# how bad is Mr Cooper?



## blongboy (Nov 10, 2009)

just got my first round flying last week and found out i got 2 pair of cooper nest that is within sight one on the west and another around north.

last night lost a DC ybs to them since they double team my birds

if this keep up i wont have any birds to train with.


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## blongboy (Nov 10, 2009)

redtail i can throw tennis ball at them ..but cooper are way too fast


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

http://www.amazon.com/Cyclops-C18MI...light/dp/B0018F1CJ4/ref=pd_rhf_pe_s_cp_1_RVG9

You hit them with this several times a day and they will move with in a week. They don't come around my loft any more.
Dave


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## blongboy (Nov 10, 2009)

Crazy Pete said:


> http://www.amazon.com/Cyclops-C18MI...light/dp/B0018F1CJ4/ref=pd_rhf_pe_s_cp_1_RVG9
> 
> You hit them with this several times a day and they will move with in a week. They don't come around my loft any more.
> Dave


does that work in the day time? even the sun is up?

cool idea ..i got to try it


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## Granny Smith (Jul 16, 2011)

The hawks seem worse this year to me. It's extremely frustrating. You can try the spot light and see if it works in your area. Dave, do you use this while they are flying or perched? I rarely see them perched. They usually ambush me from out of no where.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Those high candle power lights put out a narrow beam that works even during the day time, I've used mine for the last year with great results. If they are flying it takes a minute to flash them but you will see them turn and leave.
Dave


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## Jimhalekw (Jan 1, 2010)

I see they also sell a 25 million, wow! Probably have to be careful about shining it on bare skin.


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## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

This reminds me of a method I was told, and eventually used. Putting old music CD's on the fronts of my coops. I did, and the various color reflections the suns causes on them, did bother the hawks for a couple of weeks. But they apparently learned there is nothing to fear and now totally ignore them.

Was good to go for a short while though. I could see the same thing happening with the spot light method. Works for a short time, but then they realize there is nothing to fear, except fear itself.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Never tried bare skin, my grandson blinded me from about 50ft and that was on a sunny day.
Dave


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

This is different than the CD thing, they only shine on sunny days, these are so bright they will hurt their eyes.
Dave


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## MissesAlot (Feb 20, 2013)

had my first visit from Mrs Cooper yesterday, i scared her off and the bird got away but he'll never be the same again, though smarter most likely. they suck so bad i have a nest of them across the street i would love to take any possible legal measure to be rid of them and the ones that would move in behind them, yet to see any sort of sustainable or legal system to do this.


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## Kastle Loft (May 7, 2008)

The Coopers attack my birds daily. It especially sucks for the babies. Although I've lost some babies who got lost in a panicked chase, the hawk hadn't caused a direct casualty for me for a couple of years, thankfully. But a week ago she chased one of my good old bird hens into one of our windows and killed her. My wife was in the house when it happened. It's truly mortifying when this happens. So, so sad. And infuriating. 

I partnered with a falconer last year and he trapped a juvenile and trained her for hunting. But there are just too, too many and her removal offered no relief. I asked a migratory bird biologist about deterrents, and the only suggestion he had that I hadn't already tried was using a laser pointer. Sounds like a similar concept to the high-powered flashlight.


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## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

One of my sons has one of those lights.It'll probably be in Dad's posession for a while this year now.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I like the laser thing if you could get a real powerful one, that would be great.
Dave


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## pigeon george (Aug 7, 2003)

If you can find the green laser is more powerful then the red ones,,,,but like a gun be careful of your back drop the green lasers were the ones pilots were making reports of.interfering with air traffic is apparently frowned upon.


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## Kastle Loft (May 7, 2008)

**sigh** I just had a baby come home - gone for two days. Had two clean slices deep in her left breast. I was outside and watched her fly down to the loft and I could see the wound even as she was flying. She immediately trapped. Acted like nothing was wrong. Looking for some food. I cleaned her up, disinfected, and isolated. She'll be fine. These guys never cease to amaze me with their determination and durability.

Her band number? 1313. I don't know if she's unlucky or lucky.


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## Granny Smith (Jul 16, 2011)

Kastle Loft said:


> The Coopers attack my birds daily. It especially sucks for the babies. Although I've lost some babies who got lost in a panicked chase, the hawk hadn't caused a direct casualty for me for a couple of years, thankfully


Why do you think that they are not getting any birds if attacking daily? Is it because you are outside and can assist if they knock one down?


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## Kastle Loft (May 7, 2008)

I do babysit a lot, especially the babies. I think it helps as a deterrent but it still happens. 

Another thing - many of the attacks are from juvenile hawks. They just aren't as good at hunting, so they miss most of the time. When they do hit one of my birds I usually see it and can rescue them. I've leaped neighbors fences more than a few times to get to an injured or stunned bird.

So far most of the attacks happen to my old birds. A hawk has yet to directly catch one of my old birds. It's not for the lack of trying. But my guys are just too fast. I've watched that hawk right on their tail and he can't get them. 

I hate it most when it happens on race day. I'm always out waiting and watching, but sometimes when the birds come home they get ambushed right when they land and are most vulnerable. Those hawks come out of nowhere!


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## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

I wonder if a lazer pointer could make a hawk blind? Would not want that.


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## raftree3 (Oct 16, 2010)

Had a baby out overnight that showed up this morning with no tail. Something had him but he got away it seems. He looked like a really fast little chicken flying around.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

conditionfreak said:


> I wonder if a lazer pointer could make a hawk blind? Would not want that.


No we don't want to blind a hawk, just make them go away. think I stick with my 5 million candle power light. I keep it in the loft.
Dave


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## blongboy (Nov 10, 2009)

im going to try that too


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## Jimhalekw (Jan 1, 2010)

I use a 2 mil on the bums pissing on the sidewalk. Works great!


