Lady feeding raptors - law on my side?

[spolicas]

Hello,

There is a lady in the farm next to us who boards her horse in the barn there - but each day she comes to take care of her horses, she also brings meat to feed the raptors.

I spoke with her today and she said that she had a pet Red-Tailed Hawk and accused me of killing it. I simply walked over there to let her know that when she feeds the raptors it keeps them around and they are going after our chickens.

I looked up the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission laws, and feeding Red-Tailed hawks is not illegal, but today she was trying to feed an Osprey and that is illegal. Now we have them in our yard stalking our chickens (who are pinned and free range under a very watchful eye, after we lost multiple to the hawks; the problem of loosing the chickens began when this lady started feeding these birds) - they also stalk our cats and small dogs.

I also know that in The State of Florida I have the right to farm, and to sell my farm byproducts to make a living, and by this lady feeding these birds it is having a negative effect on our income. These birds have taken over ten of our hens and two roosters - over the past year... since this lady has been around.

So, after speaking with her and having her be fairly rude to me - I believe I will contact the FWC and let them know she has been feeding Osprey (which is illegal).

Should I also contact The Florida Agricultural Department and see if we can do anything about her actions causing a negative impact on my right to farm?

 

[Kevin565]

I'm sorry you're having such trouble. However, please remember that the Law is a two way streak. Yes it can sometimes help but if you involve the law things can take a turn for the worse. I would keep trying to reach a middle ground with the lady before I involved the law. Also if you're going to involve them you might want to collect evidence for your case proving she is indeed feeding wildlife. Have your animals ever crossed over into someone else's property? Once she knows you called in the Law she may involve them for any minor thing you do.

 

[spolicas]

I'm sorry you're having such trouble. However, please remember that the Law is a two way streak. Yes it can sometimes help but if you involve the law things can take a turn for the worse. I would keep trying to reach a middle ground with the lady before I involved the law. Also if you're going to involve them you might want to collect evidence for your case proving she is indeed feeding wildlife. Have your animals ever crossed over into someone else's property? Once she knows you called in the Law she may involve them for any minor thing you do.

I did talk with her today and politely asked her to stop after she repeatedly accused me of killing "her hawk" because it's "her pet" and she enjoys calling for them and feeding them while they perch on her glove.

Next time she is out there, I will be taking photographs of her feeding them.

Our animals have never crossed over into their (or any other) property.

 

[Kevin565]

She seems to be quite knowledgeable about raptors. Did you ask her if she had special permitting that allows her to care for these animals?

 

[spolicas]

Yeah, she apparently went on the computer to make sure it was okay, I also took a look on the FWC site and found that it is illegal to feed Osprey but Red-Tailed Hawks are not on that list.

That is a good question, to ask if she has a permit. Does the state (or county) require a permit?

But, she even told me she contacted the Audobon and told them what she was doing. She claims they were excited because they'd never heard of such a tame raptor and wanted to take photos of it, but since the Red-Tailed Hawk disappeared (after the Osprey came... go figure!), she still is calling them and feeding them.

She comes daily, so I'll have the chance to take photos.

I know I have the right to farm and sell my product - and she is impeding on that right! Also causing a public safety concern for small children. Not to mention my cats and small dog (but I don't think they are protected by the law...).

 

[Kevin565]

I'm not a raptor person but I would think ordinances would vary by county. If she doesn't have one then she defiantly should not go around bragging about feeding wildlife. I've never heard of a Environmental Agency being happy about a tame wild animals. Those are almost always the trouble makers...

 

[Oregon Blues]

Spolicas, you have hawks in your area that eat chickens. You have 2 options: watch your chickens be eaten by hawks or pen them up with a covered pen unless someone is standing right over them.

I seriously doubt that you can do anything about the neighbor feeding hawks. It's up to you to protect your birds. It's not her responsibility in any way shape or form to take care of your poultry. I think she is being inconsiderate, but inconsiderate is not usually against the law.

 

[locke2121]

Its been awhile since I read up on this, but as I recall, it is against national wildlife policy to allow people without some type of special license, ie breeders, falconers and rehabilitators, to interact with birds of prey. In fact if you picked up an eagle feather lying on the ground...you get fined for it! The only people other than those named who can interact with birds of prey are Native Americans because they are a part of their religious beliefs.

 

[spolicas]

Okay, so tonight she taped some information she printed out on Red-Tailed Hawks for me.

She underlined the statement about where it talk about the red-tailed hawk being called a "chicken hawk" a common misconception. She also starred the paragraph that talks about Congress passing the "Migratory Bird Treaty Act" (prohibiting the killing of red-shouldered hawks).

On the next page (this is what gets me)... she starred that under federal law it is illegal to injure, harass, kill, or possess a bird of prey - and then on a side note she puts in all capital letters with three underscores, "WITH SHOTGUN BLASTS".

I have never done this towards her, or even said anything about doing this. She got her resource from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

I almost want a restraining order, after she was rude and yelling at me, and making false accusations against me, and now putting this on my gate.

All I did was kindly ask her to stop...

I think I'll look into the handling laws of our state and county. Where would I go about finding such material?

 

[CariLynn]

Call your Dept. of Fish and Game and Wildlife office. I have a neighbor who was feeding vultures! Because she was putting out meat or rotten meat, depended on her mood, it also brought all sorts of fun things to our farm. When I called the above, they did go out and she did get a verbal warning, she ended our friendship, after having asked her politely multiple times, and is quite rude and nasty now. We still have trouble with her AND 2 other people feeding the wildlife on our road so I live by the 3 S's...shoot, shovel, and shut up.

I look at it that my chickens depend on me to take care of them. Mine do not roam, they do not get into anyone's yard or dig up bulbs or spray urine on their horse blankets (like the above neighbors cat has done to me), or anything else. So why should I have to put up with a crazy old woman who has nothing better to do than feed the wildlife around me because for her, she wants to see it up close...if that is the case, go to a zoo!!