Dang varmints!!

[ValerieJ]

Predator control can be a mixed bag since the varmints often provide a control for other varmints and/or rodents. All the same, after all due deliberation I’m pretty sure I’d blow the little &#@*& away. Game cameras are helpful, but in addition to that a baby-cam or one of those doorbell devices I can’t use because... satellite internet... could give you real-time information and a heads-up that it might be time to grab the varmint elimination device and head out the door.

I agree. We have an eco system problem we're dealing with right now because of human intervention in the fish and game life on this river. I prefer to figure out how to keep my animals and birds safe than to go out and shoot something. My neighbors are shooting coyotes right now, which controls the raccoon population. Ducks and geese should be here in abundance, but there's not a one because the eagles are starving. That's because the seals are eating all the salmon before they make it back to our river. That's because the whales have been over hunted and killed. It's a dangerous world when us humans try to fix things.

 

[ValerieJ]

These are adult geese. Their pen is about a 1/4 of an acre. It'll be impossible to enclose it. I loose one or two a year but its always been at night and typically owls. This was midmorning and broad daylight. Its never happened before in my 15 years raising Sebastopol geese.

I feel your pain. Really I do. I'm so sorry you lost some of your ducks. I just lost 3 chickens to eagles for the first time ever. I have never even heard of an eagle going after chickens in my area until this year, but they are going after everyone's. My run is 4000 sf and I have figured out how to keep the eagles out. If there is a will, there is a way. Good luck to you. Please, if you shoot the momma fox, find her den first and shoot the babies. Letting them suffer and die a slow death seems untenable to me.

 

[Gray Farms]

Predator control can be a mixed bag since the varmints often provide a control for other varmints and/or rodents. All the same, after all due deliberation I’m pretty sure I’d blow the little &#@*& away. Game cameras are helpful, but in addition to that a baby-cam or one of those doorbell devices I can’t use because... satellite internet... could give you real-time information and a heads-up that it might be time to grab the varmint elimination device and head out the door.

Oh make no mistake I have no trouble eliminating anything I catch killing my birds or that is a threat to my birds on my property. I "take care of" many many varmints every year. I've just never had trouble like this in broad daylight before. Just thought it was odd.

 

[Gray Farms]

I feel your pain. Really I do. I'm so sorry you lost some of your ducks. I just lost 3 chickens to eagles for the first time ever. I have never even heard of an eagle going after chickens in my area until this year, but they are going after everyone's. My run is 4000 sf and I have figured out how to keep the eagles out. If there is a will, there is a way. Good luck to you. Please, if you shoot the momma fox, find her den first and shoot the babies. Letting them suffer and die a slow death seems untenable to me.

Geese, they are geese. Not chickens or ducks. Good luck with your eagles.

 

[ValerieJ]

LOL. I knew that. Did I call them chickens?

 

[Gray Farms]

No biggie lol just my OCD. I wouldn't trade troubles with you though. Bald Eagles... not a problem I'd wish on anybody.

 

[Willowspirit]

I agree. We have an eco system problem we're dealing with right now because of human intervention in the fish and game life on this river. I prefer to figure out how to keep my animals and birds safe than to go out and shoot something. My neighbors are shooting coyotes right now, which controls the raccoon population. Ducks and geese should be here in abundance, but there's not a one because the eagles are starving. That's because the seals are eating all the salmon before they make it back to our river. That's because the whales have been over hunted and killed. It's a dangerous world when us humans try to fix things.

Salmon is also overfished as soon as the enter the rivers.

 

[CindyinSD]

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Oh make no mistake I have no trouble eliminating anything I catch killing my birds or that is a threat to my birds on my property. I "take care of" many many varmints every year. I've just never had trouble like this in broad daylight before. Just thought it was odd.

It’s a bit disconcerting, all right. We have a lot of predators but not a lot of predator pressure so far. I did see a coyote stalking one of my meat chickens I’d laid in the fenced area of the back yard (she’d hurt her leg... so it was time) but that’s all I’ve seen. That particular coyote isn’t going to be a problem, although there are plenty more. Hope my luck holds out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Since your talking about strange happening with our birds we had a 4.5’ blk snake attack a 6 week old Cochin Bantam chic an try to eat it of course it could only get head an neck down before it realized it couldn’t eat the rest. I had thought snakes would be able to size up its prey and know if it could eat it before it attacked and killed it. We’ve had many chicks ducklings and goslings and black snakes and never had this happen. I just think it’s odd.

 

[ValerieJ]

Salmon is also overfished as soon as the enter the rivers.

Yep...but there aren't any boats on the river either. We don't fish ourselves, but usually this would be a huge weekend for the fishermen.