Brave/Foolish Hawk

[Fentress]

We have had a hawk make a few unsuccessul passes at our flock of 22. Well, yesterday, he was successfull. Wife called me at work and said that he had made a kill and that she could not shoo him away, she even blasted him with the water hose. I came home and walked directly up to the hawk and put the poultry net over him. Is this normal that the hawk would be so unafraid of us? It appears to be an immature red tail. It still has white mottles on it's back and no red markings yet. So, I harrassed it for a while and then laid him up into the electronet fencing and watched him get several shocks. When I released him he was a little wobbly on his feet, but within a few minutes he recovered and hopped into the woods and then flew off. I was fortunate to be able to give him some negative reinforcement. Do you think he will return? If he does, there is nothing left that I could do at this point to dissuade him. Guess what , my wife just called and his is back, did not make a kill but he is trying. Is this normal?

 

[thebanthams]

Yes Some hawks are very aggresive ! They will not give up until they got their food! I dont know if its a female, maybe trying to feed her babies? YES they will keep coming back. You will have to fine a way to scare them off. Is your pen covered on top cages? Some people put fake owls on top. How about a scarecrow? I really dont know if it works ! Good Luck! You dont want to lose another hen!

 

[FireTigeris]

Yes it's normal.

Be careful, not sure where 'harass' is crossed instead of 'scare' fines very if caught and internet evidence is becoming more and more accepted in court.


Quote:



Quote:

http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/intrnltr/mbta/mbtandx.html

Hawk, Asiatic Sparrow, Accipiter gularis
Broad-winged, Buteo platypterus
Cooper's, Accipiter cooperii
Ferruginous, Buteo regalis
Gray, Buteo nitidus
Harris', Parabuteo unicinctus
Hawaiian, Buteo solitarius
Red-shouldered, Buteo lineatus
Red-tailed, Buteo jamaicensis
Rough-legged, Buteo lagopus
Sharp-shinned, Accipiter striatus
Short-tailed, Buteo brachyurus
Swainson's, Buteo swainsoni
White-tailed, Buteo albicaudatus
Zone-tailed, Buteo albonotatus


Owl, Barn (=Barn-Owl, Common), Tyto alba
Barred, Strix varia
Boreal, Aegolius funereus
Burrowing, Speotyto (=Athene) cunicularia
Elf, Micrathene whitneyi
Flammulated, Otus flammeolus
Great Gray, Strix nebulosa
Great Horned, Bubo virginianus
Hawk (=Hawk-Owl, Northern), Surnia ulula
Long-eared, Asio otus
Northern Saw-whet, Aegolius acadicus
Short-eared, Asio flammeus
Snowy, Nyctea scandiaca
Spotted, Strix occidentalis
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http://www.fws.gov/forms/3-200-13.pdf

No permit is required merely to scare or herd
depredating migratory birds other than endangered or threatened species and bald or golden eagles. You should apply for a
depredation permit only after non-lethal management proves unsuccessful. If a permit is issued, you will be expected to continue
to integrate non-lethal techniques when implementing any lethal measures.

Please provide the following information:
1. List the species of migratory birds causing the depredation problem and estimate the number of each involved.
2. Provide the exact location of the property or properties where the control activity would be conducted (State, county, and physical
address of the specific site).
3. Description of damage.
(a) Describe the specific migratory bird damage or injury you are experiencing.
(b) How long has it been occurring (e.g., the number of years)?
(c) What times or seasons of the year does it occur?
(d) Describe any human health and safety hazards involved.
(e) Provide details such as types of crops destroyed, human injuries sustained, property damage incurred, and health and safety
hazards created.
4. Describe the extent of the damage and estimate the economic loss suffered as a result, such as percentage of acres of crop and
dollar loss, cost to replace damaged property, or cost of injuries.
5. Describe the nonlethal measures you have taken to control or eliminate the problem, including how long (e.g., a week, month,
year(s)) and how often they have been conducted. List the techniques you have tried, such as harassment (e.g., horns,
pyrotechnics, propane cannons), habitat management (e.g., vegetative barriers, longer grass management, fencing), cultural
practices (e.g., crop selection and placement, management of pets and feeding schedules), or no feeding policies.
6. Proposed actions.
(a) What actions are you proposing to take to alleviate the problem (e.g., kill, eliminate nesting, trap and relocate)?
(b) Describe the method you propose (e.g., shoot; addle, oil, destroy eggs; trap and relocate; trap and donate birds to a food
processing center).
(c) If you propose to trap birds, describe the method that will be used and your (or your agents) experience with the method.
7. What long-term measures do you plan to take to eliminate the problem?
​

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/113482/legal-elimination-of-hawks-and-owls

Hawks have no reason to be scared of humans, we are not naturally in conflict with hawks, we cannot fly and we are slow in comparison and ignore them for the most part.

You need if possible a very large rooster and plenty of places for your hens to hide under cover (large bushes, propped up- up-side down wheelbarrows, opened barrels... ).