Buzzards killing mature cows

[NolanCountyAG]

If your fields are open, you don't even have to bother hanging them up. Lay them out and spread their wings.
I have also found that shooting at them, even if they are to far away to kill, seems to do some good. If you can find where they are roosting, sneak down there at dark are fire off a few rounds. They don't like being harassed.

Theoretically the problem with that here is that coyotes eat everything on the ground.

Never had anything eat a buzzard. They lay there till the worms are done and thats all that touches them.

 

[KyNewbie]

I wish I would have done a better job of keeping up with this post so I could have engaged in some of these conversations along the way. Before this I didn't think there was any way buzzards would target much less kill a mature cow that wasn't either a) calving or b) down &?halfway dead anyways. I had heard people tell tales of them getting after calves but I even found that highly unlikely. After I lost the second cow dead on Friday afternoon I decided to drag it up towards the woodline instead of burying it. There just so happened to be a turkey blind conviniently located in the area. I spent some time in the blind Saturday and "scared" the first wave off. Within 2 hours they were beginning to come back in. About 120 yards across the pasture is where I had my hay rings at the time and the buzzards flew inand roosted in the trees nearby the hay rings before they came back to the carcass. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't of watched it with my own eyes but about half the group probably 15-20 buzzards flew down and circled around a cow that had walked away from the hay and was away from the group. They closed in and started to nip at her heels. I didn't let this go any further and fired a shot to scatter them again. With spring calving around the corner and me not being around during the day due to a public job it worries me to death.

 

[farmerjan]

Don't scatter them, SHOOT THEM. There are several stories in some of those googled posts that talk about them going after mature animals. I do know they will go after mature sheep, have seen it in person. And they will go after and attack live healthy calves. Had one place with a big shed on the end of the barn. High roof that you could put a full hay wagon into. Had a small fenced area outside of it and used it to raise some bottle calves in. They could get into the shed and go out into a small area in the sun and grass. Had those sorry B$%#@ go into the shed part where the calves were during the hot part of the day and peck out the eyes and go after the rear end/anus of 2 different bottle calves. I'm talking month old size bottle calves. Had to kill both those calves and I got 3 of those sorry black $%#%$ too.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Had to kill both those calves and I got 3 of those sorry black $%#%$ too.

Within the last few years, I've had 2 of those nasty-a$$ed birds commit suicide, while driving down the road, they jumped right in front of the truck. :cowboy:

 

[jedsdad]

I may be wrong, but I doubt buzzards are killing cows. I had one paralyzed from giving birth. Set 5 panels around her, so I could feed and water her. Came in that afternoon, and she had slid the whole contraption 200 yards across the field. Buzzards had tried eating her alive. But, she couldn't fight back either.

Well it's April 20 2023. And I just had my second new born killed by buzzards. Mom as well cause she stroked out trying to save baby when I got home the calf was stripped to the bone and they were eating on the live mom's ass. Had to put her down. She was a three year old. So don't think it won't happen!! JD in Missouri

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Is there some kind of poison to put on carcasses? Put out a cow carcass by a big buzzard roost would make a dent in their population. Golden Malrin fly bait perhaps?

 

[Warren Allison]

I came home from work to find my second dead cow of the week. Both had healthy October calves by their sides and I had laid eyes on both sets of cow calf pairs walking in the pasture and nursing. No signs of the cows being sick in any type of way. I've received phone calls while at work last week with people telling me that they have observed the buzzards pestering the herd. I've had my grandfather go out and run them off multiple times and I myself have gone out and shot at them to scare them off. They are the black buzzards, and seem to be way more aggressive than the turkey vultures. I find it odd that they have targeted two mature cows as opposed to going after calves. I've never personally seen buzzards be this aggressive and I personally have not lost any cattle to buzzards that were not either newborn or seemed to be terribly old or injured. Any thoughts? Am I wrong to think it's buzzards and maybe should be looking for another cause of death? Thanks in advance

Yep, you need to look for another cause. No buzzard has ever been able to kill a grown, healthy cow. Not even a condor. They may start eating them while they are still barely alive, maybe a few seconds before they died.

