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Tried to save a Hawk.
EhlerDave
Member Posts: 5,158 ✭✭
Well we did the best we could to save a red tailed hawk that had been shot.
It was here for almost 48 hours that we know of, no telling how long it had been hiding in the bushes before being seen.
I was in bad enough shape to let it be picked up and put in a cage, without fussing at all. Looked to be very exhausted.
As soon as we got it in hand it was evident it had been shot. The bullet or bullets hit low on the side of its belly back near the tail and went up and out high in the side. It had a wound on the right wing, but the wing was not broken. I would be willing to guess it hit some part of the intestinal tract.
I called our fish and game folks to get the hawk taken to one of the many treatment centers we have around here. The warden I spoke with gave me a number for a lady who is close to me. I called that number to start and got a recording, so I left a message.
Not wanting to waste time, and not knowing how long the hawk had been hurt I found the number for a place in OKC that cares for birds of prey. The lady at that place said they would care for the bird and treat it if it was able to go into rehab. But I had to find a way to get it to them.
This lady gave several numbers to call for folks who will pick up the hawk and get it to OKC for medical treatments. I called all of them. As of right now none of them have returned my call.
It was going to rain today so I put AJ as we called him (wife is a packers fan (A J Hawk) before he went to another team) in the back of our truck. With the topper he would stay out of the wind and be dry.
Now no kidding, we caught a mouse in a trap while I was on the phone. I took it out to see if he would eat it. AJ saw that mouse and focused, I held it by the tail and slipped in through the top of the cage. AJ just looked at it, so I swung it a bit and he snatched it with the speed of a snake striking. I can honestly say I had never before fed a wild hawk anything from my hand. That was something I wish I had on video. They have a wicked looking beak. I put a cup with water in the cage and just waited for the help I was counting on to call me back.
I kept an eye on him most of the night, not like I could do anything but it made me feel better. A little after 3am I got to thinking that even in the back of the closed truck he would be getting to cold. So I went in the house to get a small electric heater. My plan was to turn it on low and just set it in the truck to keep him comfy. I was in the house all of 10 min and when I came back he had died.
Now I know his wound may not have been anything that was survivable, what bothers me is the people who are supposed to help have still not called back. NOT A SINGLE RETURN CALL. I even sent a few messages on FaceBook, no replies.
Some folks may not like the hawks, but here I need everyone that can eat a rat. The bean fields are just overflowing with them. The thought of some goober shooting a bird like this pisses me off big time.
Oh yeah, I was told how much trouble I could get in for having the hawk in a cage, that was helpful.
I buried AJ out in the back with full honors.
It was here for almost 48 hours that we know of, no telling how long it had been hiding in the bushes before being seen.
I was in bad enough shape to let it be picked up and put in a cage, without fussing at all. Looked to be very exhausted.
As soon as we got it in hand it was evident it had been shot. The bullet or bullets hit low on the side of its belly back near the tail and went up and out high in the side. It had a wound on the right wing, but the wing was not broken. I would be willing to guess it hit some part of the intestinal tract.
I called our fish and game folks to get the hawk taken to one of the many treatment centers we have around here. The warden I spoke with gave me a number for a lady who is close to me. I called that number to start and got a recording, so I left a message.
Not wanting to waste time, and not knowing how long the hawk had been hurt I found the number for a place in OKC that cares for birds of prey. The lady at that place said they would care for the bird and treat it if it was able to go into rehab. But I had to find a way to get it to them.
This lady gave several numbers to call for folks who will pick up the hawk and get it to OKC for medical treatments. I called all of them. As of right now none of them have returned my call.
It was going to rain today so I put AJ as we called him (wife is a packers fan (A J Hawk) before he went to another team) in the back of our truck. With the topper he would stay out of the wind and be dry.
Now no kidding, we caught a mouse in a trap while I was on the phone. I took it out to see if he would eat it. AJ saw that mouse and focused, I held it by the tail and slipped in through the top of the cage. AJ just looked at it, so I swung it a bit and he snatched it with the speed of a snake striking. I can honestly say I had never before fed a wild hawk anything from my hand. That was something I wish I had on video. They have a wicked looking beak. I put a cup with water in the cage and just waited for the help I was counting on to call me back.
