PREDATOR CONTROL

[Hattrick]

Get home today go out and check my pigeon coop. RED TALL HAWK flys out I have 2 pigeons left out 10 homers. I think i've gone thru 60 plus birds now trying to get things going. Shame on hawks around here. I'll be working this problem.

[Ken Lynch]

I thought it was like home invasion rules. Someone breaks into you home and attacks a member of your family you can use deadly force to defend yourself.

[Cajun Casey]

Raptors are federally protected. Is there a Master Falconer available to you? They can trap and relocate the birds outside of nesting season and perhaps help you discourage them.

[DonF]

You need a predator door on your re-entry opening. Must be awfull big to let a Red Tail in. This is usually a bad time of year for hawks. I released 14 this morning about 35 mi from here and only nine back so far. But it's about time to go check again.

S.S.S. is the best means pf preditior control.

[Hattrick]

Its a bad time for hawks around this area now. I'll just leave it that. game on

[RoostersMom]

The last part of SSS is the most important. Fines for killing federally protected raptors are HIGH. I'd keep the intentions to myself and keep the results to myself as well.

Plus, redtails eat snakes. Snakes are the worst nest predators for bobwhites.... it's all a cycle. The black rat snake is the worst nest predator for bobwhites in our neck of the woods, down south, it's the grey rat snake. The number one predator of the rat snakes here is the Red-tailed hawk - which doesn't hurt quail much at all. It's the Cooper's hawk that is a pretty efficient predator on bobs here.

I don't fly my pigeons during raptor migration - but I've had much worse problems with the furbearers than with raptors. Redtails are huge, I'm suprised they'd fit in your coop - I know they wouldn't fit through my doors.

[Hattrick]

I was suprised too i figured the coopers would be the problem. I've had couple coopers take birds out of the air while we were training. lost 3 in one day before they got to the coop. Hard on pigeons this time a year. We have the redtails year around and lots of them. I guess the smaller hawks migrate out in the spring.

[DonF]

You saw Red Tails take pigeon's out of the air? Da*n, I didn't think a Red Tail was fast enough or could manuever well enough to catch a pigeon. Cooper's are fast and quick.

[ezzy333]

You saw Red Tails take pigeon's out of the air? Da*n, I didn't think a Red Tail was fast enough or could manuever well enough to catch a pigeon. Cooper's are fast and quick.

I've never seen any hawk take a racing pigeon out of the air on level flight. I have seen them dive and attempt it and they can get them occasionally but most are taken off of the top of the loft.

Ezzy

[Hattrick]

No i meant cooper hawk or some sort of smaller hawk. I was popping pigeons from traps, birds would get taken right of the air They were hit hard by the hawk. I just had regular old homers guess they wasn't fast enough. I've seen red tails try grab them on the ground when planted or walking around dizzy. I don't think a red tail could hit a pigeon in the air, but i have herd people say they can. I've never seen it.

[Ken Lynch]

Come on you guys. Stop taking things so literally. Life in not a black or white, or yes or no situation. A Red Tail Hawk can and will take a pigeon in the air if he is lucky. Even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while. Think of fighter aircraft. If you have the height advantage and come from behind an inferior aircraft can surprise and take a superior aircraft.

[Sharon]

I saw a Peregrine Falcon take a pigeon from the air and eat it, , in my backyard. Once in a lifetime experience.

[ezzy333]

No i meant cooper hawk or some sort of smaller hawk. I was popping pigeons from traps, birds would get taken right of the air They were hit hard by the hawk. I just had regular old homers guess they wasn't fast enough. I've seen red tails try grab them on the ground when planted or walking around dizzy. I don't think a red tail could hit a pigeon in the air, but i have herd people say they can. I've never seen it.

Why were you popping them if you had a hawk in the area waiting to catch them. As a rule you better wait till the birds get back from the south before you start using your pigeons.

Ezzy

[Hattrick]

I have 3 dogs that need need training. I train year around probaly 4-5 days a week. With the bird shortage didn't have much of a choice its the only birds i have. Pigeons are best for puppies cuz they catch them. As far as seeing the hawks you don't see them till its to late they come out of no where like a rocket. We have a lot hedge of rows and little wood lots you can't see them. Can't believe you never had it happen you. Its a year around problem here. The red tails are the only ones that are easy to spot.

[ezzy333]

I have 3 dogs that need need training. I train year around probaly 4-5 days a week. With the bird shortage didn't have much of a choice its the only birds i have. Pigeons are best for puppies cuz they catch them. As far as seeing the hawks you don't see them till its to late they come out of no where like a rocket. We have a lot hedge of rows and little wood lots you can't see them. Can't believe you never had it happen you. Its a year around problem here. The red tails are the only ones that are easy to spot.

I understand and I have had them take them off of the loft roof a couple of times when I have had them out flying. But I always check before I use them for training and if I am not sure the area is free I don't use them that day. There always are other things I can do with the dogs on any give day. But I have found it is best to just not plan on using the launchers before the song birds get back if the hawks are bad. I had one try to get in the cage of young birds I had sitting out in the yard the other day. But now with the redwings back and some of the robins I am not seeing them like I did earlier.

I am not willing to sacrifice my birds and feed the hawks I guess. I haven't had a problem giving the dogs some time off of bird work during the time we have hawks prowling the neighborhood. I have always found I get further ahead by staying flexible with the training of both the dogs and the birds.

