Open Discussion - for our Readers, Islanders, and Web Site Visitors alike. Discussion regarding any and all aspects of Beaver Island are welcome here. Also a place for general Beaver Island conversation and discussion.
The Beaver Island Wildlife Club in conjunction with the USDA Wildlife Services will be instituting a cormorant harassment program in the Beaver Island harbor and Lake Genezarth this spring. The goal of the program is to not allow the birds to feed which will lead to a restocking of the fisheries. This has been the case in other areas where this program was done.
The harassment program will involve boats in the harbor area and entrance and on Lake Genezarth using pyrotechnics to chase the birds from the feeding areas and in some cases where the birds will not leave we will use lethal methods (shotguns). It is expected that this program will operate from the middle of April until the middle of May.
All participants will be deputized and following rules provided by the Federal Government for this program.
There will be a training program conducted by the USDA Wildlife Services on Beaver Island April 15th at 7:00 at the Peaine Township Hall.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO HELP WITH THIS PROGRAM.
You do not have to be a member of the wildlife club to participate.
Please mark your calendar and help us with this important program.
I live on Fox Lake and have not seen any Cormorants on this lake to my knowledge. But if I see any, I'll be glad to pop them off with my scoped 22. Do I need to be deputized for that?
The answer is NO, Do not shoot them. We need the data on the fox lake population to get to the proper folks. Pass it on to Jeff Powers. This program was clearly defined as a harrasment program NOT open hunting season. Our part this year is to keep flocks out of the harbor and Lake "G" to allow the fish to spawn. The primary method will be boats chasing them out of the area. If boat noise and traffic does not work then we will employ pyrotechnics, ( a small caliber blank gun that lauches an small non lethal projectile towards the birds and scares them away). There will be NO shooting live rounds in the harbor. We are in a learning curve here. Leadership on the program will come from the Wildlife club. We are just one part of the control program. For more info contact Jeff
Not so sure that's great news.Decimation of one species for another can be a touchy subject.Although it may be good news for the island's "micro-enviroment".
Well, we do have a very large and thriving Eagle population here on the Islands. I doubt if two species fighting in nature for territory and food would merit such a strong adjective as "decimate". I would call it a normal shift in nature, But if the eagles start using cluster bombs or chem/bio weapons then I may get concerned.
"I doubt if two species fighting in nature for territory and food would merit such a strong adjective as "decimate".............."
Correct Adam! ... The potential here is island decimation .......... Hat Island is already devoide of vegatation. If Beaver Eagles ate one baby cormorant a day it might make a small dent.
Perhaps Mr Szczepanski does not know that the largest population of cormorants on the planet is centered on Beaver Island ....... About 50,000 birds. (NorthernIslander - May - p. 10)
Well I am sure Mr Szcz is just as concerned as we all are about a healthy eco system here as well as other places. But we must be careful of the words we use, they are powerful things. This does not help us respond with a well reasoned response to environmental issues. One thing that has always put a bee in my bonnet is the phrase "Critical Dunes". What makes one dune Critical and another not. I understand the obvious dunes, sand, grasses erosion etc but I think it is strange that here on the Island there are Critical Dune areas that have 40-50 year old hardwood forrests growing on them. And my last thought (or babble), I would love to see Commorants dressed up in little flak vest and helmuts manning anti aircraft guns, but thats just where my mind goes when I got to much time on my hands.
Keith Szczepanski wrote:Not so sure that's great news.Decimation of one species for another can be a touchy subject.Although it may be good news for the island's "micro-enviroment".
Cormorants continue to destroy both fish populations in the great lakes and inland lakes and decimated islands with their guano in the process. Last week in working with wildlife services we discovered 4 pairs of small Black Crowned Night Herons attempting to nest amongst 4000 cormorants. This is likely the last colony of these birds in the archipelago, cormorants already destroyed the nest sites for these birds when they decimated Hat Island. Without management cormorants will march through this island as they have through many other islands close to us. We have asked Central Michigan University biologists to supply us with bird count information on these precious herons but they tell us they are too busy to reply to our requests. We dont want to exterminate cormorants, we would like however to bring their numbers closer to what they have historically been and allow fish populations to recover and precious other bird species to coexist, and beautiful island habitats to be restored.
I have no problem with the CHP. I want to see the Island's fisheries restored as well.I think the program is a great non-lethal tactic to help restore the fisheries.I was only replying to the article that stated that the commorant population in that part of the country was being disbanded by the Bald Eagle.
My intent with my post was only to state that the "great news" may not be as great,as intended.We can all agree that the affect of decimated populations of any animal can have intended,and unintended consequences on the eco-system. I, by no means understand the migration patterns of individual species of "fishing" birds.But is it possible the apparent predation(as stated by the forementioned article)could drive these birds to the Great Lakes?
I would think the word "decimated" might not be taken out of context if you talk to the apparent seabird "enthusiast" John Drury, of Vinalhaven.
Perhaps my original post wasn't illiterated clearly enough in regards to the situation. I understand the need to harass these birds in order to restore a more "natural" ecosystem on the archipelago so many of us call home.So,I as well as you,am a proponent of the program.
So basically I was just trying to be a conscientious objector to the "great news".By no means do I mean to step on the toes of avid conservationists,as I aspire to be one.
