Great-horned Owl Fun in 2015

[centrarchid]

Personally I have not had issues with owls. But I have had problems with hawks recently. The solution I used was not orthodox, per-se, but seemed to be effective, as I have not suffered another loss to hawks since its inception. I happen to own a couple of lower-end quad-copters that I like to fly around. We had a couple of juvenile Cooper's hawks that liked to perch around the property with line of sight to the coop and pen. So I managed to scare the feathers off of them with a few flights in their area, morning and evening. The noise, the strange flight pattern, and the flashing header lights kept them away, and after a few flights I haven't seen them since. If you know where they frequent, it could potentially be done at night. If you know someone with a drone who owes you a favor this is my suggestion   . No guarantees, but like I said, it has helped with the hawks significantly for me.

You can go considerable intervals between loss of chickens to hawks or even other predators with or without change in what you do.

 

[Crowlung]

You can go considerable intervals between loss of chickens to hawks or even other predators with or without change in what you do.

True, but I hope you didn't just jinx me

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[centrarchid]

I finally got every last bird penned up. This will be case through April when broody hens will be allowed to free-range. Until then about 20 juvenile games will be allowed to free-range forage when I am home. They will now return to their own pens to roost where they can easily be shut in for the night. The last two birds to be placed in winter pens were a pullet and a hen. Both were released from the pens I did not want them in around 0730 and I tried to get back before to beat owls before dark. I was maybe 5 minutes late. Pullet had wedged here self down between two cages and hen flew to heavy cover about 100 feet from her intended (her intended rather than mine) and hid on the ground. It took me two days to catch her. Both did the classical response to owl activities; get down and hide in tight locations before dark.

 

[centrarchid]

Owl now switched to working pen area. Despite abundance of voles I think primary targets are chickens. The owl is not going randomly after penned chickens, rather it is going after smallest birds it can get close to. At least part of the assessment must be made from ground which is where owl was flushed from moments ago. Three game stags ranging 14 to 12 weeks were on ground all fluffed up where owl was doing its business. All chickens in yard are penned singly and spaced out a bit so it can be determined by proximity who owl is working on. None were touched although I do not want owl to have more time trying to fish for chicken heads through the 2 x 4 welded wire pens. I put up additional structures to block site of owl and stags to they can not see each other. Then I stayed out for 20 minutes so stags could calm down and fly up on to their roosts. The stags nor other chickens did not raise the alarm removing benefits of dogs. Locally we have no moonlight owing to cloud cover.


Owls get more vested in going after chickens when it gets cold. Either their need for food increases or smaller more abundant fare is harder to locate and catch. Normally this time of year the Barred Owls would be coming in on moonless nights but continuous presence of Great-horned may be stopping that. Vole abundance still very high although not as high as during outbreak that peaked last winter. Rabbit abundance per my efforts also higher than it has ever been in the last 6 years.

 

[centrarchid]

Owl gave up early last night. All I have to do is hit it with beam of flashlight to chickens can see it and the owl flies. I can now do that from front porch of house even though owl a good 100 yards away.

 

[centrarchid]

Owl was up very early evening but was very low to ground in fencerow near neighbors poultry shed. Location was given away by songbirds giving alarms. Ducks in shed also complained. I think owl had a kill below it. Today very overcast and rainy enabling daytime hunting without harassment from hawks.

 

[centrarchid]

Owl not up this morning or evening nor can I hear any in the distance. Something has changed. This is later in year than I am used to hearing juvenile owls calling so if actual weaning not done recently then it is imminent.

 

[centrarchid]

Just went out and found owl got a pullet that got out of her pen during day. Pen got tipped by wind and pullet roosted on top of another pen. Owl killed her with a struggle over a couple of feet at most. Head and neck gone with some breast meat removed as well. Pens will be tamped down better. No more losses this year.

 

[centrarchid]

Came back again just now. Dogs now wise to it. I placed a cloths basket over carcass to take pictures later.

 

[centrarchid]

Owl came back yet again and got carcass out from under cloths basket. Carcass also drug a couple of feet in the process. This will be elaborated on later. Tonight I will try to see how owl gets carcass out. Camera nightshot mode needs to work.