Problems With Vultures and Raccoons

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LOL, I just sent you a message about getting recordings of the show. Keep us posted if you decide to.
 
While deer hunting with my dad and another friend in mid November we spooked a half dozen deer out of a tree grove and as they stopped on top of a hill, a bald eagle attacked one of the 5-6 month old fawns, he kept grabbing it by the back and neck trying to pick it up but after several minutes and alot of spinning around by the fawn the eagle must have figured out that the deer was too heavy and finally gave up. I'm guessing the fawn probably weighed 60-80 pounds so I'm sure if the opportunity to catch one that's only a few days old came up, they would snatch one up in a heart beat. Another one of the eagles favorite food out here in SD is red fox and skunk, a newborn fawn has to be easier to catch then a fox and dam sure taste better then skunk!!!
 
It seems all the videos you see of bald eagles though is them catching fish, and a lot of times they scavange fish they find dead
 
Let's just put it this way. If I see a single vulture looming overhead of our herd tomorrow, I am going to deal with the threat accordingly, and do what I need to do in order to eliminate the threat.
 
nickh said:
If you lay on the ground with your eyes close they will come down and when you feel them open your eyes and shoot them.
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Are you kidding me? Did you see the 1970's movie "A Man Called Horse"? I can't imagine having those talons in my body...gun or no gun!
 
Again, not to beat a dead horse here, but I hope those reading me were reading between the lines a bit, and understood my direction here. Im not accusing anyone of anything, of course. No doubt the problem is what it is. Those white fawns, for example, were a very visible and vulnerable target, no doubt. Here by me even crows can become very effective predators, believe it or not. Ive also personally watched a coyote climb straight up and over a chain link fence. Predators are smart for sure. Thats why we as farmers must learn ways to discourage or minimize our chances at losses like this. Calling them buzzards and saying we can shoot them when they are in fact turkey or black vultures, federally listed birds of prey, will get us trouble though.



I wont cave to those who do not approve of us, but I was just using this as an opportunity to discuss the real facts, and as a friendly warning between friends. I hope I wasnt misinterpreted.
 
The first week is really when fawns are the most vulnerable. They lay down and don't move thinking they are hidden. That is when some sort of shelter really helps - no matter what you use.
 
NYBill said:
Again, not to beat a dead horse here, but I hope those reading me were reading between the lines a bit, and understood my direction here. Im not accusing anyone of anything, of course. No doubt the problem is what it is. Those white fawns, for example, were a very visible and vulnerable target, no doubt. Here by me even crows can become very effective predators, believe it or not. Ive also personally watched a coyote climb straight up and over a chain link fence. Predators are smart for sure. Thats why we as farmers must learn ways to discourage or minimize our chances at losses like this. Calling them buzzards and saying we can shoot them when they are in fact turkey or black vultures, federally listed birds of prey, will get us trouble though.



I wont cave to those who do not approve of us, but I was just using this as an opportunity to discuss the real facts, and as a friendly warning between friends. I hope I wasnt misinterpreted.
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white chickens are the first to be taken. I let the chickens free range. when I run out I just buy more. ***** at nite are worse.
 
The first week is defintitely the worse. I am not bottle feeding and I spend as much time with these mother raised fawns. I have one pen with five fawns and three tame mothers. I am giving these fawns probiotics once a day for two weeks straight. After that time they frequent the feeders with their mothers and can get it in the feed.



Thankfully the ***** have to go through a gauntlet after leaving a swamp and that is where my neighbor catches them. I also have 100 % shade fence around the entire pen which helps with the **** issue. I am more concerned about the death from the sky above who have diplomatic immunity. Wild Rivers has some great suggestions to eliminate this threat.



I have a covered feeder that on the opposite side of the feeder is enclosed where I put them and start training them young. The older fawns over two weeks of age have a similar place on the other end of the pen. You should have watched those fawns yesterday when they went to their prospective safe, dry places when it started raining. You don't have to bottle-feed everything to get this desired effect. You need to give those mothers a chance to be a mother to pay for themselves.
 
nickh said:
If you lay on the ground with your eyes close they will come down and when you feel them open your eyes and shoot them.
Click to expand...



No way! I agree with Antler Valley! I also heard that if you get "bit" by a vulture, you are automatically susceptible to several different bacterial infections, and you need several shots and medical attention because of all the infections you can pick up. That is NASTY, LaMont!
 
deer rancher said:
No way! I agree with Antler Valley! I also heard that if you get "bit" by a vulture, you are automatically susceptible to several different bacterial infections, and you need several shots and medical attention because of all the infections you can pick up. That is NASTY, LaMont!
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I think he was just using a little levity....LOL
 
The grass is getting pretty high in our pens now so the biggest threat has past from air borne attacks. It is those first fawns when the grass is short that are vulnerable those first few days. We do get them to go in the barrels and it really helps - doesn't eliminate everything. If you get our TV show Gary talks about the barrels in a couple of the episodes a little further down the line.
 
make small shelters out of pallets nailed together quick and easy. 2 like a little tent.
 
3 words Shoot Shovel and Shutup. Although I do believe there are provisions in game law that allows one to defend their livestock against nusiant animals and I would think it would include predatory birds as well provided they are not on any endangerd list. I know we can kill hawks that are preying on our chickens we have to catch the particular bird in the act though.
 

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