish eating bird and to show its thanks, it bit me on the hand and drew blood. Thought about an "Oops, he drowned" scinerio but she was watching too closely.

You know that is the only bridge I have seen that happen on.

AND the funny thing is they rarely fly that high! Usually they run on water or fly just above it!

A about a month ago I was on the water with fishincontrol. We were gettin it across the lake in a rain storm. We went right through a flock of comorants. When they tried to get off of the surface of the lake, one was a little slow. It got an up close and personal greeting with the butt seat post on the front of the deck at about 65 mph. It was nothing but feathers after that.

Did the same for a coot once. That's the last time. You know those things have really sharp claws? LOL.

I snagged a cormorant on accident once. It flew into my line. I got it next to the boat and we beat it to death with a paddle. Good times.

Elizabeth made me play "save a coot" last time we were on Sandlin. I caught the wounded bird and we took it to a vet that lives around the corner - the lady with all the exotic animals. She told me the best thing I could do was put it out of its misery. Elizabeth stayed in the truck while a did a little neck twist and disposal. Hopefully after all that drama the coons or coyotes had a meal.

Once the women get an idea in their head, you might as well just give in.

road kill coots with a rasberry vinegar glaze.yeah sounds good.

I was fishing at Choke this weekend and I heard a splash in the water. I looked over there really quick but I didn't notice anything. Then a few seconds later I heard another and then another but I never saw what it was. I started to work my way over there in hopes it was a bass and thats when I saw a flock of cormorants flying overhead and hitting the powerline and plopping down into the lake. I'm sure they made a great dinner for the gators!

I would pay good money for that entertainment.

you and me both! I've actually witnessed a gator come down on a coot at choke....pretty mind blowing.

Last Dec in a tournament leaving out of the Bucket, Judds boat and my boat were in full tilt boggie rounding Little Caney headed up the West arm, and a couple hundred coots were way out
off the point, it was bumper coots to the point it got dangerous.

I had to slow down or get knocked out by one.
They make a LOUD thump on the side of your hull at 70 mph.. LMAO....

I have never really seen coots get that high when they fly. 154 is up there. Just surprised to see that many. Its not a few, its mass suicide I guess.

To bad it wasn't commorants!!

I've seen the dead coots on the 515 east bridge by the hundreds in the winter time. I don't know if they are starving or ???? Once in Feb. down by the hwy 17 bridge by Fishermans Cove I saw one take off from the water and fly right into the guard rail on the bridge.

I think the fog played a role in the coots flying up on the bridge!! on my way to the bucket fri. morning i saw one hit the car in front of mines windshield, after it flew up over the bridge.. and several more flew up over and were crashing into the guard rails! they looked really dis-oriented!! then we hit two with the boat running across the lake!! they kinda looked like kamikaze june bugs!!

coots on acid.

to many of them anyway.

Too bad it wasn't cormorants.

Dang, can we it those varmits...sure would cut down on our grocery bill!

T

Hey, come on man. You can't be mixing Southern Cusine with Continental. Your better than that. I suggest a Black Bean Salsa with them.

this thread is useless without photos or video

Coots - You know the limit is 15 a day! (Talk about a boat full!) I know several guys who had a slow duck season who ended up with a good coot season! LOL!

are coots those little birds that make the mud nests under the bridges?

I saw the same thing at Fork one year. I think it was the 515 bridge.

[quote=TheBassKing

I snagged a cormorant on accident once. It flew into my line. I got it next to the boat and we beat it to death with a paddle. Good times. [/quote]

thank you! I usually play slalom course with them to see how many I can take out.. Wife doesnt think its funny, and cant do it anymore with her in the boat.. I think my head hurt worse after I "accidentally" ran over a couple... it just happens

Coots are the little black duck-like birds with white beaks, the birds that build the mud nests are cliff swallows. Or barn swallows. Or some kind of swallows. Not nearly as dumb as coots.

I think they were Branch Davidian Coots and David Koresh came back as a Coot and led the others to a mass suicide again.

That sounds like REAL fun!

You should hear them thump at 80

Seriously...I actually felt sorry for Rob sitting in the passenger seat with no console to hide behind. He was aweful close to the floor though

Those little turds will flat tear up a hydrilla bed...I hate'em!

now thats funny right there

The only problem I have with coots is they tend to be out in the middle of the lake early in the mornings when you think you are running in the clear. They do have their uses though. When all the grass is deep they show you where it is. Shallow nesting bass will hit one and let you know he is there. It is funny to see one run for his life from a gator. As for cormorants kill them all and feed them to the gators.

wait until you run under a flock of dirty birds(comorants). they will take off and glaze yoru boat like a frosted donut.. just hope you aint smiling!! They can shoot a stream of liquid from thier hiney a country mile!

I wonder what kind of dishes they would come up with if they used coot as the main ingredient on "iron chef" yyyuuummmm!

a good coot is always a plus!!! seen a few I wouldnt mind eating!

Towing your boat over the bridge will do that......

Can't believe none of my S.E. La. brothers hadn't hollered Gumbo yet!

Gumbo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish they were Comorants too. I hate those birds. I was fishing Lavon one winter and a flock flew over my boat from stern to bow. They were dropping terds as they came. About 6 of them hit my boat. I could hear the terds getting closer and closer I was just waiting to feel one hit me.

Man, I love to read these accounts about Cormorants vs high speed bass boats....may have to change my thinking. If they get Cormorants, then the noise, pollution, and churned up water may be worth it.

They call them Peauxl-Deaux down in Louisiana or (pool-doo) for you Texans. :>)

Nope! Not worth eating.

For what its worth..

Flying back to the Ramp one day I hit a couple Coots

One hit the TM and bounced off, while the Other pegged Me right in the Chest. I wont be trying to hit anymore of those

Had a friend testing a drag boat at Northlake Early 80's ,coot flew up outta water into his face .Was'nt good for him.

If you ever go to rescue a comorant or heron or egret watch your eyes, they'll poke 'em right out.

Sunday the 16th my son and I was headed for Oak Ridge Resort at 7:AM and hit one of the coots on the 154 with the truck. It was dark and I all I saw was a black bird in the headlights. Came back across the bridage at 8:AM and there was 50 or 60 dead coots all over the bridge. Been told that it happens about this time every year. Just figured the coots have a Pastor named Jones and they all came to drink the Kool-Aid.

Coot's don't hear well and can't hear your boat comming at 60/70+ MPH. That is why you run up on them. Besides getting hit by the boat they [censored] when they are scared off the water. Had the unpleasent experience of wearing Coot [censored] all over me and the boat.