redtails driving me nuts

[scooter147]

Bears!!!!
I have a cousin that lives in the "backwoods" of Tennessee. They basically gave up keeping animals due to bears. Wiped out chickens, ducks, geese, goats and two young pigs they were raising for the freezer.
No matter how strong they made their barn the adult black bears would either just rip the door off or break through a window. They actually got permission for DR to eliminate the problem bears but just like racoons eliminate one and another just takes it's place.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

All predators are creatures of opportunity. If you give them the opportunity, they will take it. We do not own the air or the sky. Some of us think we do. Yes, you should protect your property.

I am not one of those Bambi defenders. I think hunting is grand. In our rush to be rid of those things that “annoy” us….we are shooting ourselves in the foot.

If one has not caught up on their science lately, be advised we are not leaving a future for the land or its people. That means your children.

In our zeal to have a pristine and unfettered existence….we are leaving “holes” in the web of life. There will be other “opportunists” to fill that void. They will have become more powerful because their new path to prey was made easier by not having been challenged by their natural enemies.

 

[LoreenH]

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Well said Ladyhawke1, I totally agree. I'm giving you a standing ovation.....thank you!

 

[bluey]

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Isn't preparing a nice bear meat stew the perfect example of this as well?

 

[Namble]

About 2 days ago a red tailed hawk flew right over my flock almost catching one of my hens. Good thing I was there to scare it off. They are getting bold.

 

[Miss Sebright]

Once we had a hawk dive down on our coop, it didn't realize untill too late that there's wire on top. It bounced off and didn't come back to try again.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

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Isn't preparing a nice bear meat stew the perfect example of this as well?

Aahhh...hum...I know of no other animal that drags around a stew pot looking for a meal. If you do.....just let me know.

Just a thought.

 

[CallyB57]

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Me too.

About 2 weeks ago it was a nice sunny day and I put the blinds up that look out toward the back of my property. I saw a huge red tail hawk fly right down behind the 6' fence that borders one side of my chicken run. I'm glad nobody could hear my scream - my neighbors are pretty far away. It dipped right down into the run, but I have 2 big roosters and a couple of smaller ones that have a good bit of meanness in them. By the time I got to the back door and flung it open, the hawk was lifting above the fence and had nothing in its talons. I can only think that if the dangling CD's did not scare it off, the roosters did. I've seen the two big roosters - one is a very large Brahma and the other is a mean as h _ _ _ EE rooster - make a strange sound in their throats and all the hens run into a large fenced pen that is enclosed with hardware cloth. The door to it stays open, but that is where they run to when the roosters warn them about the hawks coming in. I believe they have saved my hens on many occasions while I'm at work during the day. My run is about 40' x 60', most of it is open, but there is the fenced in pen and two henhouses where the hens can hide. I don't know if it is the same hawk that I've seen around a number of times, but it will sit in a pine tree about 20' from the run and just sit and watch my birds until I come out - then it just slowly takes off. It is NOT afraid of me and one day I'm afraid it might get lucky, so I took some of that 30# fishing line that I dangled my CD's from and criss crossed across the top of the run about 12" to 18" apart and it will be there until it rots - will have to check it regularly. So far, so good, but I still have the fear that one day that big old red tail will take one of my babies.

 

[sommrluv]

You MAY get a permit to trap or kill hawks that have threatened livestock. Call your local agency. I called mine.

I don't understand the continued need to spread the information that hawks are never allowed to be touched. Maybe those posters should write a check to each bird-owner that is losing birds, to replace the birds lost, if they feel the hawk problem shouldn't be rectified.

http://icwdm.org/handbook/birds/HawksOwls.asp

Good info on how to scare hawks away on this website.

 

[darbella]

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Yes they sure will, I lost two hens to one this past month and he got them within a day of each other and then sat boldly on the roof of the coop waiting for them to come out the next morning!