Our chickens coop is built on a 16' car trailer. I move it around with the goats and sheep
We use premier 1 electro stop 48" net for containment powered by a 2 joule speedrite solar charged Energizer. They get closed up at night and let out around 10 a.m. In the last 3 years we lost some young hens to coons . I missed judged their size and they fit through the fence and hadn't been trained to roost in the coop yet. Completely my fault, and we lost one to Red Tail Hawks. Coons get trapped or shot on sight Legally hands are tied with Raptors.

Yup.

Well the NWTF ranks hawks and owls up there with Bobcats as the top predators of wild turkeys. And they are referring to radio collared hens, not eggs or poults. I have personally seen a Redtail dive bomb a gobbler who apparently saw it in time to jump up and meet it head in with its spurs. My buddy has a video of a roosted hen being knocked out of a tree by an owl. These are wild birds...not penned up birds for an easy meal. So yeah, owls and hawks are a problem that can’t be remedied...legally.

I like when owls eat mice. You can tell what owls eat by looking at the scat. Sorry for the loss of tame poultry.

The government should allow reasonable control of predators, whether they have fur or feathers. I don't want to see birds of prey go extinct. I enjoy falconry and just seeing birds of prey. But it is unreasonable not to to let people legally protect their livestock from extremely abundant predators. Birds of prey kill millions of dollars worth of domestic animals a year in the US. You should be allowed to legally kill any common predator in the act of killing livestock. There should also be a season on common birds of prey, with a limited take. It would greatly help our small game populations.

Keith

I agree totally with Keith, something needs to be done ,

Are you a licensed falconer?

Don’t know what they taste like but they are bold.

I am not a licensed falconer, but one of my best friends and two other friends are. We used to go 40 sometimes a year. Now, I only go a few times a year.



Keith

Most wild animals can be used for food or fur, but just to kill something is not the best way to handle things. If that is the case lets start shooting cats that are outside. They are a big killer of wild life and they are not wild. Raptors are just traying to get a easy meal and yes I was a falconer for just over 50 years. IF you ever get a chance to go hunting with a falconer, go there is nothing like it. If you have lots of game invite him or her over they are always looking for new field to hunt.

That study was based upon 41 hens killed over 5 years in PA, where by far the bobcat was number 1. There were 3 hens killed by foxes, owls, and hawks combined.

The NWTF also feels that controlling predator populations would have zero effect on overall turkey populations. Greatest threat to turkeys is habitat loss and habitat quality, according to nwtf.

Every year Cornell U. has a webcam on a nesting pair of redtails. Watching that you will see chipmunks, snakes, red squirrels, and field mice being the predominate animal brought back to the nest. Have never seen a turkey brought back, never a mammal larger than a rabbit.

I am a licensed falconer, have hunted a redtail mainly. They are never looking for a turkey, they have squirrels and bunnies on their minds when hunting.

Killing competing predators and even free-roaming house cats was exactly what our fore-fathers did. And it worked. Low numbers of predators equals more prey species for human hunters. It's not rocket science.

x3

Please get more deer hunter in Michigan so we do not have 55,000 are deer accidents a year. Raccoon are dead all over the place on hi-way.

If the NWTF feels that killing predators have no effect, then why do they promote trapping? That makes no sense whatsoever. I read it as 3 each taken by fox, owls, and hawks. I can only tell you what I’ve seen down South.

As far as “ferals” I discuss that topic with every landowner and manager. Haven’t had one yet to tell me to relocate. And don’t let one be seen from the deer stand on any property I know of. If we can kill feral hogs then every other feral should be on the list as well.

Because they believe in sound management of the habitat and that includes controlling predators through trapping and hunting. They believe targeting predators solely for the purpose of improving turkey populations, or targeting one species of predator, will have no effect on turkey populations.

If coyotes and fox could fly, so you'd see them like you do a BOP, you'd be amazed at how much they out number birds of prey.

I know of two adult wild turkeys caught by red tails, that were being flown by falconers in Ohio. One turkey got loose and the other was killed. I witnessed an adult redtail named Sally kill an adult peahen. We caught many adult ringneck pheasants with redtail hawks. I have seen many wild bobwhite chicks killed and eaten by Cooper's hawks in a wellfield in Trenton, Ohio. Most predation by wild birds of prey on game species is on young of the year.

Keith

Hawks and quail definitely don’t mix. We don’t hunt rabbits or any other small game on most private properties here to hopefully leave enough for the avian predators, hoping they’ll prey on them more than the quail. It when you have an abundance of prey, there will always be predators.

I am not a licensed falconer, but one of my best friends and two other friends are. We used to go 40 sometimes a year. Now, I only go a few times a year.



Keith
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I have had the opportunity to fly some birds during a meet. It was very fun and interesting. My daughter was really wanting to get involved as was I but I didn't have the time. She did but even going to a few meets and joining what ever organization they had the guys are older and clickish and pretty well blew her off thinking she wanted a cool pet. " o honey this is a blood sport" no crap well to make it a short story we gave up on it.

I guess it will be a dead sport considering they don't want to help get youngster's involved. O well their choice.

RTailed Hawk got a duck yesterday ,got the vid on a security camera wish I could share it .