Since I drive up to Soldier Creek just about every weekend I wanted to pass along a potential bad occurrence that I witnessed this spring and wonder if if will effect the spawning in the Strawberry river of the Cutties and other species.
For a period of two weeks, about 300 yards upstream from the visitors center just off highway 40 there were 40+ pelicans in about a 50 -75 yards area on the Strawberry river eating the heck out of something - I'm guessing spawning fish of some sort. They were swarming in the river (stream). Even drive bombing.
I personally HATE Pelicans and know the can have a negative impact on a fishery. I have also heard stomach samples have been taken and they are just eating non-game fish - HA. Whatever they were gorging on was getting eat'in fast and furious.
What do you think was at the Pelican Golden Corral Feast ?
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[#0000FF]Happens just about every year. And it ain't just non trout species they are eating. They have been observed with two groups working toward each other, herding the spawning cutts ahead of them and totally wiping out everything in between. But pelicans are protected ya know so we gotta let 'em be all that they can be.
Same thing happens at Blackfoot Reservoir in Idaho. And I am sure it happens other places as well. I know I have seen a sea of white pelicans massing around the mouth of the Truckee River where it dumps into Pyramid Lake in Nevada. Again, some folks say they are just there for the spawning tui chubs and suckers. But it is amazing how the timing corresponds with the upstream cutt run.
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Yes they are a problem, Alan Ward is the biologist for strawberry, I have worked with him to get my dedicated hunter hours, I have gill netted, planted willow, and hazed pelicans, well chased them off the river, they are very persistent, most that I have seen they are eating the suckers, or atleast that's mostly what I have seen them puke up after I sneek up on them and throw rocks, they will eat enough that they cant get off the ground. its kinda funny,
During the walleye spawn at UL they take a lot of fish when they are rolling, more than I can catch, but not all survive [sly](see pics)
I think it was last year the UofU put gps on several of them,
[url "https://wildlife.utah.gov/pelican_webmap/"]https://wildlife.utah.gov/pelican_webmap/[/url]
its surprising all the places they go, if you only seen 40 the rest where the strawberry river comes in, I've seen hundreds, to my under standing they are studying the impact they have on the fish. talking to Alan maybe with this study they can thin the flock, but he says he gets the fist tag[
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They are out of control. It is ridiculous. I wish we were allowed to attempt to manage birds like other species. Our fish hatcheries, and our pocketbooks, can not sustain the insatiable and uncontrolled demand that these birds have on the resources.
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Same problem with cormorants I think.
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Hahhhh, look at that feathery jerk! You done messed up, Ay-Ay-ron!
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Totally agree! I actually believe the cormorants pose an even wider spread problem than the pelicans. Something has got to be done.
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Absolutely no doubt that pelicans and cormorants eat some game fish. However, rather than "manage" fish eating birds maybe taking some time to watch them may be a better option.
Flocks of birds working together to herd fish. That is just plain cool.
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That is a cool website and as a fisherman I know pelicans are where the fish are unless they are roosting. Allot can be learned from these tracking collars. [fishon]
fnf
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