Bird Flu

[LBrandt]

The turkey buzzard or vulture Stood a little over 2' tall and did sit on and tear at the ground hog or wood chuck for awhile, but then picked up what was left and flew away. Was not long after that there was about 4 or 5 more circling the yard, I think he did not want to share his lunch. Damed ugly head on these birds, naked no feathers from about mid neck on up. Only been seeing them for maybe the last 4 years or so. Wife and I used to RV down by Roy Lake in SD and that was the first time that I have ever seen them. LB

 

[guywhofishes]

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picked up what was left and flew awayLB

Weird - I thought they had scrawny curled up chicken-like feet.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Wife and I saw a Golden Eagle out in our field one cold winter day when wife and I were on our way to town. When we got back home a couple hours later it's still there in the same spot. I thought it seemed strange so I bundled up and took of on foot towards it thinking it was hurt or something, as I got closer I could see it was eating on a dead critter. When I was about 50 yards it finally flew and tried to carry a small half eaten dead deer, It had it off the ground a foot or two and then dropped it. The size was impressive but more so , I'll never forget the huge wing span on that bugger.

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We have had turkey vulchers up here for 20 years or so too. Was driving down a gravel road and thought I saw turkeys on the road up ahead and when I got closer realized it was Vulchers , They flew just a few feet and watched me as I stopped and looked at thier lunch , It was hot in the summer and the rotten road kill was gross . They will eat anything.

 

[LBrandt]

Rombas of the sky they are. I wonder how long the skunk I shot will have to rot to be tasty for them. LB

 

[deleted member]

I am not sure what type of vulture it is. But, the past couple of summers I've watched what I assumed to be turkey vultures ride thermals so high they literally fly out of sight of the naked eye. If i use the binos,
i can see them much longer. But, ive lost them in the binoculars too.

 

[LBrandt]

Wonder how long they will last eating all those sick Geese. LB

 

[Davey Crockett]

Wonder how long they will last eating all those sick Geese. LB

I read where they are good for habitat environment that way , Something about the acids in their stomachs that they can clean up sick dead critters and not pass it on.

 

[bucksnbears]

I've seen/watched 1000s of Turkey vultures and have never seen one carrying ANYTHING.

 

[snow1]

Rombas of the sky they are. I wonder how long the skunk I shot will have to rot to be tasty for them. LB

LB so tell me where did ya hit the skunk,shot placement? last skunk I head shot he stunk my house up for days or did ya nail it away from your house unlike my bright idea to waste the critter at the end of my driveway.

 

[LBrandt]

Pretty sure it was a spine shot right above the shoulders and he did not stink afterwards. 22mag with the plastic tips will do a lot of hurt on small critters. LB

 

[Davey Crockett]

the above video seems to suggest the more virulent/pathogenic strains come from mutations that occur in the confines of large close contact farms. he doesn't talk about it. but, maybe that's why they don't like to let it runs its course in those places? spit balling.

I didn't watch it but WTH do they expect the way they crowd birds in these big operations. Birds are so close together that they are touching. Is there a reason for that for any other reason than maximum efficiency per sq foot of building ?

 

[Prairie Doggin']

I saw this bird in a tree in the Fort Ransom neighborhood during deer season. Only had phone, so pic is garbage. Looked like it would dwarf a bald eagle.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Prairie Doggin , Look up Osprey and see if it could be what you saw . It's not all that uncommon to see birds that aren't a perfect match to what they are supposed to look like.

 

[Prairie Doggin']

Thanks. I'll take a look. This bird was out a ways, so couldn't make out much more than silhouette. Just knew it was large.

 

[fireone]

Looks like an osprey. There was one farther north along the river that hung around for a week, cool to watch him dive. I found 4 more dead snows behind the house last night. I'm hoping these geese move out as there is a pair of swans that are going to nest here and I'd like to see them make it.

 

[Traxion]

I was at a lake today with geese holding a spot open. Counted over 150 sick or dead birds on the ice. Eagles were loving it. Pretty serious it looks like. Anyone else seeing lots of dead birds?

 

[Kurtr]

I was at a lake today with geese holding a spot open. Counted over 150 sick or dead birds on the ice. Eagles were loving it. Pretty serious it looks like. Anyone else seeing lots of dead birds?

My buddies over east have sent me pics of hundreds of dead snows mostly juvies on a bunch of different lakes

 

[snow]

My buddies over east have sent me pics of hundreds of dead snows mostly juvies on a bunch of different lakes

Hmm ,from spring?

Last April hunting Nebraska we found more dead snows than we shot and we had several days of triple digits,birds were skin and feathers, no body mass.

 

[Kurtr]

Hmm ,from spring?

Last April hunting Nebraska we found more dead snows than we shot and we had several days of triple digits,birds were skin and feathers, no body mass.

No just a couple weeks ago. It’s happening the whole fly way right now. Seems it’s mostly the juvies as they had a hell of a hatch this year

 

[Traxion]

There were random single birds all over the lake and surrounding fields. All Canadas. They sit there for awhile, might move a bit but not much through the day. Dozen plus eagles pick them off as they want. Carcasses all over the ice.