Black Vultures Roosting Near Barn

[4LeafCloverFarm]

We’ve been on our farm for 17 years now. Never had an issue with Turkey Vultures or Black Vultures - you’d see them riding the thermals, but not near my house.

Seems we now have a pair of Black Vultures that have taken to roosting daily in a large Hackberry tree between my house and my barn. I call them Heckle & Jeckle (which I know were magpies, but they were troublemakers, so it seemed to fit). It’s driving my dogs nuts. They will sit there and bark and bark bark - with the vultures paying them no attention at all.

It’s illegal to shoot/kill them (which I don’t really want to do anyway). I’m all for wildlife, but this is really trying my patience. How do I get them to move on? Loud music? Bang pots and pans? Because yelling at them elicits no response whatsoever. :sigh:

Any ideas?

[Xanthoria]

Seems like the dogs are the real problem…

[Garythesquirrel]

@4LeafCloverFarm

We’ve been on our farm for 17 years now. Never had an issue with Turkey Vultures or Black Vultures - you’d see them riding the thermals, but not near my house.

Seems we now have a pair of Black Vultures that have taken to roosting daily in a large Hackberry tree between my house and my barn. I call them Heckle & Jeckle (which I know were magpies, but they were troublemakers, so it seemed to fit). It’s driving my dogs nuts. They will sit there and bark and bark bark - with the vultures paying them no attention at all.

It’s illegal to shoot/kill them (which I don’t really want to do anyway). I’m all for wildlife, but this is really trying my patience. How do I get them to move on? Loud music? Bang pots and pans? Because yelling at them elicits no response whatsoever. :sigh:

Any ideas?

I think it would be pretty neat to have a pair of vultures nearby!

Is it just because of your dogs’ barking that you don’t want them around? If so, I would work on training the dogs not to bark at them. Either that or just wait it out and see if either the dog give up or the vultures move on.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

I have no personal experience mind you, but I have heard numerous stories of black vultures taking cats and small dogs and such. Maybe these are made up stories - I don’t know - but I’d prefer not to find out first hand. I have three cats that are indoor/outdoor and I do worry about them going right past that tree on their way down to the barn to hunt for mice.

And yes, maybe the dogs barking is the real problem. But sorry, you can’t retrain a Black and Tan Coonhound not to “tree” something and not bark when that critter is in the tree. The other dog, a mutt that is part retriever can be called off and behaves and will ignore them when told to. The Black and Tan is another matter.

I just thought someone might have some sort of idea how to make them think a different tree might be a better idea. I don’t hate vultures or any bird, I just don’t want them making their home in a tree right in my yard! Anywhere else on my 40 acres is just fine by me.

[Bluey]

Put some of that cheap netting to protect fruit from birds over the tree?

Once they move on, take it back down.

Is a very light, cheap netting.

We never bother, vultures and wild turkeys do their thing.
Vultures are the original native indian thunderbird.
When airing themselves look just like those totem birds.

[Xanthoria]

SeaSense Large Air Horn, 8oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019M5EZ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FYHPCb75FA1J4

[RoughOut]

Black vultures can be scary!!

They don’t eat carrion like the red headed vultures. They’ve been known to peck the eyes out of calves as they are being born. Very smart predators.

I hope the air horn works. Some ranchers have been successful with bb guns at getting the birds to fly away.

[Raincityrider]

If they were turkey vultures I would say enjoy the birdwatching but black vultures will kill live animals and can be quite aggressive. I would move them on as well.

Noise is the most effective. You could also try the water hose if it will reach or a vulture decoy hung in the tree if you can find one. I know they are intended for prey birds but perhaps a bird balloon, the obnoxious yellow one with eyes, hoisted up into the tree would make it less enjoyable for them.

One things is certain, your animals will be good and desensitized to strange happenings before this situation resolves. Good luck ejecting your visitors.

[Where_sMyWhite]

@4LeafCloverFarm

It’s illegal to shoot/kill them (which I don’t really want to do anyway). I’m all for wildlife, but this is really trying my patience.

In general, yes it is illegal to kill them (or pretty much any bird) outside a legal posted hunting season.

You’d need to research if you can kill them if they are nuisance. That I don’t know.

Maybe also contact your Fish/Game/Wildlife department and see what recommendations they have to help encourage the birds to move on.

If they’re nesting with eggs, might be too late to deal with moving until after the eggs hatch and fledge.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

We do get both Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures here in Middle TN. Thankfully, they are easy to tell apart, even from underneath when they are riding the thermals. My grandfather was an avid birdwatcher, and I took after him and he taught me alot. Unfortunately these are Black Vultures. If it were Turkey Vultures, I would be most happy for them to camp out in my yard.

I may try the Bull Horn - I was wondering if that would be annoying enough to move them along. So thanks for that @Xanthoria. I do have a hose that runs right under that tree, so I can certainly give shooting them with water a try as well. The hose is attached directly to a hydrant on our holding tank and has awesome water pressure - enough to reach to the top of the tree. So thanks for that suggestion @Raincityrider .

