There has been a rash of float plug thefts from float planes in Homer. Given that the carnival was in town we immediately suspected the 'carnies', however, after heavy surveillance from a team of experienced invesitigators the case was cracked. It turns out that the plugs were not being stolen by the 'carnies' but a sinister local gang known as the Ravens. That is right folks, ravens are plucking the plugs out of the floats. Will try to get photos.

Headoutdaplane wrote:There has been a rash of float plug thefts from float planes in Homer. Given that the carnival was in town we immediately suspected the 'carnies', however, after heavy surveillance from a team of experienced invesitigators the case was cracked. It turns out that the plugs were not being stolen by the 'carnies' but a sinister local gang known as the Ravens. That is right folks, ravens are plucking the plugs out of the floats. Will try to get photos.

Ravens fly floats??? Or are they selling them to the geese?

You've all heard the expression questioning the water-tightness of a frogs a**-hole? Well, apparently, ravens need artificial help.

tom

??? Raven breast implants with pre-installed nipple rings ????

Ravens have a beak like a leather awl. I watched one punch holes in my water bottle one day while camping with barely any effort. I bet one could get through a metal soup can.

We had the problem in Kodiak with planes parked overnight on the City Dock in the boat channel. We assumed it was herring spotters, who had a bit of a habit of being a little light fingered with things.....

Turns out it was a couple of Northwest Crows (close relatives of ravens).

I get a kick out of ravens--they are very interesting to watch, and they can get into some real antics. And, they can cause a bit of damage. I know of at least one Husky parked overnight at Whitehorse that the ravens tore the fabric off the horizontal tail surfaces. I'm guessing the bird landed with some food of some sort, and in the process of eating the food, pecked a hole in the fabric, then started to pick at that, and tore it to ribbons.

MTV

I was missing 3 "balls" after putting the floats on and flying home. Use up my 3 back ups and now need to buy some more. Don't know if birds got them or they fell out in flight. Same result, need more.

Ford,

Buy the "new style" plugs from Lake and Air. They don't have the little string handle that the older ones had, and they fit pretty snug. I doubt a bird would be able to pull em out.

MTV

Once watched a guy buy 36 float plugs. He said that he was out on a not-so-remote lake in Alaska, and came back to the line of planes parked on the shore only to see a bear cub on another plane's float. "He was sticking a claw down and popping the balls out, then just playing with the ball until it rolled into the water, then going and popping the next one out. It was absolutely hilarious - until he got to my plane!"

Also met a man who got so fed up at a pair of thieving ravens who'd take one or three at a time that he finally preemptively replaced every single ball with the new spring-style. I'm guessing it worked well, because I never saw him back for more.