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| | | Supreme Being
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This is what happens when we do not fish responsibly. Someone got their line stuck in a mangrove and instead of going to retrieve it they broke it off. When it broke, it left a good 15 yds stretched and tangled from branch to branch. This Little Blue Heron no doubted swooped into the cut in the mangroves to stage for his next meal. That was to be his last...
Little Blue Herons are waders, not swimmers. When I found this guy, the tide was coming in and still had about 1½ ft to rise. Because of his position, the right wing was completely waterlogged and he was doing the best he could to keep afloat. His legs were barely long enough to touch bottom but he was doing the best he could.
I used my Gerber tool to cut the line free from the tree on one side but it was twisted around his feathers tightly. I carefully cut the line free from the feathers without cutting them. He patiently watched as I worked on him and did not flap around or struggle at all. He was too exhausted for that.
I let go of his wing and he walked into the mangrove roots. It took him a couple of tries to tuck his wings; one had been pulled in one direction for an extended amount of time and the other was waterlogged and tired from swimming. He managed to climb into the roots where I'm sure he will rest and dry out as he makes his recovery.
I'm glad I found him in time. Several people passed right by him and didn't even notice.
~Mark~
CooKnFish Online |
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| | | Supreme Being
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Last Login: 12/29/2008 7:40 PM
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| | That is a flood of emotions, sadness for the bird, anger toward the water rapists who did this, and appreciation for you Mark. Any of us on here would have, I know, but you did a great job.
I once had a bad day of fishing, but it was still great! CHB: the few, the proud, the chosen |
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| | | Supreme Being
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| Great job Mark, sure glad you happened to go his way!!!
Dave |
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| | | Supreme Being
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| Mark, Good job, That bird my be thanking you now, and will always thank you for saving his life...since it wades, it cant swim or float, but he did his best!
Ditto DOA!
Arties are best
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| | | Supreme Being
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Last Login: 7/27/2008 7:36 AM
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| Good job, Mark.
Tight Lines,Brian  
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| | | Supreme Being
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| | | Supreme Being
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| | Great job Mark and thank you for sharing . . . I wouldn't mind seeing this post in the Young Anglers section just so as to share your knowledge with our youth in hopes of passing down the proper respect and care for the environment and all the wonderful creatures in it. In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing an "Etiquette" or "what to do" section for such situations as this. Trice |
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| | | Supreme Being
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| i ahve a few bundles of line in the back of my tuck from the last few excursions in the yak... one of them i actually pulled a nice lure haning off a tree.... it was so easy to go over and get it but they just snapped off 20 yards of line and a nice rattletrap and left it hanging... so now i disposed of a bunch of line and got a free lure for it... it pays to clean up after the slobs come through...
mark as always you have my respect... your respect for nature and the fish we catch is admirable... thanks for the post and picts... and now we must name a bird after you...it owes its life to your care...
Vegetarian: Old Indian word for bad fisherman.
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| | | Supreme Being
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| | Cracker did the same thing when he was fishing up here during Hurricane Francis. We watched a seagull hanging upside down from a dock and couldn't take it, Tom jumped out and went over to cut him free. Seagulls aren't my favorite, but sometimes you just have to do whats right. Cheers Mark! Hoist a cool one for a job well done. chumhead
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