Increase in hawk and owl populations

[FishFinder97]

Hey guys, as this years small game season are coming to a close I thought I’d start a discussion on the numbers of hawks and owls across the state. Last time we were out for grouse and pheasant dad and I were talking about how many hawks we have seen the last couple years around the farm. This year is the worst we’ve seen in recent years as far as pheasant and rabbit numbers around our land, although we still have the same amount of crp, sloughs and shelter belts as always. However I have never seen so many hawks and owls in my life, we used to have a lot of Fox Squirrels in our shelterbelts too and I havn’t seen one in two years. I know the weather hasn’t been great the last few years but from what I’ve observed the last few years I’d say birds of prey have made a big impact on the small game in SE ND. Anyone else notice this?

 

[Colt45]

I was at the Brady wind farm south of Dickinson last year or the year before, cant remember for sure cause years seem to run together for me now, but the 4 mile stretch of road to the wind farm from the highway i counted at least 50 - 75 hawks. they were everywhere, on the fence, in the ditch, on the road, standing out in the field, on the power poles.............. I have never seen so many hawks in my life. So you may be onto something with the birds of prey impacting small game, makes sense to me anyways.

 

[Bfishn]

I saw at least three roosters get taken by owls this year while hunting. That may not sound like a lot, but I do a lot a pheasant hunting and have probalobly only seen that many combined in the past 20 years......SSS

 

[db-2]

Back in my youth (born in 46) on the farm we had all kinds of farm animals including chickens.
One day i remember seeing a red tail fly by the chicken coop. Within the hour dad had that red tail on the ground.
Why one seldom seen a hawk or owl in those days (not a lot of game birds either). white owls would now and then come down during the winter and i have not seen one for some time. Never seen a eagle as a kid and now it is common to see one.
One of the biggest problems if one tries to raise game birds of any kind and i am sure a bunch of hawks and owls have gone to the next life when one trys to raise them. Said for years they need a season on them.
common sense says if you have a season on certain birds but leave the birds that feed on them alone one will have problems. DB

 

[1bigfokker]

Looks like a new contest.

"Shall we play a game?"

 

[AR-15]

Had pheasants and some partridge around until some dam horned owls showed up now no pheasants or partridges, haven't saw the owls lately, suppose they moved on, I know they won't be moving back in when game birds show again

 

[Lapper]

I’ve definitely seen more snowy owls around this year than ever before out on my ice fishing trips. Haven’t noticed an increase in hawks. What I haven’t seen in pheasants. I drive all over the state for work. I’m down to Hettinger area almost weekly. What used to be a game of dodge the birds on the road has become non-existing. I haven’t seen 10 birds all year on that drive combined.

 

[eyexer]

Yea time for some reduction

 

[bucksnbears]

During wheat harvest, seemed like a redtail on every highline pole.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

Have a pair of red tails that have nested here for years. They are territorial and keep other birds of prey out. One day one of them dropped something from its perch. A friend walked over and it was a hen pheasant. He said that's it, I'm shooting. I said nope, that will only create a vacuum.

Migrants from Canada usually move through in September. Goshawks especially should be gone by Thanksgiving but will hang on if there is a good food source. Quite the acrobat that can snatch a pheasant out of the sky.

 

[Kurtr]

Cats kill more birds than all predators combined. Had pheasants in my back yard till the cats showed up. Went around told all the neighbors to keep cats in there yard plus they go into dumpster and tear it up. It works out perfect when they are walking on the dumpster they fall right in when pushed with a 22. I seen a owl kill a little cat three days ago so he is on my side also. So I would worry about killing the pissing good for nothing cats before birds of prey

 

[BrokenBackJack]

Cats do kill a lot of birds but those darned owls are day and night hunters and they are relentless.

 

[Kurtr]

Domestic cats kill between 1.4 and 3.7 billion birds

Its not even close and cats kill at night if not more than during the day.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Owls are beasts when it comes to taking out game.

 

[dean nelson]

I’ve definitely seen more snowy owls around this year than ever before out on my ice fishing trips. Haven’t noticed an increase in hawks. What I haven’t seen in pheasants. I drive all over the state for work. I’m down to Hettinger area almost weekly. What used to be a game of dodge the birds on the road has become non-existing. I haven’t seen 10 birds all year on that drive combined.

Yep that's it I'm sure it's the Hawks it has nothing to do with the really bad winter followed by the really bad winter followed by the really bad winter followed by the really big drought year! This Hawk argument has been made incessantly for decades and the number of hawks now is pretty much the same as it was 20 years ago same with the great horned owls they've been around everywhere for years. Do they take birds of course they do are they the main reason why the numbers are down not a chance in hell! Give us a couple of good years and some good weather and the birds are rebound give us some CRP and they'll do even better!

 

[pointer]

In this area we have always had a large number of hawks and owls, the hawks move in around September and out by November, but now we have a large amount of eagles, both bald and golden that are here year round. A couple years ago during a bad winter seen 6 bald eagle decimate a large flock of pheasants on a good piece of posted land.

 

[Browneye]

I have seen it happen many times over the years. Your sitting in the tractor doing fieldwork or making hay and the tractor flushes up an adult pheasant, and a hawk that was flying overhead swoops down and knocks it out of the air. If its that easy for them to take out adult birds i cant imagine how many hatchling birds they pick off before they are able to fly. But I'm not sure there are more hawks now than there were in the past. One factor I don't hear mentioned much is raccoons. 30 years ago when I was in school it was rare to see a coon unless you were out at night looking for them. Now with the huge increase in corn raised in the area the population seems to have exploded. Most times you see way more dead coon on the road than skunks which didn't use to be the case. Last year while driving a 140 mile trip I saw like 6 different dead raccoon on the highway. I think the hawks get their share once they are born but I would guess many nest are destroyed by coon before they get a chance to hatch.

 

[PrairieGhost]

Browned I have recorded nest success as low as 4 percent in a 100 acre field that begin with three dozen nests. Duck nests mostly, but grouse and pheasant too.

 

[dean nelson]

Browned I have recorded nest success as low as 4 percent in a 100 acre field that begin with three dozen nests. Duck nests mostly, but grouse and pheasant too.

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.

 

[zoops]

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.

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