What did you do in the garden today?

[chickengr]

Whomever told you that about Arkansas was misinformed. I have relocated coons, possums, foxes, snakes, and mice caught on my property to a state park located about 10 miles away. The park Rangers have been more than happy to accommodate me and even take them further into the tree line than I care to walk to release them.

I don't judge how others deal with their pest problems. To each their own. But I personally don't want to kill an animal that is just trying to survive....as long as it isn't a threat to other people or animals. I have put down a coon and a skunk which seemed to either have rabies or distemper. But unless they seem obviously ill, I won't kill them but instead elect to relocate them somewhere that they won't become a problem for me or someone else.

if I could I would kill rats and vipers any time. rat snakes are welcome here. small mice and voles I leave to my cat and dogs. foxes, minks, martens, etc. also are my dogs business.

 

[chicken opey]

I did not know it when I relocated here, but this area is a migratory fly-way for many raptor breeds. There is an annual hawk count done, as the birds fly across Cape May, NJ towards Lewes, DE.

https://njaudubon.org/cape-may-hawkwatch-september-1-15-2023/

I see hawks soaring above daily, mostly resident Redtails, some Coopers, but Coopers don't really soar, they jet around fast. In August I see more varieties then in Sept. & Oct. I see several breeds & sizes of hawks daily, scoping out my flock for a meal. A few of my pigeons have been chased, some injured, but I was able to tend to them, stitch up skin sliced by talons or set up broken legs to heal. I've been fortunate, they all survived. Of course there are some occasions that a pigeon will go out to fly & not return home by dusk. Most times they'll be home the following day or 2, even if injured. But a couple never were seen again. I can only guess at what happened. One pigeon returned the following Spring, totally healthy. I suspect he spent the winter in someone else's pigeon loft. Another hen came back home 4 mos.later, with a new mate following, his leg band was from upstate NY.

Anyway, there are times a hawk may be very hungry & weak. They try to get to the pigeons but can't. Some I have simply scooped up with a towel. A hawk will try to fly away from you, but if cornered or hung up, they don't even fight, they sort of just freeze up, eyes wide, beak open, but they aren't playing dead, they're just very frightened. If they aren't able to hunt & they miss a few meals, they can become very weak. I can take them up to the bird rescue, they're set up for raptors there. I buy a stead for the hawk to eat during the ride & they do chow down while I drive them up there. I use a large carrier. A friend of mine is into falconry, so sometimes he will foster a hawk for awhile. Depending upon the breed, it can be very easy to bond with them & become a hunting team. Rabbits, rodents or wild ducks...that's what he told me they catch mostly.
I surely do not want to lose any of my flock, but I do understand they need to eat & unfortunately they are not omnivores or vegetarians. Sometimes we can take all of the best precautions, but a skilled hunter won't miss many meals, as life depends upon it. I just do my best to provide a safe habitat for everyone & I do like nature. I've photographed & sketched many hawks visiting.

I've heard enough sad stories from others, most of the deadly & gory tales involved raccoons. At least the hawks only hunt to eat. Raccoons are known to kill every single bird in the enclosure they break into...20 or 30 birds! They may eat one bird, but the rest are killed just to kill. I say gory because they told me the inside of the coop or loft looked like a blood explosion had occurred, blood Everywhere, and all birds were dead, heads were ripped off, too. Gory!

I can wave off a hawk attack, I've done it many times. They like early mornings & before dusk attacks. The raccoons prefer the cover of night while we are all asleep. Hawks can be deadly but those raccoons are deadly, sneaky, gory, thrill killers. I've had a few hawks fly into the pigeon loft hallway. I Never want a raccoon getting into Any enclosures here, loft, coop, shed or house. Miniature bears!

I was one who lost whole flock to a raccoon attack.
I do not have warm fuzzy feelings to them anymore. They can be vicious

 

[Sally PB]

I think when I read Rabbit Hill as a kid, I thought that the rabbits, raccoons, wood chucks, opossums, mice, and other critters would take a little from the garden and leave plenty for me. The mice wouldn't get into my house, because I don't go into theirs.



This reminds me, I need to reset all the traps.

 

[jerryse]

Rain overnight. Mowed yesterday before it got hot. Brown eyed Susan pic.

 

[igorsMistress]

Have been busy in town today so I haven't been on. We watered the garden and grass. My husband pulled my SUV out and washed it because he said that if we had to evacuations he wanted it to be ready to go. I told him that he could take his with the dogs and I would take mine with my chickens and rabbit. I won't leave them behind.

Hoping you won’t need to evacuate

 

[Molpet]

I did not know it when I relocated here, but this area is a migratory fly-way for many raptor breeds. There is an annual hawk count done, as the birds fly across Cape May, NJ towards Lewes, DE.

https://njaudubon.org/cape-may-hawkwatch-september-1-15-2023/

I see hawks soaring above daily, mostly resident Redtails, some Coopers, but Coopers don't really soar, they jet around fast. In August I see more varieties then in Sept. & Oct. I see several breeds & sizes of hawks daily, scoping out my flock for a meal. A few of my pigeons have been chased, some injured, but I was able to tend to them, stitch up skin sliced by talons or set up broken legs to heal. I've been fortunate, they all survived. Of course there are some occasions that a pigeon will go out to fly & not return home by dusk. Most times they'll be home the following day or 2, even if injured. But a couple never were seen again. I can only guess at what happened. One pigeon returned the following Spring, totally healthy. I suspect he spent the winter in someone else's pigeon loft. Another hen came back home 4 mos.later, with a new mate following, his leg band was from upstate NY.