I kept an eye on him most of the night, not like I could do anything but it made me feel better. A little after 3am I got to thinking that even in the back of the closed truck he would be getting to cold. So I went in the house to get a small electric heater. My plan was to turn it on low and just set it in the truck to keep him comfy. I was in the house all of 10 min and when I came back he had died.
Now I know his wound may not have been anything that was survivable, what bothers me is the people who are supposed to help have still not called back. NOT A SINGLE RETURN CALL. I even sent a few messages on FaceBook, no replies.
Some folks may not like the hawks, but here I need everyone that can eat a rat. The bean fields are just overflowing with them. The thought of some goober shooting a bird like this pisses me off big time.
Oh yeah, I was told how much trouble I could get in for having the hawk in a cage, that was helpful.
I buried AJ out in the back with full honors.
Just smile and say nothing, let them guess how much you know.
Comments
I commend you, even though the effort failed.
BY ROBINSON JEFFERS
I
The broken pillar of the wing jags from the clotted shoulder,
The wing trails like a banner in defeat,
No more to use the sky forever but live with famine
And pain a few days: cat nor coyote
Will shorten the week of waiting for death, there is game without talons.
He stands under the oak-bush and waits
The lame feet of salvation; at night he remembers freedom
And flies in a dream, the dawns ruin it.
He is strong and pain is worse to the strong, incapacity is worse.
The curs of the day come and torment him
At distance, no one but death the redeemer will humble that head,
The intrepid readiness, the terrible eyes.
The wild God of the world is sometimes merciful to those
That ask mercy, not often to the arrogant.
You do not know him, you communal people, or you have forgotten him;
Intemperate and savage, the hawk remembers him;
Beautiful and wild, the hawks, and men that are dying, remember him.
II
I'd sooner, except the penalties, kill a man than a hawk; but the great redtail
Had nothing left but unable misery
From the bones too shattered for mending, the wing that trailed under his talons when he moved.
We had fed him for six weeks, I gave him freedom,
He wandered over the foreland hill and returned in the evening, asking for death,
Not like a beggar, still eyed with the old
Implacable arrogance. I gave him the lead gift in the twilight. What fell was relaxed,
Owl-downy, soft feminine feathers; but what
Soared: the fierce rush: the night-herons by the flooded river cried fear at its rising
Before it was quite unsheathed from reality.
You tried, Dave. Many would not have, which means you are in select company.
Thanks for making the effort.
Well we did the best we could to save a red tailed hawk that had been shot.
It was here for almost 48 hours that we know of, no telling how long it had been hiding in the bushes before being seen.
I was in bad enough shape to let it be picked up and put in a cage, without fussing at all. Looked to be very exhausted.
As soon as we got it in hand it was evident it had been shot. The bullet or bullets hit low on the side of its belly back near the tail and went up and out high in the side. It had a wound on the right wing, but the wing was not broken. I would be willing to guess it hit some part of the intestinal tract.
I called our fish and game folks to get the hawk taken to one of the many treatment centers we have around here. The warden I spoke with gave me a number for a lady who is close to me. I called that number to start and got a recording, so I left a message.
Not wanting to waste time, and not knowing how long the hawk had been hurt I found the number for a place in OKC that cares for birds of prey. The lady at that place said they would care for the bird and treat it if it was able to go into rehab. But I had to find a way to get it to them.
This lady gave several numbers to call for folks who will pick up the hawk and get it to OKC for medical treatments. I called all of them. As of right now none of them have returned my call.
It was going to rain today so I put AJ as we called him (wife is a packers fan (A J Hawk) before he went to another team) in the back of our truck. With the topper he would stay out of the wind and be dry.
Now no kidding, we caught a mouse in a trap while I was on the phone. I took it out to see if he would eat it. AJ saw that mouse and focused, I held it by the tail and slipped in through the top of the cage. AJ just looked at it, so I swung it a bit and he snatched it with the speed of a snake striking. I can honestly say I had never before fed a wild hawk anything from my hand. That was something I wish I had on video. They have a wicked looking beak. I put a cup with water in the cage and just waited for the help I was counting on to call me back.
