Hele Hunter Posted November 24, 2007 Report Share Posted November 24, 2007 Was out decoying today had two buzzards circling above the decoys and then all of a sudden they both hit two decoys so i stood up and clapped them off. Anyone else had this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Outlaw Posted November 24, 2007 Report Share Posted November 24, 2007 Had a Hawk type hit mine once but it was in and away so quick I couldnt tell what it was. Got loads of Red Kite over this way but it was too small to be one of those. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckytrigger Posted November 25, 2007 Report Share Posted November 25, 2007 I went decoying this morning and had a pair of buzzards circling my deeks. One swooped down to within around 6ft before veering off. They were bloody huge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loopy bunny blaster Posted November 25, 2007 Report Share Posted November 25, 2007 its alright if you're fooling them your doing something right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckytrigger Posted November 25, 2007 Report Share Posted November 25, 2007 its alright if you're fooling them your doing something right Tell that to the pidgeons .. Only shot six their crops were stuffed with clover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted November 26, 2007 Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 Take it as a compliment (from the buzzard not me ) that you've set up a good looking pattern and hide. Same as crows, they won't come within shouting range if things don't look right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarpa Posted November 26, 2007 Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 Whilst decoying with an air rifle I once had a kestrel land in the middle of the group, walk up to one of the plastic decoys and knock it over with a talon. It then repeated the process. Was fantastic to watch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted November 26, 2007 Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 Take it as a compliment (from the buzzard not me ) that you've set up a good looking pattern and hide. Same as crows, they won't come within shouting range if things don't look right. I've noticed there's two types of crow, one will do a complete 360 on a sixpence as soon as he sees the deeks & rotary from about 200 yards away, the other type will keep on coming, making a lot of noise and generally wondering what the hell those 2 woodies are up to going round in circles below him. Needless to say, the latter type don't usually make it to the other side of the pattern. Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hele Hunter Posted November 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 Ha, top stories guys keep them up and yes it does show my camo is working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted November 26, 2007 Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 I`ve had up to 16 buzzards in the air near me when decoying but never had one try and take a bird, they tend not to take live food except certainties ie. poults against netting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Elvis Posted December 2, 2007 Report Share Posted December 2, 2007 I had one catch a lump of clay just after i shot it!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 I have two on my shoot that seem to follow me around! It's really strange that gunshots don't put them off, but they must be used to it and it doesn't bother them. I find them great decoys for the Crows, they come in to mob the Buzzards and I shoot them when they're not too close together! Then the Buzzard eats the Crow if I haven't hit it too hard, because I don't like them having the ones with too many pellets in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Boy Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 I have two on my shoot that seem to follow me around! It's really strange that gunshots don't put them off, but they must be used to it and it doesn't bother them. I find them great decoys for the Crows, they come in to mob the Buzzards and I shoot them when they're not too close together! Then the Buzzard eats the Crow if I haven't hit it too hard, because I don't like them having the ones with too many pellets in Its quite simple mate, most bird species that are'nt shot at on a regular basis don't associate it with danger. i.e. : birds of prey, song birds and seagulls etc Have you not noticed that in the hedge around the hide the robin, wren and yellow hammers just get on with life unpeturbed by gunshots Of course if you love buzzards so much use non-toxic cartridges CB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossenarra Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 Yip, happened to me pretty recently.........Hawke hit the lead decoy......through the forum here that I identified it as a buzzard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vole Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 I would,nt think a few shot would hurt a bird of prey if it ate them.Should think they just end up in the toilet pan,like with humans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnybasher07 Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 well... humans if they get a pellet in there dinner, and crunch on it they will shout naughty words and claim they have chipped a tooth and a buzzard will rip the bird to shreads and eat the pellets as if it was a tasty steak and i think there is a video on you tube .. where a pigeon shooter jumps out his hide and nails a crossing bird and a bird of prey swoops down and grabbes it out the sky when its falling :yp: (cant find it tho) Cheers GM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted December 8, 2007 Report Share Posted December 8, 2007 Twice had buzzards strike at plastic shells, and once had one make off with the only dead bird in the set. