Can you kill a hawk for killing your chickens?

Answer 1

Turkey vulture are only interested in food items that do not move, run away or fight back. So if you have a dead or near dead chicken in the yard , this will attract the vulture. But turkey vultures do not take healthy running chickens the way a hawk or falcon will.

Answer 2

Depends on where you live and the laws. You cannot kill a protected species. You must solve your problem some other way if the hawk is protected. Erecting a bird net over your chickens might be the only solution. Making the hawk uncomfortable while searching for his meal in your yard with a well trained dog is another. People who experience raptor damage problems often decide to resort to "Frustration killings". These occur far too often because landowners are unfamiliar with or unable to control damage with nonlethal control techniques. These killings result in the needless loss of raptors, and they may lead to undesirable legal actions. Individuals may be fined up to $5,000 and $10,000 respectively, and those convicted may face up to six months imprisonment for misdemeanor violations of the Act. Felony violations may result in fines of up to $25,000 for individuals and up to two years imprisonment for those convicted.

If trapping or shooting is necessary, Both Federal and local state permits should be requested and processed as quickly as possible. Always consider the benefits that raptors provide before removing them from an area; their ecological importance, aesthetic value, and contributions as indicators of environmental health may outweigh the small economic damage they cause.

• I called DRN Georgia today as I watched a hawk eating my second duck and 4th animal in as many weeks to see what I could do about the situation. The officer advised me that under GA law I may kill any animal attacking livestock. By state law it is "ok" to kill the bird with no recourse as long as it is in the act of harming livestock. However federal law protects all Birds of Prey and migratory species. He said to kill the bird at my own risk, and advised that if I did kill the bird, bury it immediately and keep my mouth shut. I don't know what your course of action will be but if you are loosing more in income from your birds than the fine then you may see need to take the risk.