RIP little drake! 😟

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Wonder what justifies giving out the permits?
This thing is obviously quite bold to drive bomb the humans...multiple times!

I am so sorry hillbilly...if it was one of the favorites though, I would be making a trip to help you solve the problem!!

We had a hawk picking off tiny wild birds last year but I've not seen it for quite a while. The crows have set up camp pretty thick because one of my neighbors tosses all her old food out in the yard Maybe try to attract more crows to the area!

The crow-friends are already here, but they have lost one of them this morning… ☹

 

[Beaglegal]

Fortunately it was one of the young drakes i got from my neighbors, very inexperienced, but now my ducks are traumatized and that hawk has attacked me. I accept that if you free-range you will loose one or the other bird, but a predator attacking a human is crossing the red line in my opinion. I'm a full grown man, i may be injured, but i can defend myself if necessary, but we also have neighbors with 2 year old kiddos…

I find it hard to believe you would get into trouble for taking on a bird that was attacking people. They have to put wild animals down all the time when they become a danger to people, usually due to feeding them. The behavior of the hawk as me wondering if someone thought it was cute to feed a wild animal

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

crows and ravens are awesome to have around adult ducks and chickens! They do NOT like hawks flying around!

I know that and i have fed the local crow population, even my ducks are talking to them, which is quite funny at times. Yet i saw the hawk this morning killing one of the crows… ☹

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Sad news: I heart something like an impact outside, looked out of the window and could not see anything, but all ducks were huddled close to the house. Grabbed my jacket and went outside and saw a huge bird of prey taking off. It left behind the dead body of one of my young drakes, one of the drakes my neighbors gave back to me in December. I have no idea what kind of bird that is, but it has red-brown feathers on its back and I'm not uploading pictures here, you all have seen a duck killed by a BoP i guess.

And i am not overly heartbroken by that drake's death, i mean it was drake and i have too many drakes, but what makes me mad is the following:
That b*tch bird attacked me: While picking up the body, it swooped right over me, i felt the draft from its wings, then it turned around and dive bombed me several times. It hung around for almost 30 minutes, shouting loud, dive-bombing me several times until i got my slingshot out and launched a couple of pebbles into its direction (i still don't own a gun!). My ducks are so scared now that the all hug the house, don't move and don't quack…

Am i allowed to hunt that bird down now?

Nope. . not legally your not. They are protected.
It did not appreciate you trying to take its lunch.
I doubt it's going to try and attack a human that is not standing between it and it's food. . but nevertheless I would be wanting to do away with it as well.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

How would one attract crows and ravens with out attracting other undesirable wild life? Leaving out food would likely attract coyotes, rats and raccoons

Leave some cracked corn and wild bird feed out in the open where the ducks can't reach it.
Offer the crows some other food too and they will set up shop around your house.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

The deer here are bold, it’s annoying to chase them because we have so much cross fencing and when you stop to open a gate the just sit there and stare at you

Try to grow some green salad and you will see some bold deer!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

We have crows in spring and summer nesting up the mountain from us. I never leave food out too many other varmits to come around like you said.

As said: I have a little platform about 6' above the ground, in the middle of the pasture, so squirrels won't go up there. I leave cracked corn and leftover food on that from time to time and the crows can feast. Crows love junk-food by the way…

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I rarely see a crow around here. But in the summer months I love having the purple Martins around. They sound the alarm when hawks are nearby. . and I've seen them flock together and chase them away.

 

[Miss Lydia]

A member on here some years back had a hawk attack them when they went to protect their duck, they had to go to the hospital and @Nifty-Chicken had his dd attacked when she was protecting her chicken. I won’t take a chance mine will stay down at the house under the predator tape.

 

[quackiemama]

I know that and i have fed the local crow population, even my ducks are talking to them, which is quite funny at times. Yet i saw the hawk this morning killing one of the crows… ☹

I read that after I posted this and it went after you. That is just scary, I hope you can get it to go away