hi skeet
we are not over populated with sandhill cranes and i can't say i have ever seen a heron up here.
we do have a pest bird called a cormorant. they are really prevelant in the devils lake system. they are laying waste to the crappie, bluegill, white bass and perch population. once the fish population subsides so will the cormorants, unless they become canibals. the big question which provides the greater good, a fishing/sporting industry where people are enjoying themselves and spending money at the sporting goods and tackle shops not to mention bars, motels, and restaurants etc.
devils lake is a big lake, and growing, and the cormorant population is booming. the state right now is winding their a$$ and scratching their watch trying to figure out how to handle the situation. disease is the main concern. and how long can the lake provide enough fish for the fishing sports and the birds.
we had a disease hit a few of our refuges and really put a hurt on the pelican population. the biologists still haven't pegged that one. one of the problems of overcrowding.
it's just like when the kids go back to school and everything is fine for awhile, then a couple of weeks or so into the semester everyone is coughing, hacking and wheezing. in the dog world known as kennel cough. once a population is massed and kept in small areas diseases start to spread.
well thats social studies for the day. it's noon already and i ain't done squat.
have a good one bud. buy the way, the crane dinner was almost 50 years ago and i have only eaten crane twice since then. it has and will not replace steak in my diet.
