Got run off

Started my day by going to shoot some clays with Marion, something we both really enjoy. The overcast of the day made it easier on our eyes. Last time out, we shot in the afternoon and a few of the targets were staged with us facing west. We just couldn’t shoot those. Done with that by about noon, I went home and let my girls out, pulled out the already connected boat and closed up and was fishing by a little after one.

My main objective was to find some bluegill or shellcracker beds. I found a few but couldn’t just run through fishy looking stuff. Things were slow but I did get a few. I also found a technique used last year has come back around so I’ll have something to do next time out. When I found this out, someone else showed up. Always good to see them close up but some of the stories I’ve heard about these in this neighborhood. Dangerous is the only word I can think of. They have already sent a couple of folks for stitches, so I never turned my back.Attachment 372269
It seems they’ve been feeding them for a time and now they just take what they want. The one story I heard was that an older gent on a blood thinner regimen held up a fish to show someone and one of these took it out of his hands, nicking him with a talon in the process. Had to drop everything and go get put back together. Heard about this for a while, now there’s no doubt in my mind that these stories are true.

When he first showed up he didn’t try to hide or be stealthy, just perched on a branch and focused on where I was fishing. Got a small gill and took the hook out, raised it up and he dropped off the branch and came straight at me. I threw the fish back in the nearby weeds where he landed as if to find the fish. A while later I caught another fish, a small crappie that splashed around. Here he came again. But before he got to it I pulled it sideways a good ways and he pulled off. Got the fish into the boat, kept it out of sight, and threw it back in an airborne way. He dropped off the branch and came for the fish again, but it hit the water and swam off. I moved down the way and he followed, always close by. He wouldn’t have pulled off and left as long as I was catching fish so I packed up and headed home.

This is one of the down sides of fooling with Mother Nature. This was trained behavior. Dont know for sure how it started and don’t know how or if it will ever end. I had a good time today and never thought it would end this way. Should you fish in the blue springs area, be aware of what’s going on around you and please, don’t hold up any fish. Hoping to see y’all out enjoying one day soon, til then...... Skeet.

These guys were out in number today too, and this guy was way smaller than the one, biggest, River Cooter turtle I’ve ever seen that was on a log today. Large tilapia were also everywhere, a bow hunter would have had a real good time.
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Very nice read and some nice National Geographic-like pics too skeet. I've always kept an eye out for several species of prey seeking water birds... and have been quite amazed on more than one occasion just how aggressive and even down right "nervy" some of these opportunistic feeders can or will be. I had one occasion when I was spider rigging off the bow when I turned around to see a young blue heron perched on my outboard motor only 10 or 12 feet from me and another time when a bald eagle swooped in and plucked a gut hooked undersized throwback out of the water that was struggling on the water surface only 10 feet or so from the boat. The worst part of it was not having the presence of mind or fast enough reflexes to get pics of either, although I would have loved to have gotten both of those pics. Thanks for sharing your day with the rest of us.

Yep, good advice, Owls, Hawks, pelicans, Heron's, ect...have bottomless stomach:s, find it always a mistake to try to help them out, although I realize you were just confirming a theory.... beautiful creatures, however, wild & unpredictable....

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WISE move Tim.:highfive
Doug

Beautiful to watch for sure but definitely need to be wary..... great pics Skeet. Growing up in NH we would often have encounters with bald eagles trying to snatch undersized salmon that were so fragile they would struggle on the surface. Again, beautiful to behold

Sounds exciting but some danger for sure. Thanks for the post Skeet. Be safe everyone.

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Cool post, I keep thinking about those talons!


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I’m with ya Redge, this is no small bird. I would be unarmed in a fight with a protected bird with a handful of knives!

Nice read, gave me something to think about. :biggrin

The bad thing about mixing beauty with uneducated people is they don’t understand that they are not only putting other people in harms way, but they are risking that animal that they love to admire becoming a nuisance and being taken out. Now that I’m done with my PSA, I think you should upgrade your phone to the one with the better camera. With your eye for wildlife and as much as you’re around them you would get some beautiful pics! And you know your tech support is just a call away [emoji6] Love you!

It took me extra years to get into a smart phone, and it ain’t broke. When it does, I will. Love you too.

Owl grabbed my wife's popper the other morning while fishing. Lucky he let go after taking off with it.