Capturing/Killing a hawk??

[Folly's place]

So true, but that covered run is still the best protection for most flocks. Trees, shrubs, and guard dogs too. Mary

 

[rsneddon10]

We have found the crows to be a great deterrent for the Hawks. I have seen a group of crows attach a hawk that was trying to get one of my hens. I also have seen them in the air attack the hawk. So I use feed corn and spread it all around to encourage the crows to stay. Also, shooting in the air will scare the hawk off. You don't have to commit a crime to protect your hens.

 

[rsneddon10]

It is a $10,000 fine for harassing, injuring or killing a hawk.  put up a fake owl and keep the girls in for a couple weeks to help it move along to other hunting grounds.
The more human activity outside the better as that will also move it along.

Yeah that doesn't work. I've seen a hawk perch itself on the fake owl. Hawks are predators and not stupid.

 

[eagrbeavr]

Yeah that doesn't work. I've seen a hawk perch itself on the fake owl. Hawks are predators and not stupid.

Exactly.

 

[Raccoonrider]

I ran into this problem last year. They dont come every 3 or 4 days as stated before. They come daily. Sometimes multiple times a day if they know they can get a free meal. Decoys dont work. Your best bet is to put some netting over the top of your pen. I tried a half a dozen remedies with no luck. Finally I broke down and paid the price for bird netting and have had 0 problems since. My hawks are coopers hawks. They cant take a full grown chicken. They were targeting my chicks 5-15 weeks. One day they took 3 within a 45 minute period of time. Netting is like 10 bucks for 7x100 roll at lowes. Get some zip ties and you should have a few years of worry free chickens.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I ran into this problem last year. They dont come every 3 or 4 days as stated before. They come daily. Sometimes multiple times a day if they know they can get a free meal. Decoys dont work. Your best bet is to put some netting over the top of your pen. I tried a half a dozen remedies with no luck. Finally I broke down and paid the price for bird netting and have had 0 problems since. My hawks are coopers hawks. They cant take a full grown chicken. They were targeting my chicks 5-15 weeks. One day they took 3 within a 45 minute period of time. Netting is like 10 bucks for 7x100 roll at lowes. Get some zip ties and you should have a few years of worry free chickens.

I am not trying to be picky but animals don't have the concept of free food. Both wild and domestic animals are only concerned with available food, or maybe easily available vittles is a better concept. So if you are chicken free, hawk free, or your chickens remain unavailable for hawk chow, then there is no basics for a conflict.

 

[varidgerunner]

You know, falconers know a lot about hawks. I made the acquaintance of some, nice folks, practicing an ancient vanishing sport. So, if you have a bird coming on a regular schedule in the spring or summer, it is feeding young somewhere close. Those young are referred to as passage hawks, fair game for an aspiring falconer, they have the tools and permits to catch them very effectively. in late summer. They can't keep an adult bird if they catch it, but who is to say that if they accidentally caught and released it, and later caught it's babies, that it wouldn't find another place to raise young in the future. Hawks visiting in the fall are often passing through and only stay for a few days before continuing migration.

After exploring your options, you might consider contacting your state falconers association, if someone was nearby you might work something out. Maybe a spare rooster or two in exchange for some expert advice and possibly intervention. The guys I met seemed really dedicated to resolving hawk-human conflict, and they always have someone looking for a bird to work with.

On the other hand, overhead coverings, chicken tunnels, LGDs, other larger livestock, cutting down perching trees, encouraging crows to hang out, are all good options, and for the most part won't get you in trouble. It would be my luck, if I shot a hawk it would have some sort of tracking device on it and some guy would pull up in my driveway with antennas and police escort.

 

[Raccoonrider]

Im not really even sure what youre trying to argue about. It was a free meal because the hawks had to put in little to no work to get it. When i semi covered my pen the hawks couldnt figure out how to get in for a few weeks. It did not deter them from coming around. When they finally found a way in they didnt kill for food only. They took one of my hens and killed it and left its body about 50 feet from my pen. They did this in a short period of time either because A. They were starving and hadnt eaten in weeks (which I dont believe we have an abundance of squirrels and rabbits in the area) or B. They knew that I would find the gap in my cover and fix it and they only had a limited amount of time to take advantage. Or it was simply for fun. Doesnt really matter. The problem has been remedied. I was only trying to pass on some knowledge of my personal experience to help the original poster. Thanks for splitting hairs.

 

[bigoledude]

Some local friends were having some real difficulty with hawks and owls. Weeks ago we decided to try something different, This area is home to much commercial fishing. It was easy to find hundreds of feet of old monofilament gill net. We/they stretched this netting between trees, between two poles stuck in the ground. Any way we could hang netting in the areas where the chickens were being killed. The netting is very easily moved, keeping the raptors guessing. The monofilament line is very thin and it's clear, making it nearly invisible.

Be sure to stretch the netting tightly and to secure it well to your poles/trees. If the netting hangs loosely or, if it pulls free from your poles, the hawk or owl will very likely get hopelessly entangled. The strung-up netting seems to be working for the guys who hung some. I wonder if hanging just strategically placed single strands of monofilament lines would help? Hitting either a net or a single line at full speed has to have a lasting impact on these birds.

 

[rsneddon10]

I have 2 Hawks that visit. They are very regimented. They are more active at the same times . I don't let my chickens out until late morning due to the Hawks and foxes. Some days if I feel things aren't safe they don't get let out. Just the way it is some days.