Almost lost at least one pullet tonight, had I not been with them and had a special noise making tool with me...
They buzzed the coop repeatedly at just over the height of the barn roof, utterly fearless, I could nearly count their tail feathers
I quickly herded in the three straggler pullets*** who, a few minutes earlier had decided to try free ranging, that ended quickly...
After I got them in, and the Hawks were still circling, despite my liberal and elaborate use of profanity, I decided to truly try to scare the crap out of them, I stepped out in the open, with my "noisemaker", a Ruger 10/22 with the 25 round BX-25 mag, and proceeded to fire off five rapid shots *into the ground about 5 feet in front of me*
I know it's illegal to shoot them, and they are a majestic predator, I just wanted to scare the fecal matter out of them, and 5 rapid shots seems to have done just that
Now, whenever I go out and sit with the pullets, I'll be sure to have either my 10/22 or my H&R single shot 20 gauge with me (birdshot in the 20G shot into the ground should work even better, the 20's even louder than the .22)
*** of course, while I was doing this, Tribble, my silkie/Cochin mix rooster started beating up on my Easter Egger, Chiana, because she *dared* to perch next to him, for a few moments, I was tempted to throw Tribble to the hawks....
But no, he was being a jerk, so I just tossed him "in the box", the dog crate in the barn that the pullets no longer use, he'll stay in the box for a few days, then be released on parole, if he doesn't improve his attitude, who knows, I may leave him to the tender mercies of the Hawks
The only drawback there, is it'd reinforce the "food is here" mindset of these Hawks, I figure if I harass them enough, they'll go away and bother someone else
They buzzed the coop repeatedly at just over the height of the barn roof, utterly fearless, I could nearly count their tail feathers
I quickly herded in the three straggler pullets*** who, a few minutes earlier had decided to try free ranging, that ended quickly...
After I got them in, and the Hawks were still circling, despite my liberal and elaborate use of profanity, I decided to truly try to scare the crap out of them, I stepped out in the open, with my "noisemaker", a Ruger 10/22 with the 25 round BX-25 mag, and proceeded to fire off five rapid shots *into the ground about 5 feet in front of me*
I know it's illegal to shoot them, and they are a majestic predator, I just wanted to scare the fecal matter out of them, and 5 rapid shots seems to have done just that
Now, whenever I go out and sit with the pullets, I'll be sure to have either my 10/22 or my H&R single shot 20 gauge with me (birdshot in the 20G shot into the ground should work even better, the 20's even louder than the .22)
*** of course, while I was doing this, Tribble, my silkie/Cochin mix rooster started beating up on my Easter Egger, Chiana, because she *dared* to perch next to him, for a few moments, I was tempted to throw Tribble to the hawks....
But no, he was being a jerk, so I just tossed him "in the box", the dog crate in the barn that the pullets no longer use, he'll stay in the box for a few days, then be released on parole, if he doesn't improve his attitude, who knows, I may leave him to the tender mercies of the Hawks
The only drawback there, is it'd reinforce the "food is here" mindset of these Hawks, I figure if I harass them enough, they'll go away and bother someone else
