Buzzard woes

[Hogfarmer10]

My wife has sheep. Over the past month, we’ve found several dead. Couldn’t find a cause of death. Today, I came driving out the road and saw at least 60-80 buzzards literally chasing the sheep, dive bombing at them and everything. Of course, they killed another one today and wounded a couple more. I can’t be there 24/7 to shoot them. They even followed the sheep into their barn! Do you all know of anything I can do? Thanks.

 

[SBMF 2015]

That’s horrible.
Back when everyone around here raised hogs outside some guys would use “coyote cannons” to scare predators away. They run on LP and can be programmed to go off with a timer.

 

[M.Magis]

I don't know the process, but the gov will give you a permit to shoot them. Probably have to start with the local game warden. They seem to be somewhat smart, and learn real fast where is dangerous and where is safe. Around our local lakes where they get bad, they'll hang one or two dead ones where they congregate and tear up vehicles. Seems to deter them. I know once one is shot here, or shot at, it can be weeks or longer before they return.

 

[coachg]

Shoot everyone you see , especially the black headed ones !

 

[farmerjan]

They are the most miserable SOB's there are... shoot 'em.... hang a few... there is no game warden around here that will question any farmer shooting them since they have become so aggressive.... and yes, you can get permits... no one i know bothers... they just get rid of as many as they can...
They are brazen and will threaten you if you go to chase them off... best time to shoot them face to face... and very satisfying to see the b#sturds die.

They were using a trap that is more like a large LOW poultry run... baited with deer here.... because they will land, walk in, and then when they dropped a net like door on the end... they panic because they have to have room to take off... so they will not go but so far into a building so they can "run out" to take off to fly....
SHOOT THEM... anyway you can....
Do you have any livestock guardian dogs??? They ought to help protect the sheep when the buzzards are being soooo aggressive.

 

[M.Magis]

Just to clarify, shoot ONLY the black Mexican vultures. Do NOT shoot turkey vultures. Not only are they basically harmless, they’re federally protected like all raptors. Immature turkey vultures have black heads like the black vultures, so make sure you know the difference. They’re fairly easy to differentiate once you see them side by side.

 

[Travlr]

My wife has sheep. Over the past month, we've found several dead. Couldn't find a cause of death. Today, I came driving out the road and saw at least 60-80 buzzards literally chasing the sheep, dive bombing at them and everything. Of course, they killed another one today and wounded a couple more. I can't be there 24/7 to shoot them. They even followed the sheep into their barn! Do you all know of anything I can do? Thanks.

I'd bait your sheep barn if they are already comfortable with going into it. Wait until they are all inside and close the door... and then whatever happens inside the barn stays in the barn...

 

[Hogfarmer10]

Thanks guys. Here, I can get a permit but it’s only for 3 a year. I’m confident there was over 80 here today. It’s only the black headed ones. They actually even chased my wife tonight! I will try a couple of these suggestions. No guardian dogs but that may be something else to look into

 

[Travlr]

Thanks guys. Here, I can get a permit but it's only for 3 a year. I'm confident there was over 80 here today. It's only the black headed ones. They actually even chased my wife tonight! I will try a couple of these suggestions. No guardian dogs but that may be something else to look into

Tell ya what... if they threatened my wife or anyone else in the neighborhood all bets are off. And I'd be asking for a jury trial if anyone dared to arrest me.

You need to video what's going on so you have something in your pocket if anything gets legal.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Thanks guys. Here, I can get a permit but it's only for 3 a year. I'm confident there was over 80 here today. It's only the black headed ones. They actually even chased my wife tonight! I will try a couple of these suggestions. No guardian dogs but that may be something else to look into

@Hogfarmer10, the effigy thing works wonders! You have a permit to kill 3, but only kill 1.... at a time. Take the dead one and tie it up, upside down such that it's wings dangle outstretched. This is highly effective at keeping the others away.

It's also almost October so I suppose it could double as a Halloween decoration.

Once the bird has completely decomposed, shoot another.

