Pelicans

[magnum mike]

We have had an influx of pelicans on our lake this summer. They have been in the area for years but never in such numbers. There are easily 100 of them on the lake at times. We are just north of Big Winnie.

There have been many opinions expressed whether they have an impact on the fishing or not. Some have said they eat up to 10 adult fish per day. The fishing has been horrible this year but I don’t believe it can all be blamed on the pelicans. Does anyone have any experience with a pelican infestation? Is anyone missing about 100 of them? What are the odds we can get the DNR to create some new laws to manage the resource based on the Pelican Factor?

[fivebucks]

We have a bunch of Pelicans on Island Lake by Northome and have for years. There aren't 100 of them but probably around 30-40. I haven't noticed any fishing issues with them but I am sure they take their fair share of young perch and other fish in the shallows. They feed by herding the fish and in the 10+ years on the lake I have yet to see them do that. I wouldn't think they take too many walleye except for little ones that are in the shallows. I am not sure but I think if you get deeper than 3-4 feet they are not effective at catching fish.

[mrklean]

i dont remember the exact numbers, but i think they do take a good chunk of fish each day a few pounds a day dont remember, but ihave been seeing more and more around my lake

[timjones]

They have been on Osakis since well before my time here. I have seen them herding. Around a dozen or so will form a line and herd the small sunnies into a corner by the cattails of something and just go to town scarfing them up. After a little bit the sunnies will scatter. The pelicans will swim out a ways, form back up, and do it again. Sometimes this goes on for quite a while, either until most of the sunnies that were there are eaten or have moved to deeper water. Once they get out to the three or four foot depth the pelicans are much less effective at nabbing them. I have heard that they prefer bullheads over other fish but will take almost anything. I have seen them with large fish hanging down in there bill sack, so big that it sometimes takes them a half hour or more of trying to swallow it.

[curtistodd]

Ive seen the exact thing that Retired_on_Osakis is talking about on a lake in South Dakota. But this time they were working with a team of cormorants as well!! There had to be a couple hundred total birds. The line would form all the way across the shallow bay that was a quarter mile wide and then they would herd them up and then it was all feet and tails, they were feeding on small perch, im almost certain of it. It looked like something you would see on "Planet Earth" documentaries. Of course it was the middle of the week, no cabins on this bay, and hardly anybody else saw it. It was crazy. They can do serious damage i believe.

[winniewalleye777]

I have noticed the same thing MM... We have a cabin on the river on the SW corner of winnie. 5 years ago or so we started seeing sunnies in the bay of the river we are on. There hadn't been a sunfish in that bay since we had the cabin (built in the 1940's).

Last year we started seeing those huge flocks of pelicans in the bay. In just 1 year we went from catching 8-9 inch sunnies to not seeing 1. Those things are nuts! something has to be done about them.

[fishface]

They don't hurt fish populations at all. Down on Pelican Lake in Wright cnty there are hundreds of them. Has been for years. Fishing has been very consistant, and pretty good. They probably help thin out the runts a little. I don't think they're like cormerants that dive deep and chase down their prey, They stay very shallow, I'd guess eating mostly bait fish, rough fish, and very young panfish. Maybe some biologist will chime in here. I like seeing them when I'm out. They give me confidence that there is some kind of fish life in the area.

[tweedlap]

Unless the numbers get too large I don't think they do much damage to

game fish populations.

One study I read indicated that they generally fed to a maximum

depth of 3'. So generally 3' of water or less or dove to a maximum

of 3' to get food.

Suprisingly, fatheads, carp, sucker and salamanders were 80% of

the diet in this study. I think whatever they can catch withing 3'

of the surface they eat.

tweed

[mabr]

I cant stand them!!! With the early ice out we had this year, I seen them gorge themselves on both big walleyes and bass this spring on a private stocked lake. This time of year (summer) i dont see them doing as much damage but spring is another story.

From what I read they can eat up to a 5-6 lb fish. And that is about what they eat per day. I dont see the DNR doing anything about them though, to many people enjoy seeing them.

[WoodlandSavage]

According to the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, the white pelicans that inhabit MN during the summer do not "dive" for food but rather dip their bills into the water while swimming to feed. So unless all those game fish are hanging out near the surface or in the shallows, the pelicans aren't getting them.

Our cottage is on a pelican breeding lake with 100+ pelicans each year and the fishing is still good. I see the swimming around the lake in all kinds of different spots (probably feeding) but I have never seen them group together to chase fish into an area to feed. I don't doubt what others say they saw, but it sounds strange.

[broken_line]

i caught a pelican using a topwater chub on the mn river!! they fight like a sunfish!!!!

[MNcz]

weirdest place i saw pelicans this year was clear lake in sibley/nicollet counties. quite a few were on that lake. it's a bullhead lake with good # of walleyes. also saw 1 straggler on Vadnais East Basin which was kind of weird. Ramsey County Public works manages that lake as a reservoir and the guys doing that work thought it was a boat at first I think because they were pretty loud about it. (boats aren't allowed on that lake and it probably would've been fun for them to get to chase someone off it )

[Ed Carlson]

Unless the numbers get too large I don't think they do much damage to

game fish populations.

One study I read indicated that they generally fed to a maximum

depth of 3'. So generally 3' of water or less or dove to a maximum

of 3' to get food.

Surprisingly, fatheads, carp, sucker and salamanders were 80% of

the diet in this study. I think whatever they can catch withing 3'

of the surface they eat.

tweed

Very good and informed points. If anything Pelicans are a good indication of a healthy fishery, or they would not hang around. They feed predominately on minnows, shiners and young carp schools. They likely do more good than harm on most waters.

Waters I fish, I look for them..they often point me to fish I want to catch. As very often they herd forage fish and the game fish take advantage of the disorientated baitfish, and they move in to feed.

The only time I have anything to say detrimental about them..is when I'm in a direct line to where they want to land. That's...not so good...not good at all.

Why...well ya see...after a heavy night of pelican binge feeding out with the boyz.....guess what...they all want to take a dump...in unison almost on cue... like a sadistic slow motion big white bombing run...all of them...just before they land.

I'll tell ya...it ain't a preaty sight if your in there bombing run path as they come in to land.

Just Imagine.... 20 guys with wet sloppy 8" pancakes running at you full bore...and you sitting there all anchored up fishing....with no time to move..and no where to hide.. and then they smack you with them...that will paint the picture preaty well.

SPLAT....SPLAT..SPLAT......SCHMUCK! ......D'OH!

Trust me...it's only funny...if they hit the other guy..not you.

[Sonicrunch]

I have a hard time believing it myself, but the world does not revolve around fishing and fishing quality.