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted December 9, 2007 Report Share Posted December 9, 2007 Where are all these buzzards coming from all recently? When I was up on the estate pheasant shooting the other day I noticed a high pitched call above me. There were two of them circling overhead about two hundred feet up (Guess) and then drifted away. Up until the last couple of years I’ve never seen one or heard of anyone else who’d seen one locally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chard Posted December 9, 2007 Report Share Posted December 9, 2007 Where are all these buzzards coming from all recently? When I was up on the estate pheasant shooting the other day I noticed a high pitched call above me. There were two of them circling overhead about two hundred feet up (Guess) and then drifted away. Up until the last couple of years I’ve never seen one or heard of anyone else who’d seen one locally. Their population is expanding again. They were both persecuted and diminished by chemical pesticide residues in the 60's and their range retracted to the Western counties of England, and Wales and Scotland. Now they're on the mend after protection and a ban on the use of DDT and other **** on the land. For years they were absent from Eastern counties of England. I think Myxomatosis also aggravated their decline, as rabbits are their primary food source. I, for one, am glad to see them recovering, though not everybody thinks that way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackthorn Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 Where are all these buzzards coming from all recently? When I was up on the estate pheasant shooting the other day I noticed a high pitched call above me. There were two of them circling overhead about two hundred feet up (Guess) and then drifted away. Up until the last couple of years I’ve never seen one or heard of anyone else who’d seen one locally. i no of a bloke who lives smack in the middle of stonly deer park golf course, he released about four some years ago, i think he still does it, the way they got here that fast, i am presuming that there are a few more people doing it who needs a copper when you got me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundowner Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 Had one goshawk, one sparrowhawk, kestrel and believe it or not ........... a grey heron checking out my deeks, I am with loopy bunny basher on this one ............ we must be doing something right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 I am very interested to hear that buzzards are hitting your decoys. I have been studying the Norfolk Buzzards ( its part of my job ) for the past decade and never once seen them take a bird of any sort. Rabbits yes , voles , worms , beetles , but never anything with feathers. serches of pellets at nest sites also have failed to show the Norfolk buzzards are taking anything feathered. Several keepers have complaned about the buzzards , but when I have followed the stories up I have usualy found its harriers that have been causing trouble. Young common buzzards do seem attracted to pheasant release pens in woodland , but again I have never seen any proof of them taking poults and in any case it is easy to defend the release pens with a net over the top. By the time the poults are ready for release they will be much too big for buzzards to take. On the other hand when decoying I have had sparrowhawks hit decoys and marsh harriers also giving them a close inspection. Up in Scotland it seems a different story with buzzards being blamed for taking game birds and in spring watch a few years ago a hen pheasant was filmed at a nest, but was it a road kill ? Never the less I do feel that common buzzards are often unfairly blamed for the sins of other raptors. Before we all put our hands up and say we always know the difference between a common or honey buzzard or marsh harrier ask any realy experianced bird watcher and he will tell you how difficult it is to seperate different species in flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Outlaw Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 Where are all these buzzards coming from all recently? When I was up on the estate pheasant shooting the other day I noticed a high pitched call above me. There were two of them circling overhead about two hundred feet up (Guess) and then drifted away. Up until the last couple of years I’ve never seen one or heard of anyone else who’d seen one locally. Eggs usually I have seen a lot around Wendover recently and there a a huge number of Red Kite over near Brill. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chard Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 (edited) Never the less I do feel that common buzzards are often unfairly blamed for the sins of other raptors. Before we all put our hands up and say we always know the difference between a common or honey buzzard or marsh harrier ask any realy experianced bird watcher and he will tell you how difficult it is to seperate different species in flight. You've got that right Common Buzzards and Honey Buzzards are very hard to tell apart at long range. The books make it sound easy, but it's not. I've heard many experienced birdwatchers either get it wrong or be unsure over an identification. Honey Buzzards are very rare and only eat wasp grubs and stuff like that, so they're no threat to gamebirds. Everybody always thinks they can separate Goshawks and Sparrowhawks too, but I've seen a lot of dodgy ID's of them as well There's not much difference in size between a big female Sparrowhawk and a little male Goshawk, yet everybody tries to go by size - not reliable in the field without something else to compare in size Edited January 11, 2008 by Chard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benelli 1 Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 I had this happen to me last year while out crow shooting. I'd shot 3 crows and a jackdaw, which I had put out on cradles. Then I received a phone call which mean't I had to dash home on the quad. I hadn't been gone no more than ten minutes, but as I entered the field again, I could see a pile of feathers in my set up and a buzzard making it's way off the field. When I had a proper look he/she had pulled the jackdaw off it's cradle, layed it on it's back and had nearly striped it's breast meat clean away. Crafty sod had a free lunch :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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