Hawks?

Twoface1911 · April 11, 2009, 06:24 PM

I have many chickens on my property and was wondering, if a hawk, or any other bird of pray was attacking my chickens, do i have the right to kill it?

Pahoo · April 11, 2009, 06:58 PM

Well, in my neck of the woods, it's clearly a NO, NO !!! :barf:
These are considered "Raptors" in the same league with Bald Eagles and most definitely protected. You are in the best position to determine what action needs to be taken to protect your flock. So perhaps, S.S.&S might be in order. I really can't or won't say ....

Be Safe !!!!

bswiv · April 11, 2009, 07:23 PM

Are they small chickens? Over they years we've had way more problems with coons than with "raptors". In fact there is a tree in the back yard, along the St. Johns River, that a eagle uses as a eating tree at times. Now a eagle can get any sort of chicken I ever saw but in all the years I've seen only one chicken get got by a hawk.

And I might add one kitten get carried off by a big owl.

Can not imagine any way it could be legal to shoot a hawk.

Daryl · April 11, 2009, 08:01 PM

Quote:

do i have the right to kill it?

Moral right, or legal right?

Legally, you'll be prosecuted if you're caught. You may also lose your firearm and firearms rights in the bargain.

Legally, you can't even pick up a feather that falls from the hawk while it eats your chicken.

Daryl

hogdogs · April 11, 2009, 08:09 PM

ABSOLUTELY OFF LIMITS!!! It is your duty as a chicken farmer to build hawk proof pens! I do not think any permit can be attained to augment the penning of chickens...
This from a guy (myself) who has lost countless chickens to hawks. Junior has had "show birds" valued at well over 200 bucks for a young stag and hasn't found a legal loophole to the federal protection of "birds of prey"... trap them and train them to hunt squirrels is legal in Florida for some species but shoot shovel and shut up is not legal and is a federal felony offense.
Brent

Art Eatman · April 11, 2009, 08:33 PM

Under federal law, all raptors are protected. The way the laws about bird protection are written, your property can be grabbed if feathers/claws/beaks/bones are found in your house.

hogdogs · April 11, 2009, 08:39 PM

Lemme first clarify a missing word or 2... Junior has lost several stags over $200 in value and several roosters of better quality lost...
Mr.Eatman, stated "property grabbed" but shortly after that a conviction will strip several of your civil rights including 2A and voting rights...
Both of the latter are far more valuable to me than any of my possessions...
Brent

ZeroJunk · April 11, 2009, 08:47 PM

These laws may seem a little draconian. But, it goes back to the close call all birds of prey had back in the 60's when chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides such as DDT were sprayed all over everything. Since they are at the end of the food chain a lot of the poison was accumulated in the birds. Didn't kill the birds but made their eggs brittle. These insecticides had a half life of about 20 years and just built up. Actually some of the current insecticides like Vydate are a lot nastier and more dangerous to handle, but they are gone in a few days.
I can remember when it was unusual to see a hawk. Now there is a pair of redtails nesting on my farm about every year.
Hard on rabbits in particular.

impact · April 11, 2009, 10:26 PM

bswiv I grew up on the ST.Jhons river as a kid in the 70s. great place to grow up. I trapped muskrat in ST. Jhons marsh for food and money. They where some good times! Hell I even trapped many of rat on the river.

bufordtjustice · April 11, 2009, 11:12 PM

I think hogdogs has the right answer on this one. Build good pens. They will also help protect your investment from coons, coyotes, feral cats, etc.

Believe me, there are several hawks on my farm that I would love to thin out but it ain't worth the risk.

Fat White Boy · April 12, 2009, 12:16 AM

I wouldn't kill any raptor unless you want the Feds all over you...Just ask the pigeon guys...The ones that raise competitive flyers...A bunch of them were arrested a year or two ago by Federal Wildlife authorities for killing raptors that were picking off their pigeons...

April 11, 2009, 06:24 PM	#1
Twoface1911 Member Join Date: February 28, 2009 Posts: 80	Hawks? I have many chickens on my property and was wondering, if a hawk, or any other bird of pray was attacking my chickens, do i have the right to kill it?

April 11, 2009, 06:58 PM	#2
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	Well, in my neck of the woods, it's clearly a NO, NO !!! :barf: These are considered "Raptors" in the same league with Bald Eagles and most definitely protected. You are in the best position to determine what action needs to be taken to protect your flock. So perhaps, S.S.&S might be in order. I really can't or won't say .... Be Safe !!!!

April 11, 2009, 07:23 PM	#3
bswiv Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: NE FL....... Posts: 1,081	Are they small chickens? Over they years we've had way more problems with coons than with "raptors". In fact there is a tree in the back yard, along the St. Johns River, that a eagle uses as a eating tree at times. Now a eagle can get any sort of chicken I ever saw but in all the years I've seen only one chicken get got by a hawk. And I might add one kitten get carried off by a big owl. Can not imagine any way it could be legal to shoot a hawk.

April 11, 2009, 08:09 PM	#5
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	ABSOLUTELY OFF LIMITS!!! It is your duty as a chicken farmer to build hawk proof pens! I do not think any permit can be attained to augment the penning of chickens... This from a guy (myself) who has lost countless chickens to hawks. Junior has had "show birds" valued at well over 200 bucks for a young stag and hasn't found a legal loophole to the federal protection of "birds of prey"... trap them and train them to hunt squirrels is legal in Florida for some species but shoot shovel and shut up is not legal and is a federal felony offense. Brent

April 11, 2009, 08:33 PM	#6
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Under federal law, all raptors are protected. The way the laws about bird protection are written, your property can be grabbed if feathers/claws/beaks/bones are found in your house.

April 11, 2009, 08:39 PM	#7
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Lemme first clarify a missing word or 2... Junior has lost several stags over $200 in value and several roosters of better quality lost... Mr.Eatman, stated "property grabbed" but shortly after that a conviction will strip several of your civil rights including 2A and voting rights... Both of the latter are far more valuable to me than any of my possessions... Brent

April 11, 2009, 08:47 PM	#8
ZeroJunk Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2006 Location: Browns Summit NC Posts: 2,589	These laws may seem a little draconian. But, it goes back to the close call all birds of prey had back in the 60's when chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides such as DDT were sprayed all over everything. Since they are at the end of the food chain a lot of the poison was accumulated in the birds. Didn't kill the birds but made their eggs brittle. These insecticides had a half life of about 20 years and just built up. Actually some of the current insecticides like Vydate are a lot nastier and more dangerous to handle, but they are gone in a few days. I can remember when it was unusual to see a hawk. Now there is a pair of redtails nesting on my farm about every year. Hard on rabbits in particular.

April 11, 2009, 10:26 PM	#9
impact Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2005 Location: the great state of Texas Posts: 854	bswiv I grew up on the ST.Jhons river as a kid in the 70s. great place to grow up. I trapped muskrat in ST. Jhons marsh for food and money. They where some good times! Hell I even trapped many of rat on the river.

April 11, 2009, 11:12 PM	#10
bufordtjustice Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 2008 Posts: 279	I think hogdogs has the right answer on this one. Build good pens. They will also help protect your investment from coons, coyotes, feral cats, etc. Believe me, there are several hawks on my farm that I would love to thin out but it ain't worth the risk.

April 12, 2009, 12:16 AM	#11
Fat White Boy Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2005 Posts: 1,276	I wouldn't kill any raptor unless you want the Feds all over you...Just ask the pigeon guys...The ones that raise competitive flyers...A bunch of them were arrested a year or two ago by Federal Wildlife authorities for killing raptors that were picking off their pigeons...