Buzzards/Close Call

[Crowderfarms]

They are terrible they will get the cow also.

Do you have to be on constant watch when calving starts? Will the mother protect her baby, or do they come in packs?

GMN

If there is enough of them they will wear her down and get the calf if you're not around to help out. Been there.

fitz.

The ol' Turkey Buzzards are around all the time. Never had any problems til' yesterday with the Black avengers.They were all over the back of the Cow.

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,

Turkey Vultures here. Around calving, they go after after birth and calves. If the herd is close, the momma alarm goes off, and they circle together. They(cows) as a group, will stomp the crap out of the birds. But, as you know, momma's go off by themselves to calf. A bunch come at her, and she fends them off. But, she gets tired, and they keep coming. They finally get the calf. If it's only 2-4 buzzards, its not to bad. But when there a huge group20-40, nothing better than a 12 gauge

 

[norriscathy]

Wow, this is a new one on me, I thought these birds only ate things when they were dead. How horrible would that be to start eating on a newborn calf? Pick their eyes out--yuck!

GMN

We noticed a calf laying beside the pond with is mother right next to him. Calf didn't look right and we tried to make him get up. When he did stumble a little blood poured from his rear end. The buzzards had pecked his rear out. Had to put him down. I've seen as many as 30 or 40 around a cow when she's trying to have a calf.

 

[norriscathy]

Howdy,

Turkey Vultures here. Around calving, they go after after birth and calves. If the herd is close, the momma alarm goes off, and they circle together. They(cows) as a group, will stomp the crap out of the birds. But, as you know, momma's go off by themselves to calf. A bunch come at her, and she fends them off. But, she gets tired, and they keep coming. They finally get the calf. If it's only 2-4 buzzards, its not to bad. But when there a huge group20-40, nothing better than a 12 gauge

What shot do you use? I've used up a jillion shells and can't seem to kill one. Even got out my old Marlin 10 ga goose gun with #4 turkey shot. They'll fly off and my shoulder will hurt but I can't seem to drop one. Know I'm not that bad of a shot.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

Found a momma who had obviously been having trouble calving for a day or two yesterday. Had to put her down because the buzzards had already made lunch of her backside.

 

[samm]

back in nov. some of the dang things got one of our cows after she had a calf, they got her eyes, and her hind end, calf was ok.he must have ran off to the other part of the herd,i think she was kinda paralyzed and was easy pickens for them..i hate em...but i think they are protected by the feds.
too bad for them if i catch one getting any more of our cows or calves

 

[TLCfromARK]

I lost a calf last week to the blasted things. I was sick and ask my brother to feed & check the cows for me. He went up after he got off work and found what was left of the calf. Said it looked like the cow ( her 2nd calf ) had the calf fine & had licked it dry. She appeared to have had at least one quarter sucked. The way he read the sign was that she'd had the calf during night or early morning but had walked away to either where I had fed the day before for hay ( about 75 yards ) or to the pond ( about 100 yards in the other direction ) for water. Results were the the blasted buzzards got the calf, not much left but the hide & bones.

I've got some pictures but haven't had a chance to download them yet. These white tipped buzzards are very agressive, beware of them.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Howdy,

Turkey Vultures here. Around calving, they go after after birth and calves. If the herd is close, the momma alarm goes off, and they circle together. They(cows) as a group, will stomp the crap out of the birds. But, as you know, momma's go off by themselves to calf. A bunch come at her, and she fends them off. But, she gets tired, and they keep coming. They finally get the calf. If it's only 2-4 buzzards, its not to bad. But when there a huge group20-40, nothing better than a 12 gauge

What shot do you use? I've used up a jillion shells and can't seem to kill one. Even got out my old Marlin 10 ga goose gun with #4 turkey shot. They'll fly off and my shoulder will hurt but I can't seem to drop one. Know I'm not that bad of a shot.

22 Mag

 

[Texan]

He was able to shoot 2-3 of them as they were swoopin in....He used a 22 on them. It killed em dead.

Wow, your neighbor's a helluva shot, huh? Killed 2-3 of 'em with a .22 "as they were swoopin in"? Didn't even wait for 'em to land? And did it all fast enough to get more than one? Very impressive.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

He was able to shoot 2-3 of them as they were swoopin in....He used a 22 on them. It killed em dead.

Wow, your neighbor's a helluva shot, huh? Killed 2-3 of 'em with a .22 "as they were swoopin in"? Didn't even wait for 'em to land? And did it all fast enough to get more than one? Very impressive.

