# water turkey



## mmcneil (Dec 22, 2007)

We saw some big birds one moarning that looked like ducks and flew like them, but they coasted in on landing instead.  Some guys at the ramp said they were water turkeys. Is there such a thing and are the legal to hunt?  They dove like other ducks also.  Is it native to GA or a migrator?

thanks Mason


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## Nicodemus (Dec 22, 2007)

They were probably comorants. I`m not sure if they migrate or not, and I`m not sure if they`re legal, but they are fish eaters. I see a lot of them and water turkeys (anhingas) down here.


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## CAL (Dec 22, 2007)

What Nick said and they are said to eat their weight in fish each day!


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## Nicodemus (Dec 22, 2007)

CAL, I`ve seen large flocks of them herd fish into shallow water and clean up! It`s something to see.


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## Dep6 (Dec 22, 2007)

But not legal to shoot though.


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## Adirondacker (Dec 22, 2007)

Lake Russell is loaded with them. Wondered if they were legal to hunt. They reeked havoc in portions  of Lake Onterio


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## MudDucker (Dec 23, 2007)

Cormorants are protected..don't ask me why, but they are.  I hear they taste like chicken though ;-)


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## muddy_feet (Dec 24, 2007)

We call them "Atlanta Mallards"  due to the out of town folks shooting and doing the rolling feed call\highball calls at them.   

They'll run you about $1500.00 a pop in fines.


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## sonofagun (Dec 24, 2007)

Have some buds with DNR who got permission to shoot them.  The cormorants were cleaning out the fish hatchery.


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## Bowman#3 (Dec 24, 2007)

muddy_feet said:


> We call them "Atlanta Mallards"  due to the out of town folks shooting and doing the rolling feed call\highball calls at them.
> 
> They'll run you about $1500.00 a pop in fines.



Hahahah I am not sure how you mix up a comorant with a mallard!


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## Rem270 (Dec 24, 2007)

Huh, I had one of those in our duck pond this past saturday and didn't know what it was.  I  do now.


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## Gadget (Dec 24, 2007)

I've always known a water turkey to be anhingas, not cormarants.


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## d_white (Dec 24, 2007)

Gadget,
You are correct.  Water turkeys are anhinges.  Cormorants are cormorants and tend more to flock up.  A lot of people around here just use the brushstroke term water turkey for both of them.  We had a group of hunters nearby the other morning that kept blowing their goose call at all the passing flocks of cormorants.  I wouldn't advise shooting them as they carry a HEFTY fine.


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