I kept an eye on him most of the night, not like I could do anything but it made me feel better. A little after 3am I got to thinking that even in the back of the closed truck he would be getting to cold. So I went in the house to get a small electric heater. My plan was to turn it on low and just set it in the truck to keep him comfy. I was in the house all of 10 min and when I came back he had died.
Now I know his wound may not have been anything that was survivable, what bothers me is the people who are supposed to help have still not called back. NOT A SINGLE RETURN CALL. I even sent a few messages on FaceBook, no replies.
Some folks may not like the hawks, but here I need everyone that can eat a rat. The bean fields are just overflowing with them. The thought of some goober shooting a bird like this pisses me off big time.
Oh yeah, I was told how much trouble I could get in for having the hawk in a cage, that was helpful.
I buried AJ out in the back with full honors.
Dave, not sure how far you are from OKC...but next time something like that happens...give me a call. I had today off and live in OKC.
Glad to see that you had some appreciation for the bird, at least it had a warm meal and as probably relatively comfortable when it went.
Feel bad for the poor gut-shot Hawk but,hold your head high.You are the one who tried.
You tried much harder than most folks would have.
I commend you, even though the effort failed.
Yep,,+1,,,
Many thanks for your efforts Dave,U done all U could do.Which is one hell of a lot than most would bother to do.
Feel bad for the poor gut-shot Hawk but,hold your head high.You are the one who tried.
Like to know what lowlife shoots a hawk
I raise chickens and turkeys , keep my family
supplied with eggs and meat.
Must of been a southern bird returning and decided
to have a meal on it's way south.I hope it
was worth it.
Hats off to you for making the final hours less miserable.
May the shooter know a slow, painful death after being gutshot!
I have been 2,000 feet above Lookout Mountain in my hang glider, flying in company with a red tailed hawk. Stayed near the magnificent bird for several minutes, he was about 50 feet away. Ever since then I have had an affinity for these majestic birds.
It is weird that you couldn't get hold of hawk rescue people. My dog retreived a little bunny one day and within 3 hours I met up with the bunny rabbit rescue people and they took the little guy off my hands.
Anytime you want to give this old bird an * whooping
come on up and have at it. Leave your hang glider at home,
before you leave you'll be soaring with the eagles.
who would shoot a hawk is a chicken-**** stupid SOB. Needs an * whipping.
I live in Deerfield Nh...Ridge rd and hawks kill my chickens.
Anytime you want to give this old bird an * whooping
come on up and have at it. Leave your hang glider at home,
before you leave you'll be soaring with the eagles.
who would shoot a hawk is a chicken-**** stupid SOB. Needs an * whipping.
Well here they dont bother our chickens and they run loose.
Tell me just how many of your chickens do they kill? In the short 25 years we have been here we have lost a few to owls and crap loads to dogs/cats/coyotes and hells bells I blew one to pieces trying to shoot a stray dog that was chasing it.
So tell us all how many they kill? I want a number. Hawks are predators that is what they do but I want to know why your chickens are such a target yet mine are not. It seems like the birds in your area cant find the mice/rats/snakes and other SMALL critters they feed on.
I agree people shooting them are chicken poops, prove me wrong, rong.
I live in Deerfield Nh...Ridge rd and hawks kill my chickens.
Anytime you want to give this old bird an * whooping
come on up and have at it. Leave your hang glider at home,
before you leave you'll be soaring with the eagles.
who would shoot a hawk is a chicken-**** stupid SOB. Needs an * whipping.
You need to learn to get along with nature a little better. Was a couple of chickens the only food source you have? Redtails were here a lot longer than you have been.
So Dave is right, rong is wrong.
The sparrow went between my son and myself headed for our bamboo patch, I guess it may have been a good place to hide. The little fella was flying for his life, literally.
Hot on his tail was the Kestrel, when it got to the bamboo, that bird turned on his side and went right through, like it did this everyday. I had never thought of a bird being that agile at the speed it was going.
We have no idea if it got the sparrow, we were dumb struck after seeing the moves that bird used. [:)]
Here at my house I spend time watching the critters. Other than the trees we planted years ago the next tree to the north and west is a few miles. I have some awesome pictures of birds. I have pictures of birds sitting in my yard that the state says do not come this far east. Umm must disagree they are in my yard. I got some good shots of a yellow headed blackbird. The sapsuckers are some odd ones.
