I consider the continued health of the local raptors to be, in part, mine, and as you so aptly put it, I’ll do what I have to to protect it.

You do what you have to to protect what is yours.

Enough said!

This protection of any and all raptors at all times is a poor policy.
Here is something for you to think about: Southern Cal was mostly open grassland in the not too distant past. Oak trees, sycamores tend to be restricted to the canyons or areas where there is available water. So where did the Mighty Cooper hawk nest? How many were there? I bring this up to say that it’s my opinion that we have a lot more now because of the home building and landscaping that came with it. This does a couple of things. More trees for nesting along with observation posts and cover for the hawks. They tend to be ambush predators. The landscaping also provided habitat for other birds; hence more food for the hawks. The Cooper population increased.
The Cooper is by no means endangered, especially if you believe the Fish and Game numbers of those killed in only a couple years in only a few locations. For that many to be killed in that short of time in just a few locations would tell me there is a serious overpopulation of Cooper hawks. Another thing to note is that the people who are afflicted with predation are mostly concerned with the overabundant Cooper, not the kestrels, redtail, peregrine. The Cooper should have a season to decrease their overpopulation. I do not say this lightly to kill animals. I’m forgiving up to a point. I.e., a bobcat killed 33 out of 35 pigeons in one night..quite a sight to wake up to. Killing for fun is what he was up to. I set trap for next night and caught him and relocated the bugger. Now if I thought they were as numerous as coopers, I might not have been so forgiving.

There is a man in my small neighborhood, a rural area, who has free-range chickens, and for Years has been shooting and killing hawks, owls, and any other wildlife he sees fit to do, over these chickens, which are not that many chickens. He does not have a large lot, not a large production, it is simply personal use.

I already understand that prevention is the first step to take when trying to prevent loss of livestock such as chickens. I know, too, there are many non-lethal ways of dealing with the problem.

As a result, we now have an infestation of rats in this entire neighborhood. The monetary and physical damage to homes and health caused by them is astronomical compared to the loss of some eggs and a few inexpensive chickens.

I want to try to help him, but he is of the sort that listens to no one, and has never even looked me in the eye, even if spoken to directly. I had planned last night, to go speak to him calmly about the issue, as no one else will, but today I am feeling fear in doing so, as I might well end up with a gun in my face. In such a situation, I am sure that I could still remain relatively calm.

I simply can’t just stand by and let this killing of our wildlife here continue. Others are unhappy about these actions, but it appears that no one else has the will nor the fortitude to do anything about it. What should I do?

~Lightworker

Wes, why do you let stupid people comment on your blog?

When it comes to the hawk-shooting component of the population, that is the vast preponderance of the group. It helps to let everyone else see that directly.

LMAO.

Dude. Shut up. Corvidae (crow family) are NOT raptors, them’s passerines (perching birds). Raptors are defined by what they are, not what they eat.

Wiki…*headdesk* Wes, why do you let stupid people comment on your blog?

You really should have knowledge on a subject before you post something, it keeps you from looking dumb.