 

[Warren Allison]

Well it's April 20 2023. And I just had my second new born killed by buzzards. Mom as well cause she stroked out trying to save baby when I got home the calf was stripped to the bone and they were eating on the live mom's ass. Had to put her down. She was a three year old. So don't think it won't happen!! JD in Missouri

I mean, I know it is 420 and all, but that is a really a far out tale, man. LOL

 

[Caustic Burno]

Is there some kind of poison to put on carcasses? Put out a cow carcass by a big buzzard roost would make a dent in their population. Golden Malrin fly bait perhaps?

Buzzard trap works I have heard tell.

 

[gman4691]

Haven't had them come after the calves on our place...so far. But have seen lots of black vultures eating road kill...and it's getting more common to see Mexican Eagles around here - only seen them eating road kill as well.

 

[Travlr]

There's been a real problem in India poisoning vultures...

No judgement here, but they have what some in this country would call primitive funeral practices and they depend on vultures to take care of the dead. Personally, I like the idea more than being buried or burned. Anyways, they started poisoning carcasses to get rid of all the feral dogs and of course the poison did more than kill dogs.

Poison's an easy answer but what are the farther reaching ramifications? I'd rather set up a blind somewhere out of the way and charge city folk to shoot them. Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak...

 

[Brute 23]

I could see a cow trying to protect a calf and getting wore out until she goes down. They could probably get her like that. Talk about a horrible deal. Not sure how long it would take for her to actually die.

I've only had a couple issues and it was because the stupid cow dropped a calf in a pretty open area with not much cover. 99.9999% of the time the cattle have the calves in the brush or some kind of cover.

The most recent I pulled in and saw the cows balled up. It was clear they were fighting some thing. The was a wore out momma with a calf in them. When I got close the buzzards flew up and went a little way and landed. I tore in to them and they flew out of sight.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Is there some kind of poison to put on carcasses? Put out a cow carcass by a big buzzard roost would make a dent in their population. Golden Malrin fly bait perhaps?

The problem is that poison is non discriminatory.
Guys around here used to do that to control coyotes back when everyone raised hogs outside. It worked. They killed coyotes and foxes and neighbor's dogs and crows and raccoons and an other animal that chewed on the carcass or licked around the bait location.

 

[jedsdad]

I mean, I know it is 420 and all, but that is a really a far out tale, man. LO

 

[jedsdad]

Well here the proof Waren

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I'm so glad we moved away from Mexican vultures to the PNW. Cows can have their calves right out in the open. Turkey vultures migrate back here in the spring. They don't bother calves, and ravens eat the road kill. Its hard enought to raise a calf to sell without black vutures eating them alive. You have to carry the cow for another year with no calf to sell. In Texas we would just SSS.

 

[farmerjan]

I've seen the black buzzards land on a cow that had a new calf... right on her back... and go to trying to pick at her with the afterbirth hanging out before she had cleaned... I totally believe those miserable S O B's could and would tear up a cow to where it would kill her.... I have had enough with them after calves and sitting there on a calf with it's eyes pecked out and eating it from the rectum and the DARING you to come close with their wings spread and all that.
Screw a permit.... SSS.....

 

[Warren Allison]

LOL. No one said buzzards don't EAT cows. That is what they do..eat dead animals. But no buzzard has ever KILLED a c ow. They can;t. Thjey aren;t built to. It isa impossible.

 

[50/50Farms]

I have legally and lawfully never shot a Mexican vulture, any and all of them found shot and killed on properties we have owned, leased or worked on were shot by third parties and deposited there by strangers.

 

[BFE]

Is there some kind of poison to put on carcasses? Put out a cow carcass by a big buzzard roost would make a dent in their population. Golden Malrin fly bait perhaps?

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