I have a great photo of a Bald Eagle sitting on my gate.
Due to the wide open space and a soy bean field next to me we have a number of birds that hang out around here. I have watched a few enough to know they are no threat to me, nothing smaller than a Pterodactyl (had to look up the spelling of that) is going to carry me away. [8D]
Now years ago my son did try laying in the yard in hopes a buzzard would land near him. It did not happen and the son got a nasty dose of chiggers. lol
We lost 2 to a Goshawk.
Have you ever seen a hawk kill a chicken?
something I've yet to see and when one
only keeps ~ 30 birds at a time,that's a big dent.
It don't take a large hawk to kill a chicken.
We lost 2 to a Goshawk.
Have you ever seen a hawk kill a chicken?
I feel I should retract my statement, I had no idea we were talking about 2 chickens. That is just crazy, have you alerted the feds to have them come in and kill every bird of prey?
I am so sorry for your loss, I hope no one went hungry due to the tremendous numbers of chickens killed, by critters looking for food.
Oh wait, yeah, you are still a chicken poop for shooting them.
Dave, we've lost 6 to hawks ,3 or 4 others to
something I've yet to see and when one
only keeps ~ 30 birds at a time,that's a big dent.
30 birds? Heck the last time the dogs got in ours they killed more than that. How do you raise them for food and eggs with 30?
I bought 30 leghorns this last spring for food
and had to sell 20 and replace some of the old
hens who just eat and crap now.
I raised 10 turkeys for food last year
and relatives got them all cept a couple.
This coming spring we're gonna buy partridge
and raise them for food.My wife gets too attached
to animals.
Eventually we want to get goats and some sheep.
wifey doesn't think I have enough to do during
my retirement.
We raise a lot of our own food stuffs. Pork, beef and veggies at times even rabbit. I prefer wild cotton tail, but just cant do the walking to get them. I have yet to feel the need to shoot a dozen or so at night, but could very easy, our yard is full of them. The same with deer, I have not gone hunting in several years other than sitting in my yard. Now as it is even that has stopped.
I do not care for goat and sheep but they have a use. (weed control, not dating) [8D] We lost another sheep last week to stray dogs. I wont say how many I have been forced to shoot.
I would suggest on a pen for turkeys, build it in a circle. They have got to be the dumbest critters to burn oxygen. Anything and I mean anything that spooks one they will all run and pile up in the corners of a fence. The ones on the bottom will die. It is much harder to "turkey pile" in a pen with no corners. At least that is a problem we have had with them. That and as young they have a habit of sticking their head in the water bowl and drowning.
We raise the chickens for both food and eggs. This year for some reason the birds just stopped laying, for about a month, not heat related and they were not molting. Many people in this area had the same problem. Makes it hard to get eggs when they dont lay.
As to eating chickens, I am not ashamed one bit to say my Mom does the cleaning, I can not stand the smell of hot wet feathers. If it came down to it I will skin them or not eat. Not kidding, at all.
The biggest threat to our food source are stray dogs. In my area we have no way to deal with them but to put them down. I have a red-ryder I use first. If they move on great. If they start to chase critters they have to go. Sadly it is the people I blame, it makes me mad to be forced to put a house pet down because "fluffy" was running livestock.
Can't even have a feather.
I had several people tell me how much trouble I would be in for caring/keeping the hawk. The game warden did not say a thing, just gave me numbers to call for help.
What I did keep was a new found respect for the hawks and some pictures of AJ. [:)]
While sitting with him he would look at me and turn his head watching us, as if he knew we were trying to help. Not once did he even try to bite. The way that mouse went down he still had the ability to take a taste of my hand at anytime he wanted.
I have a raptor rehabilitater 10 miles from me, and I call her up and she comes and gets them.
I've been raising egg layers and broilers for decades, and have never lost one to a red tailed hawk that I know of.
I did watch a little purplish colored raptor, falcon maybe?, take a laying hen once. I let it have it's meal. Was pretty interesting to witness.
All my chickens are free range, and locked in at night from the Fox, * and coyotes.
I applaud your intentions to save the hawk. They are interesting birds.
We have loads of Hawks and various types of falcons here. There are a few eagles in the area I hear.