Buzzards/Turkey Vultures

[BeefmasterB]

Black buzzards are a different critter. Some folks refer to the Mexican Buzzard as a Caracara but who really knows?

Bhb, I think the Caracara is a different bird than the Mexican Buzzard. We caught a wounded Caracara on our place a couple of years ago and took it to a rehab center in South Texas. They referred to it as the Mexican Eagle. It was much smaller than the average buzzard and a heck of a lot better looking!!

 

[dirtdoctor]

They are called black vultures.Read a article in WV market bulletin,said the main difference between them and turkey vultures was they prefer live prey pick eyes and other soft tissue from newborn livestock and wildlife.Now for the bad part, you have to have special permit to kill them the state wants any spotting of them to be reported.Now for everyone who say they would shot them anyhow I'll quit now.

Here's the link, first time i've ever posted one, so I hope it works
It does sound like you're talking about the same bird, just be cautious especially if you read the next to last paragraph :roll:


http://www.wvagriculture.org/market_bul ... 9-pg-4.pdf

 

[tncattle]

They are called black vultures.Read a article in WV market bulletin,said the main difference between them and turkey vultures was they prefer live prey pick eyes and other soft tissue from newborn livestock and wildlife.Now for the bad part, you have to have special permit to kill them the state wants any spotting of them to be reported.Now for everyone who say they would shot them anyhow I'll quit now.

Here's the link, first time i've ever posted one, so I hope it works
It does sound like you're talking about the same bird, just be cautious especially if you read the next to last paragraph :roll:


http://www.wvagriculture.org/market_bul ... 9-pg-4.pdf

That is exactly what we have here.

 

[rusty]

Yeah,thats the same article I read.I had never saw one till I started reading on here about them and now I see them every day.I haven't had any trouble with my calves yet but I am keeping a closer watch on them now.Anyone in my area had any problems yet?

 

[dirtdoctor]

Yeah,thats the same article I read.I had never saw one till I started reading on here about them and now I see them every day.I haven't had any trouble with my calves yet but I am keeping a closer watch on them now.Anyone in my area had any problems yet?

I drive thru Lewis and Upshur Counties a good bit and I live in Barbour, I've seen a few of them since the article, never saw one before, or so i thought . We just had our second calf today so I'm really on the lookout for them now ;-) . We've got an Australian Shepard but she's turned into a pet so I can't depend on her for the buzzards, she likes the porch too much, lucky for her she's a pretty good help when moving the cows :roll: .

 

[Beefy]

well ive seen the black ones and turkeybuzzards co-mingling, so i'm not so sure that the turkey buzzards won't pick up a few nasty habits from hanging around with the mexican buzzards. and for all we know they are interbreeding?

 

[kerley]

I saw what appeared to be a Buzzard yesterday morning. It was perched in a tree along my pasture. When I drove by he flew off. He had white tips on both wings and looked like a Buzzard to me. Does this fit the description of a Mexican Turkey Buzzard?
Tom.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I saw what appeared to be a Buzzard yesterday morning. It was perched in a tree along my pasture. When I drove by he flew off. He had white tips on both wings and looked like a Buzzard to me. Does this fit the description of a Mexican Turkey Buzzard?
Tom.

Congrats you now have Mexican Vultures the worst predator you will have to deal with.
Start carrying a 22 or 22 mag and innoculate secondly keep your mouth shut.

 

[HUS]

I saw what appeared to be a Buzzard yesterday morning. It was perched in a tree along my pasture. When I drove by he flew off. He had white tips on both wings and looked like a Buzzard to me. Does this fit the description of a Mexican Turkey Buzzard?
Tom.

Congrats you now have Mexican Vultures the worst predator you will have to deal with.
Start carrying a 22 or 22 mag and innoculate secondly keep your mouth shut.

Hey Caustic,

You sound just like my dad. He used to tell us that "you can do anything you need to if you can just learn to keep your mouth shut."
:clap:

 

[rusty]

One of my best friends is in DNR he says most of the people they catch is because they can't keep from bragging.I'm sure i've seen them just thought they were buzzards .I wonder if state will pay replacment cost if they take out livestock?

