A Hawk Is Killing Our Chickens. What should I do?

[Beekissed]

Doin' well! And you?

 

[enola]

Ain't watching chicken Hawks ! Doing just fine in this 98* weather with 90% humidity.

 

[Beekissed]

Urg!

And I'm sweatin' through me under drawers up here at 88*(but feels like 93*, they say...and they ain't lyin'). No AC here, so it's fans and working when it's cool if you can, stopping when you are about to drown in your own sweat and sitting in front of the fan again.

Good for the garden, not so good for this fat old woman!

 

[enola]

Mike has COPD so we have to have AC. Yep, get up early work, nap in front of the fan, finish up around dusk, sleep under fan. AC when Mike is here......

 

[Rowsdower]

I am not having problems with song birds! Hawks! Big difference! You must not live on a farm

I do not currently live on a farm, no, but I grew up on one and my parents/grandparents still live there. This has nothing to do with me being 'namby-pamby'. If you're at all interested in going about it legally, this is the web address that I was given by my state's DNR when I inquired about a permit for myself.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/home

 

[cscigu]

I'm in Oklahoma also, and have hawk problems. I wouldn't shoot one, just because I don't want to deal with any of it, and it would be tough to actually catch one in the act. A couple years ago, I checked into the whole hawk/migratory bird thing. Nearly everything is protected by that migratory bird act, it seems. However, in the Oklahoma Statutes it specifically says that you can shoot birds that are endangering your livestock. On top of that, I can't imagine how anyone would know if you shot a hawk out in the country.

If problems arose, you'd be caught between the Feds and The State. You can imagine how that would go. I'd bet you'd fare better if you depended on your livestock as your livelihood, rather than a hobby.

Hawks, snakes, coyotes....You shoot one, another will be around soon enough. I have shot coyotes, as they are the worst repeat offenders, I think. Also, they are seriously overpopulated here, and completely legal to shoot, year 'round, no limit.

 

[Rowsdower]

I'm in Oklahoma also, and have hawk problems. I wouldn't shoot one, just because I don't want to deal with any of it, and it would be tough to actually catch one in the act. A couple years ago, I checked into the whole hawk/migratory bird thing. Nearly everything is protected by that migratory bird act, it seems. However, in the Oklahoma Statutes it specifically says that you can shoot animals that are endangering your livestock. On top of that, I can't imagine how anyone would know if you shot a hawk out in the country.

If problems arose, you'd be caught between the Feds and The State. You can imagine how that would go. I'd bet you'd fare better if you depended on your livestock as your livelihood, rather than a hobby.

Hawks, snakes, coyotes....You shoot one, another will be around soon enough.

My state's laws are written similarly. You could tell that the people at the local DNR office wanted to tell me to just shoot them. They WERE kind enough to tell me that my time would be wiser spent fortifying my range area and planting trees. They said almost no one gets a permit, particularly for raptors.

In regard to the SSS approach, it'd be just my luck to get one with a tracking device (a la King of the HIll)...have the feds pull up on my lawn. LOL

 

[enola]

I posted this story a couple of years ago and got BLASTED by the members here....... But, I know it is true, so here goes.....

A hawk squeezed himself through an opening in my daughter's hen house to attack a hen. He wounded her on her head a punctured her breast in a few places. Then the Araucana/Game cross rooster attacked him. The hawk had an eye injury and a broken wing when we threw a shirt over his head to capture him. When I called the DNR I was told since he attacked chickens and his wing was broken to go ahead and humanely destroy him. I was told to call them back after the deed was done.

Of course, all the grandchildren started crying so I called DNR again and they gave me the number of a rehab facility. The folks from the rehab facility did come pick him up, they also confirmed that Hawks killing chickens can be destroyed. BUT, it is illegal to dispose of the body, it must be turned over to the DNR.

Keep in mind, we did not SHOOT the hawk, we actually caught the hawk INSIDE the chicken house, maybe that is the difference.

My advice is call DNR and arrange a meeting with an officer and discuss your hawk problems.

 

[show pony]

This forum is so much help. I lost 2 bantam chickens this week to a red tailed hawk. I often just let them out 2-3 hours during the afternoon in a small narrow run up against my house and checked them often. They love getting out of their small pen and coop to roam around. I know it was a red tailed hawk as I watched it carry off my favorite Fancy Red Frizzle Bantam - 4 mo old. I loved that little chick- she would come to my voice and peck my feet and hands. If I had been one minute sooner, I could have prevented it. It was such a helpless feeling watching that hawk take off and fly over the fence with Fancy. I found white feathers where the hawk had gotten the white bantam earlier. Fortunately the other 2 were in hiding and I put them back in the coop but they are so fearful now, they will hardly come out of the coop into the protected pen. Thanks for tips on adding twine or fishing line. I will do that. Show pony from OK.

 

[Beekissed]

I posted this story a couple of years ago and got BLASTED by the members here....... But, I know it is true, so here goes.....

A hawk squeezed himself through an opening in my daughter's hen house to attack a hen. He wounded her on her head a punctured her breast in a few places. Then the Araucana/Game cross rooster attacked him. The hawk had an eye injury and a broken wing when we threw a shirt over his head to capture him. When I called the DNR I was told since he attacked chickens and his wing was broken to go ahead and humanely destroy him. I was told to call them back after the deed was done.

Of course, all the grandchildren started crying so I called DNR again and they gave me the number of a rehab facility. The folks from the rehab facility did come pick him up, they also confirmed that Hawks killing chickens can be destroyed. BUT, it is illegal to dispose of the body, it must be turned over to the DNR.

Keep in mind, we did not SHOOT the hawk, we actually caught the hawk INSIDE the chicken house, maybe that is the difference.

My advice is call DNR and arrange a meeting with an officer and discuss your hawk problems.

That's good to know for future reference!

AND it's good to know that someone out there is using common sense when these animals become a nuisance.