Increase in hawk and owl populations

[dean nelson]

Yeah that's a coyote thing. we can thank the yotes for that one they don't really put up with the foxes too well just like wolves don't put up with coyotes.

 

[1bigfokker]

John Deere and Roundup are the #1 predators.

 

[PrairieGhost]

Foxes are the worst at that. They unlike coyotes will go out and target nesting birds. Worse yet they target the hen above the eggs so while a hen can retest after a skunk or coon you lose the whole ball of wax with foxes.

When fox were plentiful they absolutely were the worst. Even with fox it was normally the nest the predated. Of the thousands of nest sites I looked at I would say fox, skunk, coon, then a few badger and avian predation.

Coyote home range is so large they concentrate their hunting along the perimeter. Fox home range is much smaller and they hunt the entire area. Nest success is much higher within the coyote home range.

 

[Davey Crockett]

When fox were plentiful they absolutely were the worst. Even with fox it was normally the nest the predated. Of the thousands of nest sites I looked at I would say fox, skunk, coon, then a few badger and avian predation.

Coyote home range is so large they concentrate their hunting along the perimeter. Fox home range is much smaller and they hunt the entire area. Nest success is much higher within the coyote home range.

I gotta throw the BS flag on that .
... Coyotes raid the goose nests, taking as many as 20 eggs from a group of nests in a single evening. They then dig caches, or hiding spots, nearby to store the eggs.

 

[espringers]

Local older fella that has his own little pheasant project says his success comes from all of the predator control they do. They caught 11 fox in the first month they ran snares this fall. Fox are around. They have completely decimated the duck nests around my place for nearly a decade now. No clue where they move to in the fall. But, they are here from April til November. Also, the hawk migration to wintering grounds down south sounds like an interesting story.

 

[1bigfokker]

Too many geese in the first place.

 

[Wild and Free]

I work at BNI coal next to Nelson lake, the areas where the lake and ponds surrounding it to the south that do not freeze are magnets for water fowl and Birds of prey both all year long. Last winter I and several others counted over 30 Bald eagles alone one day not even counting the other hawks and owls that sit in the trees surrounding the open water where thousands of waterfowl hang out. Fun to watch how one eagle will swoop down and get the geese or ducks flying and then watch the other eagles swoop down and snatch them out of mid air as they are in take off mode.............mass slaughter at its finest, but very impressive to watch!

 

[FishFinder97]

Yeah predators are just as bad on nesting birds as hawks and owls. Delta waterfowl has done a good study on how much raccoons,skunks and badgers affect nesting. Coyotes do a number on them as well.We used to have a flock of around 30 or so wild turkeys around our farm back when we saw very few coyotes. About 5 years ago I saw 4 turkeys that were hanging out together get chased around by 5 coyotes. Havn’t seen a single turkey in 4 years. I trap and shoot some skunks, badgers, raccoons, and coyotes but I know it doesn’t do enough. Read somewhere you need to kill 90% of the coyotes in an area consistently for a few years to do any damage to them

 

[PrairieGhost]

Throw the bs flag allyou want Davey you don't know what your talking about. Did your brain ever conside the goose nests on the edges of their home range are not as safe as those on the interior . I'm not just guessing, I am talking about a study done by USFW and State Game, and Fish 20 years ago. Home range was established by hundreds of fixes on radio collared fox and coyotes. Duck nesting densities were determined by jeeps dragging 175 ft cable between the to flush hens on the nest, then revisiting the nest four times during egg laying and incubation. So armchair biologist I'm afraid your the dunce. I don't really have time for your self importance ego.

 

[Allen]

Jesus Christ, no need to go off the frigging rails there, PG. As you can see, Davey is simply posting what he read. Note the style difference in texts. Both your observations, the study, and the reference that Davey cited are not what I consider to be incompatible.

 

[Ericb]

Shit PG it seems like you miss bantering with GST. I have no real hand knowledge of the topic but find it hard to believe a prediter would pass a easy meal to go find a meal. Also doesnt the abundance of food effect a prediterers home range?

 

[Davey Crockett]

- - - Updated - - -

Haha PG, I think I'll start calling you gullible from now on, That is a pretty fitting name for you.