Ezzy

[mudhunter]

I agree with Ezzy, you got to look around for the hawks. I make sure to look around for birds perching in the area and will get on the fourwheeler and chase them away first. BIrds are too valuable to not. Yesterday was one of the worse days I have seen in Eastern PA, they all most be here right now. The Red tails are not a bi threat to healthy birds, but the sharptail and cooper hawks are an absolute threat and a pain!

SSS

[ezzy333]

I agree with Ezzy, you got to look around for the hawks. I make sure to look around for birds perching in the area and will get on the fourwheeler and chase them away first. BIrds are too valuable to not. Yesterday was one of the worse days I have seen in Eastern PA, they all most be here right now. The Red tails are not a bi threat to healthy birds, but the sharptail and cooper hawks are an absolute threat and a pain!

SSS

Same here.

Ezzy

[Buckeye_V]

What you need is what I have. Get yorself an intermediate recovery area to limit the damage. I have a small 2 x 3 area with bobs and a slide door at the back that leads to the main coop. I check immediately after a training session and let the birds back in. Slide the door. Predators kept out.

Knock on wood, this worked for me for almost a year now with no predator loss. I will try and take some pics of my setup and post. I thought of the idea after a friend of mine got cleaned OUT by a cooper's hawk. Nasty little devils.

[wems2371]

Okay, well welcome to my little friend. Quite a bit of drama yesterday, when I went up to get some fliers to do some yard steadiness work. I heard a ruckus on the aviary side of my littlest coop, and found this guy flapping franticly. My heart sank, because I figured all 9 of my training birds were dead, but when I opened the other side...only one was killed. I ran down to the garage to grab a pair of leather gloves and spent a few minutes trying to fish the hawk out of the coop. I took a couple pics for my husband, who was gone at the time. From what I've seen, it appears to be a Coopers. I did end up letting it fly free, and hope to not find it inside again. The irony is that I had my first chick hatch out that day in the breeder coop.

I would appreciate a photo of the predator door setups that some of you have. I currently have a bob door, and then a plexi slide in. But when training every day, I don't always get the plexi in, in between times. So if there's something I could add, like maybe a short tunnel or something, I'd love to have a look at it.

[DogNewbie]

That red eye makes me think it might be a sharp-shinned hawk. They look very similar though. Hard to say. Impressive looking bird either way.

[Hattrick]

Thats impressive catching him by hand. cool pics thanks for sharing

[Hookadooka BirdDogs]

Most definitely a sharp-shinned hawk. Coopers have a whiter chest with vertical tiger stripes. I travel about 5 miles to the main highway and will daily see about 5-6 hawks depending which route I take. Hawks are supposed to be the #1 predator of grouse and quail in Ohio followed the rat snake. I had a rat snake rear up like a cobra and lunge at me while squirrel hunting once.
As a side note: thinking of the rat snake reminded me of the time I watched 2 kids about 5-6 with sticks in their hand, taunting a full grown cobra in Vietnam. I watched them for about 5 minutes and thought how lucky my kids were playing with Tonka toys instead of cobras.

[chukarmandoo]

Sorry my friend but that is a full blown Coopers hawk. And also sorry to say it will be back!

[chukarmandoo]

AKA CHICKEN HAWK

[JIM K]

The last part of SSS is the most important. Fines for killing federally protected raptors are HIGH. I'd keep the intentions to myself and keep the results to myself as well.

Plus, redtails eat snakes. Snakes are the worst nest predators for bobwhites.... it's all a cycle. The black rat snake is the worst nest predator for bobwhites in our neck of the woods, down south, it's the grey rat snake. The number one predator of the rat snakes here is the Red-tailed hawk - which doesn't hurt quail much at all. It's the Cooper's hawk that is a pretty efficient predator on bobs here.

I don't fly my pigeons during raptor migration - but I've had much worse problems with the furbearers than with raptors. Redtails are huge, I'm suprised they'd fit in your coop - I know they wouldn't fit through my doors.

rm,hawks are our biggest killer ofour grouse,pheasants.i had 2 squirreals at my home.hawk flew down and took 1 right off my porch in front of me.
olds timers in my area used to shoot everyone of them they could and owls too.

they are worthless birds.

[Hookadooka BirdDogs]

Sorry my friend but that is a full blown Coopers hawk. And also sorry to say it will be back!

My bad. You are correct.

[wems2371]

Sorry my friend but that is a full blown Coopers hawk. And also sorry to say it will be back!

Yeah, I'm aware we will probably meet again. But I tried to do the right thing with regards to the law. I trained today at about 3pm and went up 2 hours later and put the plexi cover in. I had one bird still out-out of 8, but sitting on the aviary, and it hopped through the bobs when I approached. My place is hawk heaven, but usually we see redtails. I had a falconer stop by and buy pigeons from me last year, and he was amazed I'd never seen a Cooper before. Now I can say I have, and up close. Thanks for confirming the i.d.--I wasn't for sure, but had just looked at google pics.

[chukarmandoo]

The only birds I lose to Redtails are my young ones that don't know. BUT you can lose a whole coop to a chicken hawk in a short time. I have learned to cut my losses by not flying my birds in the morning. I also look for the sob's before I fly my birds and another thing you can do is watch and listen for tweety birds, dove and such. If they're not around then the chicken hawk is. 90% of the time. I definitely won't say this, but I have heard, sss is your friend.