Black Vultures Again

[Caustic Burno]

Spent the afternoon with a 1885 High Wall keeping the devils off a new calf in the lot. Saw the devils coming in went down in the pasture found the cow trying to keep them fought off. Hauled the calf up to the lot in front of the house penned the cow and calf. The dang devils came up to the lot after the calf. I just love watching them go poof.

Merry Christmas.

 

[BeefmasterB]

Spent the afternoon with a 1885 High Wall keeping the devils off a new calf in the lot. Saw the devils coming in went down in the pasture found the cow trying to keep them fought off. Hauled the calf up to the lot in front of the house penned the cow and calf. The dang devils came up to the lot after the calf. I just love watching them go poof.

Merry Christmas.

Well Caustic, since those devils are now gone, you really don't need that High Wall anymore, right?

 

[Jogeephus]

If you drop your bead just a bit and hit them in the lower gut you won't kill them and they will hop around and act flicked and all. This will definitely give you a warm fuzzy feeling inside. To make things better, this hopping and flailing will attract other buzzards which for some reason want to get near the wounded bird. This is when the fun really starts. Or so I was told.

 

[bigbull338]

sounds like you got in some good target practice.glad the cow an calf are ok.

 

[grannysoo]

Those are some nasty creatures. I'm sure I could find extra ones to send you if you run out where you're at. :roll:

 

[Caustic Burno]

Those are some nasty creatures. I'm sure I could find extra ones to send you if you run out where you're at. :roll:

Please don't as I am well stocked. The reason I moved the cow/calf in the lot was to get them in 22 mag range at a dollar a shot out of the 1885 was starting to get into the profit margin.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I had one of the brindle cows calve about 10 this a.m. All was fine. About 4 there were buzzards all over the ground when I was checking some heifers. The brindle was laid up with the calf by themselves, surrounded by birds. By the time I got through the gate and dug out the Winchester the buzzards had left them. I didn't even get a close enough look to see if they had white spot wings or not. The cow was about 1/4 mile from where she dropped that calf so there was no afterbirth or any other colorations near her. Hence I figure them for Mexican buzzards even tho I didn't get verification.

I've got some 3 inch mag 2 by 4 special loads for turkey hunting. I am going to load the old full choke 12 gauge and start carry it to the pasture. Those # 2 shots will reach out and touch someone. The # 4's scatter well for normal range. I don't shoot the turkeys anyway. May as well use those. They are very effective.

This is my third calf in 10 days. All heifers. The '09 season seems to have started a bit early. All three of these calved in February last year. I left the bull with the cows because my neighbor has an angus that will circle the place through several fences. Dad used to tell me that if a fence would hold water, it would hold goats. The north fence against that angus bull is almost waterproof - so he circles through two neighbors.

 

[Jogeephus]

Just had the first calf born by a group of cows and it looks like the black devils plucked the eyes out of the first calf born.


THE WAR IS ON!

 

[Caustic Burno]

Just had the first calf born by a group of cows and it looks like the black devils plucked the eyes out of the first calf born.


THE WAR IS ON!

There is not a tractor,mule,4 wheeler,or anything else that doesn't have a 22 or 22 mag on it.
Enough said.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Seemed to get lucky last year and didn't see much of the black devils. Hope its the same this year. Givem He$$ CB and maybe they won't make it this far north.

 

[cypressfarms]

I guess I've been lucky so far, in that I rarely see vultures around the pasture - although I'm not sure if we have the dreaded Mexican vultures.

Caustic,

Is there a law protecting these evil creatures? I'd imagine if they are causing livestock loss you can kill them, right? I tempted to start shooting vultures around the farm just as a preventitive measure.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I guess I've been lucky so far, in that I rarely see vultures around the pasture - although I'm not sure if we have the dreaded Mexican vultures.

Caustic,

Is there a law protecting these evil creatures? I'd imagine if they are causing livestock loss you can kill them, right? I tempted to start shooting vultures around the farm just as a preventitive measure.

They are protected in Texas if you contact your local Game Warden he can help you get a permit to thin the population if they are preying on livestock. Theses devils are hard to fight 20 or 30 will attack some will keep the cow occupied while the others sneak in and kill the calf. Give me dogs anyday I can rid them in a night or two with snares, traps, and gunpowder. When you see these devils streaming in you better high tail it to that pasture you can bet it won't be long and you will be shooting the calf.

 

[backhoeboogie]

They are protected in Texas if you contact your local Game Warden he can help you get a permit to thin the population if they are preying on livestock.

A couple of years ago while waiting to be loaded with fertilizer, another person waiting with me got a call on his cell phone. It was the Game Warden telling him he was in his pasture with a calf fending off the vultures. The Game Warden left when he arrived. :nod:

 

[mobgrazer]

I have no idea about other places but I'll say something…

Where I'm at it's against the law to kill them. I don't think anyone will do something about it but still is a crime. If you kill some and hang them in the trees they don't come around as much. I will kill 10 or so 2 weeks before we start calving and hang them in the trees around the field I'm calving in and don't see any for about 3 months.

I read a post that had something called a Mexican voucher and I have never dealt with one of them.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I read a post that had something called a Mexican voucher and I have never dealt with one of them.

Turkey Vultures are native here and they do not gouge eyes on calves. They will come in once a calf is dead.

The Mexican vultures have migrated north. They have heads more akin to a crow, white or gray blotches on the wings. These are the little devils that gouge the eyes of calves.

I don't know of anyone who blasts turkey vultures.

 

[Jogeephus]

They are protected in Texas if you contact your local Game Warden he can help you get a permit to thin the population if they are preying on livestock.

A couple of years ago while waiting to be loaded with fertilizer, another person waiting with me got a call on his cell phone. It was the Game Warden telling him he was in his pasture with a calf fending off the vultures. The Game Warden left when he arrived. :nod:

I spoke to my warden about the problem and he gave me his blessing. Like you say, they are not native.