Oak Posted August 23, 2021 Report Share Posted August 23, 2021 Anyone got any interesting ways of legally dispersing raptors from the release pens ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkedUp Posted August 23, 2021 Report Share Posted August 23, 2021 The old fashioned dangling mirrored CDs. No idea if they are effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted August 23, 2021 Report Share Posted August 23, 2021 Very difficult, once they know there is a captive food source they will keep coming back, I have yet to meet a keeper that as found a successful way of permanently keeping them away from the release pens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted August 23, 2021 Report Share Posted August 23, 2021 You could try the flashing Yellow roadside small lamps they use on the road cones , our keeper use them to keep Fox's away and ( apparently ) they work , no arm in trying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside1000 Posted August 23, 2021 Report Share Posted August 23, 2021 A friend of mine linked a car alarm with a flashing light, both 12 volt , through a timer hooked up to a 12 volt battery, these are very loud and would not be suitable near houses but they work in the right situation.👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted August 23, 2021 Report Share Posted August 23, 2021 Hello, what type of Raptors are you having problems with ? around the Vale it's mostly Red kites and Buzzards, there has been a marked increase in the red kite population , they can scatter a covey of partridges as I have seen myself, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted August 23, 2021 Report Share Posted August 23, 2021 The only thing that seems to work to a degree is human presence but unless you plan on spending the next few weeks 24/7 around the pens there's not a lot you can do. Having said that I did find an article about deterring certain raptors from the release pen area but I think you need a licence from DEFRA/NE…..http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/2017/01/04/a-simple-way-of-preventing-buzzards-predation-within-the-pheasant-pen-using-a-non-lethal-deterrent/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Neal Posted August 24, 2021 Report Share Posted August 24, 2021 Whatever you do, it might work in the very short term but they'll soon learn it's no threat and ignore it. The only surefire way is to be there, and obviously that's going to be difficult! I've never found kites to be a problem, even though there's hundreds of them around my patch, they usually only ever take advantage of already dead ones. It's the buzzards which will get in to the pen and kill, but usually they don't make multiple kills so your attrition rate might only be one or two a day. Tawny owls will do more damage; apparently a tell-tale sign of a tawny kill is the head of the bird having been removed. You can often work it out if you visit several mornings as early as possible, just after daybreak, because the daytime predators won't have done their work yet but carcasses from overnight owl kills will be on the ground. You can't rule out something like a goshawk being responsible. I know little about them, but I know they are deadly and can sometimes latch on to a pen full of juicy pheasants. A trail camera may help identify the culprit so a more tailored approach can be taken. Good luck 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted August 25, 2021 Report Share Posted August 25, 2021 Goshawks are the worst killers of the lot. They can seem to kill in a frenzy. I knew a chap who once lost 198 poults to a goshawk in one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted August 25, 2021 Report Share Posted August 25, 2021 1 hour ago, London Best said: Goshawks are the worst killers of the lot. They can seem to kill in a frenzy. I knew a chap who once lost 198 poults to a goshawk in one day. How did he know it was a Goshawk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted August 25, 2021 Report Share Posted August 25, 2021 57 minutes ago, old'un said: How did he know it was a Goshawk? Because he saw it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve s×s Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 On 25/08/2021 at 08:31, London Best said: Goshawks are the worst killers of the lot. They can seem to kill in a frenzy. I knew a chap who once lost 198 poults to a goshawk in one day. That's about one every eight minutes without stopping, you could say thats a bit extreme 🙃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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