 

[ClinchMountainBoy]

unless you have baby lambs, you don't have anything to fear from vultures, black or turkey. Turkey vultures won't even bother lambs. If you know of them feeding on or killing calves (for certain) let me know but i'll bet any deaths you have seen might could be attributed to something else. Killing them is a federal offense, they are classified as birds of prey.

 

[backhoeboogie]

unless you have baby lambs, you don't have anything to fear from vultures, black or turkey. Turkey vultures won't even bother lambs. If you know of them feeding on or killing calves (for certain) let me know but i'll bet any deaths you have seen might could be attributed to something else. Killing them is a federal offense, they are classified as birds of prey.

They kill calves in a long drawn out method starting with gouging out their eyes so they cannot see. Read the links previously posted. How much "for certain" do you want? How many people's word would it take to convince you?

This is NOT turkey buzzards doing this. This is what we call Mexican buzzards.

 

[dun]

unless you have baby lambs, you don't have anything to fear from vultures, black or turkey. Turkey vultures won't even bother lambs. If you know of them feeding on or killing calves (for certain) let me know but i'll bet any deaths you have seen might could be attributed to something else. Killing them is a federal offense, they are classified as birds of prey.

From the Missouri book on vultures in Missouri

A major adaptation is food. Carrion, or dead matter, makes up most of both vultures' diets. But black vultures may include newborn animals, chicks and eggs in their menu. They will also eat grass and vegetable matter.

 

[rusty]

unless you have baby lambs, you don't have anything to fear from vultures, black or turkey. Turkey vultures won't even bother lambs. If you know of them feeding on or killing calves (for certain) let me know but i'll bet any deaths you have seen might could be attributed to something else. Killing them is a federal offense, they are classified as birds of prey.

Not trying to be smart but did you read this entire post?

 

[fitz]

Around here the "Blacks" not only feed on anything dead, they hunt. Don't be fooled into thinking they won't take a new born calf. If there's enough of them they'll go after the birthing cow's eyes also if she doesn't get up fast enough. They kill a lot that the coyote gets blamed for. Not that I'm a big fan of coyotes either.

fitz

 

[Workinonit Farm]

unless you have baby lambs, you don't have anything to fear from vultures, black or turkey. Turkey vultures won't even bother lambs. If you know of them feeding on or killing calves (for certain) let me know .

ClinchMountainBoy, either you are from Va, or a fan of Ralph Stanley.

Anyhow, I HAVE seen WITH MY own eyes what these black/Mexican buzzards (NOT turkey vultures) can AND will do. I have made a couple of posts regarding this in the last few years. The more recent was possibly last year or the year before. There were about 35 of these things all taking turns at a calf that had run through an electric fence into an empty pasture where its mother and the rest of the herd were not. While the majority of the group of birds circled (standing on the ground) the calf about 12 of the others were pecking the living he11 out of that LIVE calf. I turned my dog loose, which frightened the birds off of it long enough to get the calf out of harms way. Unfortunately the calf died as a result of the injuries sustained by the birds. And that was NOT the first time I had witnessed such an event.....here in Va.

Katherine

 

[ClinchMountainBoy]

well there's one more thing for me to watch out for I guess, I didn't realize they would go for calves. A friend of mine runs about 600 hair sheep and they really cut into his profits sometimes. The black ones will attack lambs as soon as they hit the ground and the dogs can't be in more than one place at a time, so with so many ewes lambing at once they do a lot of damage. I'd say a dog or two could help out with calving though, since they probably wouldn't have so much to worry about at once. I guess the only time they are good to have around is when you have a dead cow.

 

[CattleHand]

I've never seen any of this happen but I'd say the only time they are good to have around is after you've shot them. The three S's work for these birds well. I will keep my eyes peeled for them now.

 

[gimpyrancher]

I'm a newbie here and just want to put this out and see what happens.

It's getting harder and harder for responsible ethical shooters to find places to varmint hunt. There are hunters like me that enjoy shooting their high quality air rifles out well over 100 yards with little noise. The modern .17s and .204s were made for this type of precision shooting out to 300+ yards. Just want to offer this as a possible option. The livestock are at no risk.

gimpyrancher :wave:

 

[rusty]

gimpy,
You seem to not understand it is illeagl to shoot these wonderful birds so it is not wise to suggest such things.