Anyone ever shot a buzzard?

robbyr · Feb 24, 2015

Have you ever shot a buzzard to keep em from getting a baby calf? Or have ya lost any calves due to buzzards?

davesl708 · Feb 24, 2015

Shooting buzzards is illegal. Someone else shot it.

robbyr · Feb 24, 2015

I've always heard that. But I don't plan on letting em get our babies.

davesl708 · Feb 24, 2015

Don't you realize protecting buzzards are one of our federal laws to protect us??:confused2::laughing:

When it comes to protecting livestock the bird will have an accident.

houstonscott · Feb 24, 2015

I have, it was after a new born goat kid. It is legal to defend livestock, chatted with my county sheriff he full supported it, told me the county judge does the same at his place. My winchester 9422m did the job. HS

oosik · Feb 24, 2015

Surprisingly - I saw a pair a couple years ago. They are BIG & ugly and I didn't even know we had any in this neck of the woods. Around here most baby calves are lost to coyotes and the buzzards would probably just be cleaning up the scraps.

2LaneCruzer · Feb 24, 2015

I've wasted a lot of .22 ammo shooting at the varmints, but never ever hit one that I know of.

ovrszd · Feb 24, 2015

I can't imagine anyone complaining about you defending your stock, regardless of the predator. Now cruising the backroads potshooting buzzards for entertainment would certainly be different.

davesl708 · Feb 24, 2015

oosik said:
Surprisingly - I saw a pair a couple years ago. They are BIG & ugly and I didn't even know we had any in this neck of the woods. Around here most baby calves are lost to coyotes and the buzzards would probably just be cleaning up the scraps.

I agree with the coyotes getting the calves. I used to sit on the ridge and shoot the coyotes as they approached. Never saw a buzzard go near the herd. Just circled in the area.

Ed of all trades · Feb 24, 2015

I was hunting with some friends back in the 80's and one walked under a tree full of them. He was using a Remington 243 auto loader and dumped the clip from under the tree. When he came out of the woods he was green said that the buzzards he shot started puking all around him. He seemed to think it stunk.
No I don't believe in shooting anything but paper for the fun of it.

Soggy Bottom Outdoors · Feb 24, 2015

Well....you know...it's kind or like this. "black headed" vultures and the more common "turkey" buzzard are both "federal" migratory birds and you need a federal permit do "dispatch" one. Costs about $100 and could take up to 90 days with a big paper trail. State "Game Wardens" as we call them in Ky can't really help much. "Buzzards" usually hunt by smell, dead stuff, rarely attack live or healthy animals. Vultures hunt by sight and will attack weakened animals (newborns). Sometimes vultures will follow buzzards. I have heard they are easy to decoy. All I can tell you is let your conscience be your guide......Each calf I put on the truck in November will bring $1200. How many of those I'm I willing to give up to a $5 vulture. NONE

rtimgray · Feb 25, 2015

We have had an influx of black headed vultures in recent years, and I and other local cattlemen have lost calves to them. They are very large, aggressive birds and work in groups to distract a mother cow and attack the calf. They go directly for the eyes of the calf when they attack.

One day last summer, upon returning home from church, we saw a new calf with its mother near our pond. There was a group of vultures around them - 5 or 6 of them and we could see them closing in. The calf laid still while the mother cow was trying to shoo away the vultures, but they, more or less, kept luring her further from her calf.

Fortunately for us, and the calf, we were able to use noise makers to scare the vultures away. A couple of them died from the frightful noise, I believe.

I'm not positive what the regulations are in KY for certain, but I believe that a farmer is required to purchase a permit (for $100 or $150) and I think after that you have the right to kill 5 of the animals, and they can only be killed with shotguns (I guess they are immune to rifle or pistol cartridges).

I am aware of some of the cattlemen in my area that have gone this route. This is likely because they are members of the law enforcement community. Personally, I have never killed one, nor will I in the future.

Good luck and take care.

Dr_Zinj · Feb 25, 2015

Calf is too big for a vulture to take down. Lambs and kids on the other hand, are small enough, and if they're off away from the rest of the flock, herd, or their mothers, a likely target; since vultures are rather timid and aren't going to put themselves at risk from the rest of the adult animals. You can't shoot vultures as a preventive measure, only in clear defense of livestock. A lot depends on your F&G department - some are okay with shooting them if they're circling over your stock, some will come down on you even if you have video of the kill.

houstonscott · Feb 25, 2015

Dr_Zinj said:
Calf is too big for a vulture to take down. Lambs and kids on the other hand, are small enough, and if they're off away from the rest of the flock, herd, or their mothers, a likely target; since vultures are rather timid and aren't going to put themselves at risk from the rest of the adult animals. You can't shoot vultures as a preventive measure, only in clear defense of livestock. A lot depends on your F&G department - some are okay with shooting them if they're circling over your stock, some will come down on you even if you have video of the kill.

It's common here in Texas for buzzards to kill cattle. They land and usually peck the eyes out of a new born calf seconds after birth. They peck and tear up the rear of the cow too and can kill it if she has birth issues. Many cattle loose the use of their rear legs during birth and can not defend themselves. HS.

Walt 2002 · Feb 25, 2015

I did not realize Buzzards would go after living creatures, Buzzards are scavengers not predators and help clean up potential hazards as a result. Born and raised on a farm, never heard of anyone shooting a Buzzard or at one and everyone had live stock at that time.

Walt Conner

davesl708 · Feb 25, 2015

I would defend my herd and ask for forgiveness later.
Years ago I would watch over the small herd during calving and shoot the coyotes. If a buzzard or vulture went after a new born it would meet the same fate.

foreman Etexas · Feb 25, 2015

robbyr said:
Have you ever shot a buzzard to keep em from getting a baby calf? Or have ya lost any calves due to buzzards?

Yeah the black headed buzzards have got one or two calves over the years very aggressive and stress the mothers. If they are in the act I believe you have all the right to protect your livestock

MossRoad · Feb 25, 2015

Here's a video that purports to show buzzards going after a newborn calve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUpEHAeveHQ

However, after watching it, it appears more likely that the buzzards are going after the afterbirth hanging out of the new mother. Anyhow, that's a lot of bold buzzards.

MossRoad · Feb 25, 2015

And here's some links to stories... apparently its the black headed vultures that are causing the problems, not the red headed turkey vultures.... There's also some links to getting federal permits to kill them.

Black Vultures Killing Calves - Murfreesboro News and Radio

Black vulture kills increasing in Ohio - Farm and Dairy

strum456 · Feb 25, 2015

We had a Great Horned Owl that was determined to get one of our new born calfs. The mother was just as determined to protect the calf, or it would have not made it. As the sun was comming up in the morning, we noticed all of this taking place, so I ran down and chased off the owl. It sat in a tree watching for a while; it was determined to get that calf.