Get the lead out | Minnesota DNR (state.mn.us)
Interesting video on lead-free fishing:
https://www.kare11.com/video/news/local/push-toward-lead-free-fishing/89-d75667e2-9700-4bfa-b3f1-907d79c50cf5
Check out this YouTube Video: Poor water quality causing loons to shrink in size (youtube.com)
LIVING IN LOON TERRITORY
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Loons need clean, clear water so they can catch fish. Shoreline development can impact water quality by increasing run-off, erosion and contamination by chemicals. Shoreline development may eliminate nesting habitat or reduce habitat quality by increasing disturbance and predation.
A few simple things you can do to help loons:
• Reduce run-off and erosion from your waterfront property by encouraging natural vegetation along the shoreline.
• Use only phosphate-free detergent and fertilizer.
• Keep pets from running wild along lake shores and harassing wildlife.
• Make sure garbage is out of reach of loon predators like skunks and raccoons.
• Enjoy loons from a distance with binoculars or a spotting scope, especially if they are nesting near you.
BOATERS
Loons can be difficult to see, and may surface unexpectedly when they’re diving for fish. Collisions with speeding boats and personal watercraft are unfortunately one of the leading causes of death for loons in Minnesota.
Wakes from boats can flood a loon’s shoreline nest, and they can easily overwhelm small chicks. This is a particular problem when boats and personal watercrafts circle in one area for long periods of time. Canoes and kayaks that move easily in shallow water can get much too close to unsuspecting loons on their nests. They may unwittingly sneak up on loons and startle them off nests, leaving eggs unprotected while they paddle by.
A few ways to reduce boating impacts:
• Watch for loons and keep your distance, especially in shallow areas.
• Slow down if you suspect you are close to diving loons.
• Stay away from nesting loons. If you find one, move out of the area.
• Boating activity during the season, especially holiday weekends, can be particularly hard on loons.
• Slow down when close to shore. Adhere to “no wake zone” within 150 feet of any shoreline.
• Keep milfoil and other invasive exotic plants out of Minnesota lakes by keeping your boat and trailer “weed free”.
ANGLERS
Healthy fish populations make lakes popular for both loons and anglers. Anglers who stay for long periods in secluded coves can disturb nesting adults. The loons can be spooked off their nest, leaving their eggs susceptible to predators and the elements.
Fishing gear poses problems for loons. Every year, loons in Minnesota die after becoming tangled in monofilament line. Lead poisoning from lead sinkers and lead-headed jigs is the highest leading cause of death for adult loons in Minnesota.
A few tips for fishing with loons:
• Avoid fishing for prolonged periods in secluded coves where loons may be nesting or feeding, especially in early summer when the eggs and young chicks are most vulnerable.
• Use only lead-free fishing sinkers and jigs and properly dispose of old lead tackle.
• Retrieve broken fishing line.
• Properly dispose of spent fishing line and pick up discarded line in the water or along the shore.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE WATER BE AWARE OF STATE LAWS THAT HELP PROTECT SHORELINES, WILDLIFE AND WILDLIFE HABITAT!
Common Loons are protected by both state and federal laws prohibiting harassment of wildlife. For more information about those laws or to report violations, contact Kathy Haas, 218-308-2641, MN DNR. Watching Common Loons and listening to their haunting calls is a popular activity. Loons have many fascinating behaviors that are easy to observe from afar. If you’re lucky, you may see a loon dive for a fish and feed its chick. Or you may see a loon preen its feathers or peer in the water, looking for its next meal.
IF YOU SEE THESE SIGNS, TAKE THE HINT AND MOVE AWAY:
• A loon is splashing across the water doing the “penguin dance.” The loon appears to stand up in the water and move toward you in an aggressive manner, sometimes also making the distinctive “yodel” call.
• A loon is vocalizing at you. Listen for the “tremolo”, a quavering laugh commonly given when loons are annoyed or alarmed.
• A loon is lying very flat on the shoreline with its head down. The loon is on a nest and if approached will slide into the water, leaving the eggs exposed to predators and the elements.
LOON CALENDAR
- APRIL Common Loons return to Minnesota lakes right after ice out, and spend about a month establishing their territories and bonding with their mate.
- WATCH for pairs of loons exhibiting courtship displays like dipping their bills in the water or swimming around each other in circles.
- MAY–JUNE Loons build their nests of dead vegetation and mud right on the shoreline, away from wind, waves, people, and predators. They often nest on small islands where there are fewer predators and people.
- WATCH for single birds in quiet, shallow coves and near islands, since parents must take turns sitting on the eggs.
- JULY-AUGUST After about 27 days, the eggs hatch and the loon family moves to a nearby “nursery” area. The loon parents spend much of their time catching small fish for hungry chicks. Chicks ride on their parents’ backs to stay warm and safe from predators.
- WATCH for pairs of loons with one or two small chicks in tow or on their backs. The chicks are quite small when they first hatch, so may be difficult to see.
- SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER Most chicks can now feed themselves and fly. Their parents leave them to congregate in large groups, or “rafts”. Groups of chicks will gather together later in the fall in “rafts” of their own.
- WATCH for large gatherings of loons on lakes. Adult loons may be molting into their dull gray and white plumage so may look very similar to the drab but full-grown juveniles.
- NOVEMBER-MARCH Loons spend the winter resting and feeding along the coast. Juvenile loons will wait about seven years before they return to fresh water to breed.
- WATCH for the dull gray and white plumage of wintering adults and juveniles close to shore all along southern and eastern coastlines.