Anyway, there are times a hawk may be very hungry & weak. They try to get to the pigeons but can't. Some I have simply scooped up with a towel. A hawk will try to fly away from you, but if cornered or hung up, they don't even fight, they sort of just freeze up, eyes wide, beak open, but they aren't playing dead, they're just very frightened. If they aren't able to hunt & they miss a few meals, they can become very weak. I can take them up to the bird rescue, they're set up for raptors there. I buy a stead for the hawk to eat during the ride & they do chow down while I drive them up there. I use a large carrier. A friend of mine is into falconry, so sometimes he will foster a hawk for awhile. Depending upon the breed, it can be very easy to bond with them & become a hunting team. Rabbits, rodents or wild ducks...that's what he told me they catch mostly.
I surely do not want to lose any of my flock, but I do understand they need to eat & unfortunately they are not omnivores or vegetarians. Sometimes we can take all of the best precautions, but a skilled hunter won't miss many meals, as life depends upon it. I just do my best to provide a safe habitat for everyone & I do like nature. I've photographed & sketched many hawks visiting.

I've heard enough sad stories from others, most of the deadly & gory tales involved raccoons. At least the hawks only hunt to eat. Raccoons are known to kill every single bird in the enclosure they break into...20 or 30 birds! They may eat one bird, but the rest are killed just to kill. I say gory because they told me the inside of the coop or loft looked like a blood explosion had occurred, blood Everywhere, and all birds were dead, heads were ripped off, too. Gory!

I can wave off a hawk attack, I've done it many times. They like early mornings & before dusk attacks. The raccoons prefer the cover of night while we are all asleep. Hawks can be deadly but those raccoons are deadly, sneaky, gory, thrill killers. I've had a few hawks fly into the pigeon loft hallway. I Never want a raccoon getting into Any enclosures here, loft, coop, shed or house. Miniature bears!

I'm on a lesser flyway . In the fall hundreds of broad wing hawks are sighted in the county passing through. So far they haven't been a problem for me.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Have been busy in town today so I haven't been on. We watered the garden and grass. My husband pulled my SUV out and washed it because he said that if we had to evacuations he wanted it to be ready to go. I told him that he could take his with the dogs and I would take mine with my chickens and rabbit. I won't leave them behind.

I used to have a motor home but I sold it right after Katrina made gas prices jump up everywhere, as that guzzled gas, 8 miles per gallon with a big block 460 engine. Now there are simply too many in my flock to evacuate them all...I did not evacuate when they recommended it for severe flooding with hurricanes, but we were all fine, luckily. I won't leave my flock, just can't do that to them. Usually, the time they give to evacuate is so short, I'd never make it anyway, packing up critters, their food & water? It's a dilemma...stresses me out even thinking of it. I surely hope you do not need to evacuate.

 

[Molpet]

I won't leave my flock, just can't do that to them.

What can you do for them if you stay and not evacuate?
If you and the flock die what has been accomplished????

I am thinking of moving due to "progress" across the road. So I have the luxury of choosing an area without hurricane, fires, earthquake or volcano. Right now I have humidity and tornadoes... I would like to get away from those... so far I haven't found anywhere that fits my requirements

 

[Liz Birdlover]

What can you do for them if you stay and not evacuate?
If you and the flock die what has been accomplished????

I am thinking of moving due to "progress" across the road. So I have the luxury of choosing an area without hurricane, fires, earthquake or volcano. Right now I have humidity and tornadoes... I would like to get away from those... so far I haven't found anywhere that fits my requirements

I know, I know...I've grappled with it, believe me. How would I feel afterwards, if I left & they all died, though. I know I'm an oddball. I do feel the "other side" welcomes us all when we pass, so dying itself doesn't bother me...the suffering & pain bother me. I think of coming back here afterwards to see death & devastation, losing every little life I've come to love, the house, loft & coops that kept us safe, which would require rebuilding while enduring grief & survivor guilt. Grief...I've already had a whopping share of that & it still hurts. In my youth I had resilience & strength, but after fighting cancer 3x my physical condition is not as "fight ready" as it once was & after caring for all loved ones dying, losing friends to cancer & the period of years grieving & then going through the covid time utterly alone...I really don't want to be in a position where I leave any living loved ones behind, whether they be human or otherwise. I do have an 8x20 enclosed utility trailer, & crates, if I had enough time to crate up everyone, it could work if there was enough time & warning. But if there's only a 15 min warning...nope, not gonna make it. Maybe in a past life I was that Captain that went down with the ship.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

What can you do for them if you stay and not evacuate?
If you and the flock die what has been accomplished????

I am thinking of moving due to "progress" across the road. So I have the luxury of choosing an area without hurricane, fires, earthquake or volcano. Right now I have humidity and tornadoes... I would like to get away from those... so far I haven't found anywhere that fits my requirements

I'd like to relocate as well. We have great fresh water here but other than that, not really a great place overall.