# Pelicans



## LSSUfishmaster (Aug 4, 2008)

rascal trophy fishing said:


> Hmmm...someone else told me that pelicans were in the great lakes too a few years ago. I thought he was pulling our leg too. Saltwater yes, freshwater up this high in latitude? Are they only white, or gray and black too? Thanks.


The brown pelicans that you see down south pretty much stay there. White pelicans are migratory and similar to ducks winter in the south and breed in the Canadian interior and Alaska. The Great Lakes are at the eastern edge of their migration route and they use the lakes as a staging area.


----------



## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)




----------



## animalx1 (Apr 13, 2006)

Just wondering if anyone has seen the Pelicans on Wixom Lake this spring ? We have seen them for the last couple of years on the northern migration, but I've been busy with the dogs this spring and haven't been out on the lake. I haven't noticed them up here at the north end of it where we live at. No biggie, just curious if anyone has seen them this spring.

Elbert


----------



## boogethis (May 14, 2011)

I live in Luna Pier, Mi I was walking the dog and saw 4 pelicans fly overhead and land in a marsh by Lake Erie yesterday! They were white with black on the wings just like the pics!

boogethis


----------



## quackersmacker13 (Dec 9, 2009)

saw what looked like pelicans in grand haven today, they were pretty high up but the bill and body shape was right...flock of a dozen of em


----------



## highcaliberconsecrator (Oct 16, 2009)

quackersmacker13 said:


> saw what looked like pelicans in grand haven today, they were pretty high up but the bill and body shape was right...flock of a dozen of em


They were. They stopped off in the Grand for a bit.


----------



## Momma_B22 (May 16, 2014)

I was in the Upper Peninsula beginning of May. I took some decent photos of a flock of 16 or more in Little Bay Denoc. I was in Rapid River and Escanaba areas. My Father in Law said there was two there last year. Now they have apparently brought friends & family lol I just registered on this site so very new but I did upload a handful of the pics if you want to look at them to see if they are the same type you saw.


----------



## smelz like wet dog (Aug 12, 2006)

I seen a flock of four a few years ago on the saginaw bay while duck hunting. They flew past us on several different occasions over a two week span. Glad I had someone besides my dog as a witness.


----------



## Down River (Sep 10, 2009)

Always see pelicans around this time of year.


----------



## kotimaki (Feb 13, 2009)

I had a pelican of some sort hanging around my spearing shanty on lake Cadillac in 2007. Saw him off and on all winter , I thought that was a little odd....


----------



## T1basser (Oct 11, 2004)

Saw 4 of them yesterday while bass fishing Muskegon Lake.


----------



## DRuff2 (Mar 21, 2012)

They migrate typically from the Hudson Bay down to the gulf. Rarely do they come east of wisconson but it happens occasionally. Saw 2 this past weekend at the mouth of the sag river.


----------



## JimP (Feb 8, 2002)

A rare old bird is the Pelican,
His beak can hold more than his bellycan.
He puts enough in his beak, to last for a week...
I sure don't know how in the hellican.


----------



## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

In the late eighties off Strawberry, a buddy and I were in the layout early in the morning when out of the fog a Brown Pelican came and sat down in the water next to us. Within a few minutes, it decided it wasn't about to bob the surf tirelessly and decided to hop up on the bow. It was cool and exciting for about the first three minutes before it looked down between us and took imterest in the brown bag we were using as a shell bag. When it moved in closer to find out what was in it we lost all interest in the bird and had to shoo it away with a little force. I thought we were going to have hand to hand combat for a minute there. I would not want to be at the receiving end of that bill should it ever get upset.

Sent from my VS870 4G using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## Blacklab77 (Jun 21, 2006)

Dahmer said:


> I've seen a pair of white pelicans last year on the bay on two seperate occaussions.



Betting up near Tawas. They are there alot we see them about once or twice every other year.


----------



## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

Found this one out in Idaho, apparently the farmers don't like them in their stock trout ponds/lakes.


----------



## Waz_51 (Jan 10, 2010)

I see them every year out on the Saginaw Bay... thought it was pretty strange at first, now I kinda worry if I don't see them, lol 

Sent from my C771 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

jonesy16 said:


> Found this one out in Idaho, apparently the farmers don't like them in their stock trout ponds/lakes.


Things are worse than sea gulls. I've had days in Cabo where you couldn't even fish because you were constantly hooking pelicans.


----------



## Joe Robison (Sep 19, 2011)

If you want to see one there is 7-10 of them every day in the vermet unit at pte. Mouillee. Have seen them every day since last Thursday .


----------



## saabbob (Aug 25, 2014)

grizzly said:


> Ok,
> 
> So im headed down Wixom lake between Midland and Gladwin counties and running to my favorite crappie canal and I am shocked to see 4 pelicans with yellow bills. Is this a common thing to see???? I turned the boat around as fast as possible got close enough to take a pic with the blackberry and before I could get it on them they flew off. Anyone else seeing any of these cool birds??? Not to mention several thousand buffies
> that were put up buy an eagle. All in all a pretty cool sight.
> ...


I was sailing near the Detroit River Light on Saturday, when I saw a white pelican fly across my bow. By the time the other people of the boat could turn to look, they couldn't tell what it was. Glad to know I'm not crazy and that others have seen these beautiful birds on Lake Erie.


----------



## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

I've seen them in high mountain lakes in Colorado during the summer, but I haven't seen them here in Michigan yet. Have heard plenty of stories though. I'd rather they skip over our state, and leave our fish alone. The cormorants already gobble up enough fish.


----------



## bad dog (Mar 31, 2004)

We had a pair hanging out in the Manistee Lake marsh for several weeks in June.


----------

