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“Brazen” vultures killing southern Illinois calves

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Illinois

* As if we don’t have enough problems…

Some cattle farms in southern Illinois have experienced attacks by black vultures, with one farm losing four cows.

Teresa Steckler, commercial agriculture educator at the University of Illinois Extension, said the vultures appear to be moving north in recent years and that Interstate 64 seems like the cutoff line.

Steckler said besides the reported cases, some farmers might not realize they are losing calves to attacks by the vultures. […]

Steckler said that the black vultures will use a coordinated attack to go after cattle, teaming up on a mother cow while others attack the calve from another direction. She said the attacks remind her of another predator, the hyena. […]

Steckler said the vultures will attack calves, adult cows and just about anything else. She said setting up Canada goose decoys could be a deterrent for the vultures. Additionally, Steckler said farmers should keep watch on their cattle and that the vultures are very brazen and will attack close to barns.

The birds also can recognize farm vehicles, Steckler said.

“They learn pretty quickly what your truck is like or your vehicle is like and they will fly off and wait until you leave, and they come right back,” Steckler said.

They’re also a protected species and can’t be killed.

* Public Radio…

Newborn calves are at the most risk, but Tretter said vultures have attacked and killed calves in his herd as old as two weeks.

University of Illinois Extension beef educator Teresa Steckler says she doesn’t remember vultures being active during past calving seasons.

Southern Illinois is at the northern point of the black vulture’s range in North America.

“Mike Madigan and the marauding vultures he controls?”

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:06 am

Comments

Puts a new spin on the term “Vulture Capitolist”, doesn’t it? /snark

Comment by Skeptic Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:14 am
First leprosy-carrying armadillos, now brazen vultures…we’re really screwed when the killer bees finally get here.

Comment by Old Shepherd Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:15 am
“, said the vultures appear to be moving north in recent years and that Interstate 64 seems like the cutoff line.”
—
Well at least we can officially set the line where Central Illinois ends and Southern Illinois begins.

Comment by Almost the Weekend Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:16 am
Yet another illustration of having a vulture capitalist as governor.

Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:16 am
They are rated as Least Concern on the endangered species list. Why are they Protected?

Maybe the calves need body armor? Vultures attack the calves eyes, so maybe some sort of head protection might be cost effective.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:18 am
Sounds like the plot of a Alfred Hitchcock movie. Vultures attack. You can’t stop them because they are a protected species? That would be the newest wrinkle on a “Birds” remake.

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:18 am
Sounds like one of those biblical plagues befalling Little Egypt. What’s next? Boils? Locusts?

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:20 am
–Maybe the calves need body armor?–

Time to arm the cows.

Plus, more moo-la for the gun lobby (sorry).

Comment by lakeside Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:24 am
–The birds also can recognize farm vehicles, Steckler said.

“They learn pretty quickly what your truck is like or your vehicle is like and they will fly off and wait until you leave, and they come right back,” Steckler said.–

So much for “bird brains.”

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:24 am
Hah. I was going to make some snarky comment about a vulture capitalist causing harm not just in Southern Illinois, but across the state, but two others already beat me to it.

Comment by Scamp640 Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:26 am
This is about real birds. I thought it was a headline about Rauner cronies.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:31 am
Cattle dogs any deterrent?

Comment by walker Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:31 am
As a vegan, GO VULTURES!

Comment by Indianbadger Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:32 am
Has anyone asked the Speaker how he is controlling those birds? This has got to be Madigan’s fault, just ask the Governor.

Comment by Retired Educator Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:34 am
A) Global warming.

2) Unlike their cousin the turkey vulture, black vultures nest on the ground, not in trees. One of their primary predators is — wait for it — bobcats.

Congratulations, Governor Rauner.

Footnote: Vultures still prefer carrion over the trouble of kiloing even a newborn calf. Some theorize that the decline in natural predators and use of humans to control wild game populations (leaving behind no carrion) might contribute to vultures pursuing live prey, including livestock. I am a little skeptical of thi line of reasoning, but there should be more research.

Comment by Thomas Paine Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:35 am
👆👆👆 Shouldn’t we just arm the cows with vultures so they can defend themselves?

Comment by Thomas Paine Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:37 am
Black vultures are protected because they are a migratory species. I spent some time in SW Ohio a few years ago, and that was the first time I had heard from farmers about black vultures killing calves. Here’s one website that gives some more detailed info, especially about hanging effigies - https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/operational-activities/SA_Vultures

Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:38 am
>attack the calve

I guess our agricultural heritage has receded pretty far into the recesses. The word they were looking for is calf.