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@Where'sMyWhite

In general, yes it is illegal to kill them (or pretty much any bird) outside a legal posted hunting season.

You’d need to research if you can kill them if they are nuisance. That I don’t know.

Maybe also contact your Fish/Game/Wildlife department and see what recommendations they have to help encourage the birds to move on.

If they’re nesting with eggs, might be too late to deal with moving until after the eggs hatch and fledge.

I did look it up. You have to submit an application that explains the nuisance issue and why you need to use force to remove the birds. It’s a $100 fee for each bird (if your application is approved) from what I understood reading the info. But I really don’t want to hurt them. The only thing we’ve killed in our 17 years here is one rattlesnake - which had taken up residence near our round pen where our two baby goats were living. And I had to call the dairy farm owner next door to us to come take care of it. I was too much of a wheenie to actually kill it. :o

But calling the Ag extension or TN Wildlife Dept is a good thought.

They are not nesting (yet) - that is really what I want to prevent. I definitely don’t want permanent residents in that tree.

[Where_sMyWhite]

@4LeafCloverFarm

But calling the Ag extension or TN Wildlife Dept is a good thought

I hadn’t though of Ag Extension but I think also a good idea.

“Wildlife” (whatever it is called in one’s state) isn’t limited to creatures with 4 legs… wings or fins are also under their purview.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

I just heard back from the UT Ag Extension office. Their first suggestion was the $100 permit to kill the birds. When I explained I didn’t want them dead, she suggested that I cut the limbs from the tree that they prefer to roost on. She said there is no predator they are afraid of, so the plastic replicas of various creatures she said would do nothing. She said the bull horn might work, if used consistently.

Interestingly, she said the Black Vultures are drawn in spring to newborns and blood - to which I said I have none (3 geldings, 5 spayed cats and dogs - no other livestock, and currently, no stray animals). She thought it was odd they’d pick a tree so close to my house, right on my driveway. So, its a bit of a puzzle.

The Hackberry tree in question is a good 40-50 feet tall, so I’m thinking my husband isn’t going to be keen with me trying to trim branches on a 30’ extension ladder (and frankly, neither am I).

She did also say I could use a BB gun (which we do have) to try to shoot the tree in the area where they roost (in other words, not aiming at the birds), but she wasn’t sure that would be effective.

[Scribbler]

apparently a growing problem in your region.

https://www.feedstuffs.com/story-protected-black-vultures-preying-livestock-industry-45-149618

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@Scribbler

apparently a growing problem in your region.

https://www.feedstuffs.com/story-protected-black-vultures-preying-livestock-industry-45-149618

Very interesting article @Scribbler . Thanks! So, the stories I’ve heard are, in fact, true. Black Vultures do frequently take live prey - they are not limited to carrion.

So if I can get my hands on a stuffed Black Vulture, hang it in the tree, they’ll never come back! Now where do you suppose one finds a stuffed Black Vulture?!?

[mswillie]

I like most birds, but I hate black vultures. I have a friend who raises sheep and they get a few of her lambs every spring. They have roosted on my roof and pooped all over it. They are bold too, I’ve chased them out of my yard and they let me get within a few feet before they hop away. Nasty, aggressive, birds and their numbers have increased seemingly exponentially over the past dozen years or so.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

Amazon, of course…

https://www.amazon.com/Fityle-Artificial-Vulture-Realistic-Taxidermy/dp/B07JH2MK8C/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=taxidermy+black+vulture&qid=1554406393&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Though, I’m not sure a plastic bird with feathers would fake out the Vultures.

[Ponyboy]

Where I live you can get the F&W Division to hang a dead vulture in the area to get the living ones to move on. Is this an option for you?

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@Ponyboy

Where I live you can get the F&W Division to hang a dead vulture in the area to get the living ones to move on. Is this an option for you?

I donno. I guess I can call them and find out though.

[Wanderosa]

@4LeafCloverFarm

I have no personal experience mind you, but I have heard numerous stories of black vultures taking cats and small dogs and such. Maybe these are made up stories - I don’t know - but I’d prefer not to find out first hand. I have three cats that are indoor/outdoor and I do worry about them going right past that tree on their way down to the barn to hunt for mice.

And yes, maybe the dogs barking is the real problem. But sorry, you can’t retrain a Black and Tan Coonhound not to “tree” something and not bark when that critter is in the tree. The other dog, a mutt that is part retriever can be called off and behaves and will ignore them when told to. The Black and Tan is another matter.

I just thought someone might have some sort of idea how to make them think a different tree might be a better idea. I don’t hate vultures or any bird, I just don’t want them making their home in a tree right in my yard! Anywhere else on my 40 acres is just fine by me.

Vultures are scavengers. They won’t bother anything alive. They also lack the powerful talons and sharp beaks typical of raptors.

One thing you might want to check if they’re up by the house is if there is a gas leak somewhere. They sometimes mistake the smell of natural gas for the, uh, aroma of their preferred cuisine of dead stuff.