I was kinda wondering the same thing?

 

[RebelCritter]

I dont like those stinky ugly birds! They are protected here, but I wouldnt think twice about shooting them if they tried to attack one of my animals!!! Same with chicken hawks! SSS !!!

The only good thing about those buzzards is they do a good job keeping the roads cleaned up of runover critters...

 

[Calman]

Front page news

Big bird swoops from the sky and carries off baby calf.

sorry Caustic the devil made me do it.

Cal

 

[norriscathy]

Has any body very skinned one of those "white winged Mexican" buzzards? They must have a hide as thick as iron. I know I hit one with #4 shot out of my 10ga goosegun and he just shook and flew off. I'm not good o get one in the air with a .22! Thought I'd switch to my 18" 20 ga with 3" #2 buck shot. Just don't understand those things. No problem killing a "Red Head" with a 20 ga quail load; but these things just don't seem to go down.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Has any body very skinned one of those "white winged Mexican" buzzards? They must have a hide as thick as iron. I know I hit one with #4 shot out of my 10ga goosegun and he just shook and flew off. I'm not good o get one in the air with a .22! Thought I'd switch to my 18" 20 ga with 3" #2 buck shot. Just don't understand those things. No problem killing a "Red Head" with a 20 ga quail load; but these things just don't seem to go down.

They are hard to put down they are mostly feathers. Game warden told me take them out if they are threating livestock. I wasn't wing shootin them basterds with a 22, I like to use BB loads on them out of Model 21 full by full.

 

[MikeC]

Has any body very skinned one of those "white winged Mexican" buzzards? They must have a hide as thick as iron. I know I hit one with #4 shot out of my 10ga goosegun and he just shook and flew off. I'm not good o get one in the air with a .22! Thought I'd switch to my 18" 20 ga with 3" #2 buck shot. Just don't understand those things. No problem killing a "Red Head" with a 20 ga quail load; but these things just don't seem to go down.

They are hard to put down they are mostly feathers. Game warden told me take them out if they are threating livestock. I wasn't wing shootin them basterds with a 22, I like to use BB loads on them out of Model 21 full by full.

You got a model 21? Tell me about it!!!!!!!!!

 

[warpaint]

You might check with your local game warden, ours told us .
if they were bothering stock to kill as many as neccassry to drive them off.

 

[cfpinz]

The ones around here are right wary, they seldom let you get closer than 100-200 yards. I've knocked them over with a 220 Swift a couple of times and watched them stumble around and get up and fly off. It all depends on where and at what angle you hit them. The last couple of years I started using a 300 Win Mag and I've never seen one quiver no matter where its hit.

cfpinz

 

[Caustic Burno]

Has any body very skinned one of those "white winged Mexican" buzzards? They must have a hide as thick as iron. I know I hit one with #4 shot out of my 10ga goosegun and he just shook and flew off. I'm not good o get one in the air with a .22! Thought I'd switch to my 18" 20 ga with 3" #2 buck shot. Just don't understand those things. No problem killing a "Red Head" with a 20 ga quail load; but these things just don't seem to go down.

They are hard to put down they are mostly feathers. Game warden told me take them out if they are threating livestock. I wasn't wing shootin them basterds with a 22, I like to use BB loads on them out of Model 21 full by full.

You got a model 21? Tell me about it!!!!!!!!!

Yep full/full in 28" barrel was my uncles I inherieted it cousin got the 16 and the A-5 in sweet 16. You know Remington is importing a Russian well made side by side thats made off the old 21 patten. I know not the same thing. Other treasures are a Model 97 pigeon grade along with various Model 12's . The rarest I have is a Model 11 preproduction stamped UMC.

 

[Caustic Burno]

The ones around here are right wary, they seldom let you get closer than 100-200 yards. I've knocked them over with a 220 Swift a couple of times and watched them stumble around and get up and fly off. It all depends on where and at what angle you hit them. The last couple of years I started using a 300 Win Mag and I've never seen one quiver no matter where its hit.

cfpinz

Dang son if thats your bird gun I would hate to see your HOG gun.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

Norris, FWIW I've never seen 10 guage shells in #4 (either with lead or steel). Or are you saying that you loaded up some 10 guage with #4 buckshot ? Back in the days when we could use lead I reloaded for my 10 guage with BB's and that made for a good long range load. My brother somehow got a bag of #4 buckshot and reloaded that to make a very long range 10 guage load. These days, if I were going to try to kill buzzards with 10 guage factory loads I think I'd try using only T or F shot.