Comment by statehoss Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:38 am
We need a vulture season. Bag limits much higher than bobcats.

Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:41 am
Wow, that is one scary story…

Comment by Happily Retired Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:45 am
There is something to be said about the removal of natural predators from the ecosystem, like bobcats and coyotes, that could be leading to an increase of Black vulture populations. It is also possible that modern Ag practices with the reduction of vegetative buffer zones is causing an increase in hunting vs scavenging by Black vultures. Said buffer zones provide numerous benefits, one of them being a haven for other wildlife for vultures to hunt instead of going after larger prey, like calves.

Comment by Animal Lobbyist Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:50 am
Mmmm, veal.

Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 10:59 am
===The birds also can recognize farm vehicles, Steckler said.==

Time to educate the calves then on how to “Run like a Deere”.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:06 am
Bill Status of SB9000 100th General Assembly
Short Description: An Act concerning concealed vultures

Senate Sponsors
Sens. Schimpf, Rose

Synopsis As Introduced
Creates the Illinois Bovine Self-Protection from Winged Beasts Act. Provides that bovine, cattle, cows and other large, hoofed herd animals that fall within the greater northern range of the black vulture within the geographic boundaries of the State of Illinois shall have the right to carry concealed black vultures for the purpose of self-protection. Declares that protection of such bovine is a state responsibility. Pre-empts Home Rule Authority. Requires Illinois Department of Professional Regulation and Illinois Department of Agriculture to create a system of regulation and licensure within 90-days of the effective date of this act. Effective immediately.

Status: Snark

Comment by Leigh John-Ella Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:14 am
Thomas Paine. This is my stomping ground. There is no shortage of bobcats in southern Illinois.

Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:24 am
Madigan must have learned from the great Kazakh hawk hunters how to control his vultures. Scary.

Comment by Glengarry Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:44 am
Maybe BR should move in with the calves for a week and then provide us with mitigation plan.

Comment by anonymous 2 Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 11:58 am
anonymous 2 … Instead of a mitigation plan perhaps BR might provide the calves with a migration plan… to Iowa State.

Comment by James Knell Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 12:25 pm
== What’s next? Boils? Locusts? ==

Gum ball trees

Comment by friendofthedevil Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 1:41 pm
So are these “bad bad birds?”

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 2:05 pm
@Blue Dog:

There are are only about 5000 bobcats in Illinois, 1 for every 5 square miles.

To put that in perspective, that is a total of 80 bobcats in all of Williamson County.

By contrast, raccoon populations are anywhere from 9 to 45 raccoons per square mile. I think the last figure i saw was around 10,000 raccoons in Williamson County.

Bobcats are great for vultures because — as I am sure you know being from Southern Illinois and all — bobcats are solitary hunters and gorge themselves, but they don’t return to their kill. That means that after they eat as much as they can eat of the raccoon, they leave everything else for the vulture, which would much rather eat bobcat leftovers than kill their own calves.

on another note, Rich: IDOT and county highway departments might want to look at their policies regarding roadkill clean-up and disposal.

Road kill is another prefered food source for black vultures, who often perch on light posts throughout the south. Leave the road kill for the vultures, and you mY well save a cow’s life.

Comment by Thomas Paine Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 3:30 pm
Thomas Paine it makes sense. We started allowing bobcats to be hunted and now we have hungry black vultures. People don’t eat bobcats. So what’s the point?

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 4:16 pm
Thomas Paine. Your bobcat numbers are grossly off.

Until.1995, I never in my life encountered a bobcat in Javkson Co. Not a one. Now I literally have hundreds of sightings each year. As an avid trapper, I released 23′different cats in the last 2 years alone. Never has there been this many in the state. Particulary the southern part. This is where the vultures are. Just in the last few years.

Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 4:25 pm
@Blue Dog Dem:

They aren’t my bobcat population numbers, they are Bruce Rauner’s numbers:

https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/wildlife/Pages/Bobcat.aspx

1) Are you SURE you didnt catch the same cat 20 times?

B) Maybe its time to switch bait?

TP

Comment by Thomas Paine Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 5:55 pm
TP. Love. Would rather discuss wildlife than.politics.

Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 6:30 pm
If calves are being killed, what will happen to fawns? Figure lambs are at risk too.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 7:32 pm
Mares eat oats, goats eat oats and little lambies too.

Comment by Blue dog dem Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 7:34 pm
I thought The Black Vultures was the name of the Guv’s MC.

Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Mar 1, 18 @ 9:10 pm