Another horiffic day in NC!

[mwj]

mwj.....what part of southern Illinois are you seeing them in? I am in Fayette County near Vandalia and fortunately I have only seen turkey vultures around here. Thanks

The articles in the paper were talking SE, could have been around the DixonSprings area. They did not name the county.

[Bright Raven]

Tim, I don't think you can shoot enough of the birds to make your calves safe. There are too many. I move my cows up to the headquarters to calve. The ones you shoot are replaced by others that are occupying habitat in more remote areas.

I would embrace a government plan to remove protection (they are not given endangered species protection). Even a bounty program would be fantastic.

[WinterSpringsFarm]

SSS! Every opportunity you can! Harass the living crap out of them. I've thrown out groundhog carcasses and then shot at them while they were coming in to eat it. They will move on, it just takes some diligence on your part.

[ddd75]

Its the smaller black ones they are more aggressive, than the old mom and pop turkey..had one swoop down and try to grab my old barn cat..right before she ran under the bush hog...think they are from Mexico..

we had the red head ones here they didn't do a thing. the black ones moved in and KILLED all the red headed ones. I was mowing the red headed ones left and right in the field last year.. the blacks ones came into there nests and wiped them out.

[BFE]

mwj.....what part of southern Illinois are you seeing them in? I am in Fayette County near Vandalia and fortunately I have only seen turkey vultures around here. Thanks

The articles in the paper were talking SE, could have been around the DixonSprings area. They did not name the county.

I'm on the Edwards/Wayne line, none here yet. A buddy of mine who rides in Shawnee a lot told me he has riding friends who are having trouble with them, in the Saline, Pope, Hardin county area. They'll get to me before you, I'll give you a heads up when they do.

[Dogs and Cows]

Breed a little ear or some horn into your replacements. Mothering up is just as important a trait as calving ease and milking good, IMHO.

Yea, pretty sure eared cattle are just as vulnerable. My cattle have great mothering ability...but they can't fend off 10 to 20 of these birds. I do believe Caustic has issues with them...and he has eared cattle.

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Breed a little ear or some horn into your replacements. Mothering up is just as important a trait as calving ease and milking good, IMHO.

Yea, pretty sure eared cattle are just as vulnerable. My cattle have great mothering ability...but they can't fend off 10 to 20 of these birds. I do believe Caustic has issues with them...and he has eared cattle.

Then I'm with everybody else. Kill em all! FWIW, we used to have a calf or two a year get killed out of the Angus cow herd.....Coyotes or dogs I'd guess, but maybe a cat? We run everything together now (Longhorns and Angus cows) right in the middle of a dense population of coyotes and cats, and have not lost one since we mixed the herds. We haven't had any trouble like that our of the buzzards, and I hope it stays that a way. Good luck with them.

[Bright Raven]

https://www.fws.gov/southeast/faq/vultures/

Excerpt:

Because both Black and Turkey vultures are federally protected migratory birds, a federal authorization (permit) is necessary to legally “take” them. However, a permit is not necessary to “harass” or otherwise disperse or discourage vultures from using areas where they may be a potential threat to livestock.

I wonder if any of the national cattle associations are working toward the "removal of protection". It would not be unprecedented although it might take a concerted effort. As ddd75 said, in our area they are replacing the turkey vulture which is detrimental. We don't have feral pigs in our area but from reading CB's posts, it does not seem like killing them has removed the problem. The same may be true of black vultures.

PS: the bolding function is still not working. Typing the code in is required.

[Caustic Burno]

They would be fairly easy to eradicate as they only raise two chicks a year versus hogs having three litters.

[Bright Raven]

They would be fairly easy to eradicate as they only raise two chicks a year versus hogs having three litters.

Yep. I would rather have the black vulture than the feral hogs.

[hillbilly beef man]

Breed a little ear or some horn into your replacements. Mothering up is just as important a trait as calving ease and milking good, IMHO.

The best protection is an aggressive mama. But there is a happy median on that. I have one that runs off everything that comes in the pasture, dogs, deer, turkeys, house cats, coyote it does not matter. I hate to see her go because of these traits but I am fixin to put wheels under her as she has turned into a head hunter when you get her in a pen.

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Breed a little ear or some horn into your replacements. Mothering up is just as important a trait as calving ease and milking good, IMHO.

The best protection is an aggressive mama. But there is a happy median on that. I have one that runs off everything that comes in the pasture, dogs, deer, turkeys, house cats, coyote it does not matter. I hate to see her go because of these traits but I am fixin to put wheels under her as she has turned into a head hunter when you get her in a pen.

We have one like that. Decided to keep her forever. LOL

[Angus86]

Over here in FL we have the black vultures and turkey vultures. I have no problem with either. I saw a video on YouTube of black vultures chasing a cow trying to get at the afterbirth. If you ask me this is a learned behavior and they quickly associate these downed calves and the birthing fluid scents as an easy meal. I wonder if maybe we have just enough roadkill around here to keep them busy since I have never seen them around a cow calving before or after. I have seen them lined up behind a turtle on a bank digging a hole to lay her eggs made me kind of sick to think all that work and everyone of those eggs will be eaten as they are laid.

Seems no different then a line of black vultures behind a cow as the calf breaches. If I had the problem I would get that permit and trap and shoot daily. I bet just getting the permit is like jumping through hoops. Sorry for your loss

[Nesikep]

a bline, a couple buddies with shotguns, and a carcass.. my goal would be that any that come down never fly again.. thankfully we dont' have them here.. we have a pair of ravens and they are territorial and good with the cows and calves, so I'm better off with a known pair around.. and they're bloody hilarious to watch too

[bird dog]

Harassment goes a long way. If you can find where they are roosting in the evening, shoot at them even if to far to hit. Hanging a dead one or just laying it out spread winged seems to help.

They have a lot in common with feral hogs. Shoot at them enough and they will move on. Shoot a hog, grab a couple beers, and then hide out 100 yards away with some .22 hollow points. Just don't put the results on Facebook.