way to keep hawks out temporaly* Please don't read if you protect hawk

[aprophet]

Quote:
I hope you like Federal Prison

a lot of farmers here in NE NC do just this very thing ( I live on the moyock/chesapeake line) and they do not seem to be in fed prison I imagine the feds are strapped pretty tight on manpower these days the budget for the refuges won,t allow them to hire anyone they have mostly interns here

 

[haTHOR]

yes, there are lots of things one can do without being caught. doesn't make them legal or right. we probably agree on that. too bad those refuge's budgets have been cut. random folks traveling around several counties shooting hawks with high powered rifles, as they please, doesn't sound like a great idea to me.

joebryant--the person who mentioned federal prison did so because the permit process requires one to explain exactly what depredation is occurring on one's property, what steps one has taken AND will continue to take to handle the problem in a non-lethal manner. the killing has to be limited to that area. so i am guessing the poster can, in fact, read.

 

[WalkingWolf]

I do not think the OP intended this thread to be a beat up Joey because he said what a lot of people feel. Does that mean he is going to do it, I highly doubt it and so do you. This why threads get shut down, use some common sense.

Again this area of BYC is a place to vent frustrations, as well as ask for advice. IMO telling someone they are going to federal prison for expressing those frustrations is IMO trolling. Please get back on track of the topic.

 

[Skippin' Sammi]

Just flyin' through and saw your post. If you like dogs, you might want to get one to keep on the property. We have a Blue Heeler which is a herding breed and while I have taught him to not be animal aggressive.....I do let him bark at the Hawks, Bald Eagles, etc that circle overhead. Just the presence of a dog might do the trick.
If I EVER get my chickens then I plan on playing a radio to keep preditors away too. Good luck. If all else fails.....you may have to confine them in a tractor so that you can move it.....it might be less stressful.

 

[LeBlackbird]

Quote:
I hope you like Federal Prison

Do you know how to read? Don't take something that I say out of context and make a smart alec remark like that.

Chill, Saying that makes you no better than bear.


As for the Hawks, I'd cover your pens with Chicken wire, or deer fencing

That's what I did one summer when the hawk's ran out of rabbits. It is against the law to harm or capture Raptors without a permit, so I'd go into protecting your chickens instead of killing the hawks. Once the hawks can't get to food, they should leave you alone

The CD Idea is Brilliant! Anything shiny and loud should help some...

 

[rancher hicks]

I wonder if planting some shrubs around such as Forsythia or shrub roses would help? If enough space was used up with something the chickens can't scratch out of the ground? So there was not enought space for a hawk to safely land and not enough room for it to take off, would that help?

I have a friend who has a dog that watches for the hawk. I've seen the dog go after the hawk.

I'm considering making "twig" tents' to place around the yard. High enough for the chickens to get under for shade and protection but slanted enough so they can't roost on them.

What about some of those circlar clothes poles?

Would chickens go in those "tube" thingys they sell for kids to crawl though? Maybe a bunch of those around the yard might help.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Quote:
Plants and bushes take time to get full, but those are good long term solutions. If you do not have close neighbors bamboo grows and spreads and is perfect cover.

 

[Intheswamp]

I was going to say more, but parts of this thread apparently degenerated to just a noise level that almost sucked me in.

I will state one thing, though....

Please, please, please don't be shooting your rifles or handguns into the air....innocent children and adults die from irresponsible people doing that.

Thanks,
Ed

 

[WalkingWolf]

Quote:
I really don't think anyone here has the intention to do that. I just believe the frustration over a animal that has that much control over how it can change flock dynamics is emotional. I believe that is the reason the OP put in a disclaimer to the Hawk protector people on the end of his opening post. I remember some of the same people telling me I would go to federal jail for using a emergency air horn for boating to scare the hawks off. Heck one even said waving your arms is illegal. Most of these people do not actually know the law, and just want to post something to start a fight.

It get's difficult to have to jail your loved ones to keep them safe. Chickens want to roam and forage, unless a person has a HUGE run, they would not be happy IMO constantly confined. This is why I use every legal means to deter hawks, and that includes using noise, and visual devices and feeding the crows. This along with trying to provide as much adequate cover as possible.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Do you know how to read? Don't take something that I say out of context and make a smart alec remark like that.

Yes I read quite well, thank you

Nothing was "taken out of context"

A depredation permit is NOT a "license to kill" every hawk you see.

http://www.gpnc.org/raptors1.htm

The precise language in the MBTA states:
“Unless and except as permitted by regulations made as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful at any time, by any means or in any manner, to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture, or kill, possess, offer for sale, sell, offer to barter, barter, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, export, import, cause to be shipped, exported, or imported, deliver for transportation, transport or cause to be transported, carry or cause to be carried, or receive for shipment, transportation, carriage, or export, any migratory bird, any part, nest, or egg of any such bird, or any product, whether or not manufactured, which consists, or is composed in whole or in part, of any such bird or any part, nest or egg.”

As you can see from the above stated legal language, migratory birds are highly regulated. While some, such as waterfowl, can be legally hunted and possessed, there is no such provision for raptors. Eagles, ospreys, hawks, falcons, kites, owls, vultures and all other native North American birds of prey are strictly protected, to include a prohibition against the taking or possession of their parts such as feathers or talons. The only exceptions generally allowed for individuals to these prohibitions require permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Educational and scientific institutions are exempted from most permit requirements.

Penalties for violations of the MBTA can go up to $15,000 and 6 months imprisonment for common violations. The sale or barter of migratory birds is a felony with penalties up to $500,000 and 2 years imprisonment. Some raptors, such as the bald eagle, are also protected under the Endangered Species Act, and both the bald and golden eagles are also protected under the Eagle Act.​