A note: A partially decomposed bird that is hanging is apparently still effective. On that note, as you have 3 permits, if a single bird is not effective for the entire area that needs 'protected', add a 2nd bird in a different, strategic location. Also, fake mock ups/models of the vultures are effective as well. Back to the Halloween thought. If you are needing fake decoys/effigies, this might be the time of year to be able to find them fairly easily at a store in the Halloween section.

Yes, the black vultures are the problem. Turkey vultures are fine. Note that immature turkey vultures have black heads as well. Don't shoot one of these by mistake.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Just to clarify, shoot ONLY the black Mexican vultures. Do NOT shoot turkey vultures. Not only are they basically harmless, they're federally protected like all raptors. Immature turkey vultures have black heads like the black vultures, so make sure you know the difference. They're fairly easy to differentiate once you see them side by side.

Good to note. I apologize as I only read a few posts before I replied and I said basically the same thing you said. You made a note about the Turkey being federally protected though and I did not. Let me note though that the black vultures are also federally protected, which is why the permit is required to kill any.

 

[Lucky_P]

https://www.researchgate.net/figure...ring-large-numbers-of-vultures_fig6_309701087
I'd be putting one of these out of sight of the road, then SSS.

 

[farmerjan]

https://www.researchgate.net/figure...ring-large-numbers-of-vultures_fig6_309701087
I'd be putting one of these out of sight of the road, then SSS.

This is the type of trap that the game dept had set up within the city limits on a vacant field, except it was not this tall.... and they could not find their way out the smaller opening fast enough to get out... because the black vultures had become very aggressive within the city park. The d@#n things seem to reproduce faster than rabbits too...
Yes, they will threaten people, like with your wife. Had them dare me to chase them off when we had a heifer calve.....
They do not want to get into smaller tighter quarters where they cannot fly off easily....

The he// with the permits #'s.... get the permit, make sure that you "abide" by the "intent" and get rid of as many as you can that are not seen, from the road....

Agree with the baiting inside the barn and shutting the doors and then whatever "happens"....

 

[farmerjan]

Another thing... although the young turkey buzzards have the black head, you will seldom ever find them congregating with the true black headed mexican buzzards. The mex ones are much more aggressive and they have been seen actually driving off and attacking the turkey buzzards here on the ground. The turkey buzzards also do not congregate in the numbers like the black ones. You would be very unlikely to shoot any of the turkey buzzard young ones... they do not act aggressive towards people that I have ever heard of in 50 years... been reading up on the Mexican black ones, as they seem to "migrate" through here, but are firmly "discouraged" to stay around...
Shotgun with any kind of scatter shot into a crowd of them... like when chasing/threatening your wife.... get as many as possible with a couple shots... wounded they can be finished off on the ground... there is 0/zilch/NO sympathy or tolerance here for them. They are displacing the turkey buzzards here and they perform a service of disposing of just dead carcasses....

 

[M.Magis]

I see turkey buzzards with black buzzards all the time. Its usually the turkey vultures that find the carcass first, then the black vultures show up and try to take over. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen black vultures without turkey vultures right beside them.
This when feeding, black vultures seem to congregate in large numbers when "loafing around" and of course turkey buzzards don't.

 

[Ky hills]

Sorry to hear that, they are a nuisance for sure. We have to watch our cows real close at calving, have lost some calves to them over the years, Have lost a twin calf two year in a row last year and this year to buzzards. We try to keep a watch and try to scare them off.
If you can get a permit pretty easy I'd go ahead and apply for it and hang up a buzzard or two. I'd also look into a livestock guard dog like an Anatolian Shepherd or Great Pyrenees.

 

[SmokinM]

I find when a few have heart attacks and fall out of the trees then remain on the ground as decoration they get pretty scarce. Only ever seen it happen to the ones with black heads and white wing tips. I think it is linked to the way they hop around on the ground. Never seems to happen to the red head ones that just walk. Odd I know.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Blacks and turkeys do congregate together in S/SW Ohio, N WV as @M.Magis describes, so co-mingled groups are common. But, I have not heard or read a report of a turkey or co-mingled group that attacks or is 'predatory', only blacks for that.

 

[puzzled in oregon]

Would the black buzzards gang up on a guard dog ?

 

[farmerjan]

Interesting as I never see them together here.
There are several that have had heart attacks here also... glad that they are more susceptible to that affliction.