 

[AR-15]

I've watched the G&F with 4 wheelers dragging the cable, petty much looked like a joke to me, I think they do more damage then good

 

[dean nelson]

Damage hell half the time they have to drag two chains cuz the duck won't even flush for the first one. The chain goes a foot-and-a-half above the duck it's not like it's bouncing on the ground. As far as coyotes taking geese I would like to point out the fact that Canada geese don't exactly hide when they're nesting they sit out in the open vs Ducks that are well-hidden. So it's not exactly going to take a coyote out on high alert to spot a goose Nest whether it's on the edge of its range or right smack-dab in the middle they are still going to see the damn things out in the wide open and if they have got the balls to take them on they may very well be successful. Should be noted though Canada geese even in North Dakota have an almost complete success rate due to their willingness to defend their nest very few Predators coyotes included will mess with them.

 

[Allen]

So few foxes around anymore that I gotta believe coons and skunks have the most negative impact on nesting.

There are more around than a person thinks. I've had one at my place for a couple years now, but they disappear right about the time the fur goes prime, or I'd put more effort into taking them out.

With the perennial "take a look at the increase in hawks and owls" thread, I'd have thunk we'd be out of nesting room for them by now.

 

[PrairieGhost]

Dean also if Davey read that in an article Branda canadensis maxima don't nest in colonies where a coyote takes eggs from 20 nests. Doesn't happen. So I'll be the one call calling bs. People are just fast with the bs call a spade a spade crap. It's as if they think they get extra points. I thought people were having a real discussion. Pardon my mistake.

Edit: by the way Dean your also right about the chains. I have seen thousands of nests and never one broken egg from a chain drag.

 

[Allen]

Damage hell half the time they have to drag two chains cuz the duck won't even flush for the first one. The chain goes a foot-and-a-half above the duck it's not like it's bouncing on the ground. As far as coyotes taking geese I would like to point out the fact that Canada geese don't exactly hide when they're nesting they sit out in the open vs Ducks that are well-hidden. So it's not exactly going to take a coyote out on high alert to spot a goose Nest whether it's on the edge of its range or right smack-dab in the middle they are still going to see the damn things out in the wide open and if they have got the balls to take them on they may very well be successful. Should be noted though Canada geese even in North Dakota have an almost complete success rate due to their willingness to defend their nest very few Predators coyotes included will mess with them.

I tend to have two or three nesting pairs of Canada Geese on my pond each year. They each lay between 5 and 8 eggs. That puts the hatch at around 15 young geese each year. I'm not sure if it's the foxes at my place, or the passing coyotes, but by fall we are down to around 5-10 YOY between the nested pairs. Seems like once they are fully colored and a couple of pounds that they will make it to flight school.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

Heck i remember back when i farmed and the ducks had nests in the fields, the darned seagulls would land at the nests and bust the eggs and eat them. We always went around the nests with our equipment or got out and moved the nests to behind the equipment so we wouldn't wreck the nest or bust the eggs. Don't imagine much of that going on today with this big equipment.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Dean also if Davey read that in an article Branda canadensis maxima don't nest in colonies where a coyote takes eggs from 20 nests. Doesn't happen. So I'll be the one call calling bs. People are just fast with the bs call a spade a spade crap. It's as if they think they get extra points. I thought people were having a real discussion. Pardon my mistake.

Edit: by the way Dean your also right about the chains. I have seen thousands of nests and never one broken egg from a chain drag.

Hey Gullible, I should pass but I'll stick around long enough to clarify a couple of things, First off the paragraph of the article that I posted mentioned 20 eggs not 20 nests, Just in case that might have a slight difference. Not trying to be a smart ass just providing evidence that you don't pay attention to detail and have a hard time comprehending what you read and shoot from the hip. For the past 20 years or so my neighbor and I have witnessed an annual event where a pair of Canada geese nest on a small Island and every year Coyotes raid the nest. Sometimes the coyotes eat the goose sometimes just the eggs but they will walk, swim or break ice to get to the island. I am amazed when I go to Devils lake and see a dozen or more goslings where up here up here we see 2 and 3 and they are usually from late hatches.

 

[PrairieGhost]

Just to clarify giant Canada's lay three to five eggs. Like I said they don't nest in colonies. Yes sometimes a coyote does get a goose. Especially if there are two coyotes.


I do know a bit about this. If you read Home Grown Honker say hello to the guy in the incubator room. I wasn't in charge of the project, but I raised and released them. Spent months in the field with them. Missed one day and a farmer came in and mowed the WPA. He cut the legs off more than 100 geese. John Deer is the biggest predator as someone commented.