Okay guys....anybody know how to get rid of buzzards from your yard? Starting about 3-4 weeks ago we have had a flock of buzzards roosting in our treehouse and tree in our back yards. When I say a flock, I mean about 30-40. They come to roost every evening for the night and don't leave until mid-morning. They are not circling around like there is something dead in the woods behind our house. I just want they to go somewhere else. Help!!!
Are they trying to tell you something???? Are they a SIGN? IECKSSS! I have seen many more vultures this winter than ever before. Like so many other people they love it here too.... should that tell us ALL something. A major cattleman that lives near the JoCo Landfill told me that the landfill brougt them in like a magnet. The landfill is like a buffet for them & the nasty seagulls - which are now trash gulls that never see the ocean.
I talked to some of my police friends and have gotten the answers of: "if you live in the county, just shoot them" and "they are federally protected, you can't do anything" Helpful, isn't it?
Why do you want to chase them off? They are a key part of our environment. A neighbor town when we lived in Ohio actually celebrated their annual spring return.
Had them a few weeks back and thought they were pretty cool. Tell them to head back, they will be appreciated here.
Well if you want my opinion... if they look anything like my ex mother in law i will pay you to shoot them
You must live in the Lee Trace area. Have seen them in the area for a few weeks and they roost in a big pine tree on my property line. DO NOT shoot or harm them. They are federally protected, as are eagles, hawks, owls and any other raptors, or birds of prey. Even possession of a single feather is a federal offense (with the exception of use by some Native Americans)
Are you sure they are buzzards and not grackles? 30-40 seems like a pretty big flock for buzzards. If they're grackles, they HATE loud noise. Clap your hands together real hard and they will usually leave, (for a couple hours anyway). I knew of one older woman who kept a couple of old pans on her back porch and when they came around she would smash the pans together.
You can rest assured that if you shoot one of them and get caught you will take part of our judicial system. Whatever police officers told you that dont know much about the law. They will move on in due time. While they are a very ugly bird they are just hanging around for a spell and are actually pretty interesting to observe. The only thing you can do is wait and they will move on.
They seem to show up around here every spring. They'll be gone soon, and like was mentioned before, they are just part of nature. Not hurting anything, just not too pretty!
Turkey Vultures in this area are resident flocks. There's 2 reasons they're in your yard. You either have a food source or a great start to a thermal lift point. I worked as a volunteer for the Raptor Rehabilitation & Propagation Project (RRPP), now the World Bird Sanctuary. http://www.worldbirdsanctuary.org/ I worked with the vultures and hawks. They hate water being sprayed at them. With the water shortage, I don't know what rule you'd be breaking, but, just before roosting time (sundown) take the hose and spray up into the tree. They'll find a new roost that night and after a few nites they won't come back.
Every spring I have the strange problem of having birds (mostly cardinals) flying into my windows. The first year I lived here, 2 years ago, it was a constant thing, all day. It would start VERY EARLY in the morning, and wake me up. It never seemed to hurt them too bad, they'd keep doing it! The only way to stop them would be to put something in front of the windows, close curtains, blinds, etc. The first year I didn't have curtains or blinds on all my windows, so it was hard to deal with! I hope they don't come back this year. Crazy birds.
Solution Well, thanks to ncmom :hurray:, I just spoke with Joe Folta, the Wildlife Biologist for Johnston County (919-269-2767) who gave the following suggestions. "Under federal law, you cannot harm the birds, but you can harrass them as much as you want." He suggested using fireworks (if living outside the city limits) or squirting with a high pressured water hose (enough force to get to where they are roosting). The other suggestion was to get an effigie - a likeness of a dead vulture to hang in the tree. Apparantly they do not like hanging around with dead likeness of themselves. He sent me a list of places to get these effigies if any of you are having the same problem, just let me know and I will get you the information. Thanks for everyone's help. Karen
I would be intrested to know how well that works. In Benson the town put up a giant owl to deter pigeons. After a couple weeks the pigeons are sitting up there with the owl.
Oh, that's an easy fix honey. Just stop cleaning your windows. Birds NEVER hit MY windows. :jester: :lol:
Soooo....how do you guys suggest I get the woodpecker to stop drilling my HOUSE. He's been doing this the past several days now. Not good! We keep trying to find him and chase him off, throw things at him, etc. But he comes back. DH is ready to take the BB gun to him but my kids might lynch him if he does. :?