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## lawman (Jul 19, 2005)

In Germany many fanciers quit in the recent past because the Hawks were so devastating to their teams. The fanciers helped in the reintroduction of the Uhu (largest of the eagle owls) which had almost been completely devasted by man. Now the balance between the owls and hawks has averaged out and the hawk popluations are held in check by the owls. Owls dont hunt during the day so unless your babies are out over night they have nothing to fear from them. 

See article by Alberta classic for further:

http://www.albertaclassic.com/hawks/hawks.php


Perhaps the reintoduction of owls is the key to controling the hawks in the USA as well. I used to have a large white barn owl that loved my chimmey and would hang out at night. During the years he was around I never had any coopers in my area. I havent seen him in several years and now I have a pair of coopers near my home. 

Now the only thing that keeps the coopers in check in the pair of redtails that come and nest in the same general area this time of year. The coopers cause all kinds of havic until the redtails show up then they seem to disapear, just as they did when the barn owl was around.


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## Pigeon0446 (Apr 22, 2007)

lawman said:


> In Germany many fanciers quit in the recent past because the Hawks were so devastating to their teams. The fanciers helped in the reintroduction of the Uhu (largest of the eagle owls) which had almost been completely devasted by man. Now the balance between the owls and hawks has averaged out and the hawk popluations are held in check by the owls. Owls dont hunt during the day so unless your babies are out over night they have nothing to fear from them.
> 
> See article by Alberta classic for further:
> 
> ...


I've got Coopers, Red Tails, and Peregrine Falcons here that go after the birds all the time. It's to the point where you can't loft fly your birds anymore. Just 10 years ago you could leave birds out all winter and maybe get hit by hawks once or twice but now if you have the birds out for 20 mins you'll get hit by a few differnt hawks. I even had large owl sitting the ledge in front of my lil quarantine cage trying to get the birds in there during the day. It's crazy how fast those peregrines are going when they dive through the flock. What makes them even worse is they work as a team one dives through from one side then the other from the other side.


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## luckyloft (Oct 21, 2006)

We have had a couple of flyers quit because of hawks.They cant get a young bird team trained due to the constant attacks.I have my share.This year I had a white old bird lose all but the 2 outside tail feathers.He still got back to the loft and jumped thru the trap. Jeff


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## thepigeonkey (Oct 12, 2011)

I like the bright light idea. When I had naughty pigeons on neighbours roofs I would use a mirror to reflect the sun onto the pigeon, sometimes it got the bird off. Maybe a mirror would be enough to scare a hawk but only on a sunny day.
Not sure how easy you could shine a laser at a hawk, wouldn't you need to get it in the eye? 
Got in trouble shining a laser through a magnifying glass when I was a kid. It works really well, then they banned the really good lasers here in NZ. Lucky we don't have to worry about BOP or PMV. Its like a sanctuary for pigeons.


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

I feed a pair of Ravens all winter. I give them eggs to eat and they come every day. I think you could use pieces of hot dog or other things but my pair seams to like the eggs.
I don't see any hawks all winter and we have had problems with an Eagle eating my wife's ducks but when the Ravens are around they protect the area very well. Last week I did have a young hawk attack but I was close by and clapped my hands as I ran at him and he left empty clawed , and that was the first time I seen a hawk all year. I think crows would work too but with my Ravens here the crows stay away too.


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## treejumper (Mar 6, 2013)

lawman said:


> In Germany many fanciers quit in the recent past because the Hawks were so devastating to their teams. The fanciers helped in the reintroduction of the Uhu (largest of the eagle owls) which had almost been completely devasted by man. Now the balance between the owls and hawks has averaged out and the hawk popluations are held in check by the owls. Owls dont hunt during the day so unless your babies are out over night they have nothing to fear from them.
> 
> See article by Alberta classic for further:
> 
> ...


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## V-John (May 15, 2008)

Last time I mentioned anything about hawks, I had one hit a bird, but... Up to that point, I really hadn't had too many problems with them, other then two isolated incidents. We have a lot of crows in the area, and I think that helps, although, after this last hawk attack, I need to go renegotiate with the crow union. It seems that they are either going on strike and wanting more, or simply not doing their job.  

As far as the red tails go, I'm pretty sure they will still hit your birds, but aren't as fast as the coopers.


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## loonecho (Feb 25, 2010)

I lost four breeder cocks to a great horned owl this winter. Most winters, hawks are long gone from northern Minnesota and I can loft fly my birds care free all winter. But a few weeks ago, I had the cocks out for the day and they linger around the hen loft because they are eager to pair up. It was late in the day but not dark yet and a great horned owl came out of nowhere and nailed one. I was late getting home that day and found the owl had actually entered the loft through the trap. I evicted him. The cocks were nowhere to be seen and wouldn't trap back into the loft for 3 days. When they finally did come back, 4 cocks were missing but I locked the remaining birds in. For a week after, every time we got a fresh snow, I would find owl tracks in the fresh snow on the landing board where he obviously was looking for a way in. Yes owls generally hunt at night but they will hunt during daylight if they are hungry.

Last summer, 3 times I had coopers come in through the trap and I had to evict them from the loft. I lost a few birds during those fiascos as well. I don't think there is a fool proof way of avoiding attacks. The attacks do seem to subside when song birds return from migration and provide more prey opportunities for the birds of prey.

Jim


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## lawman (Jul 19, 2005)

treejumper said:


> lawman said:
> 
> 
> > In Germany many fanciers quit in the recent past because the Hawks were so devastating to their teams. The fanciers helped in the reintroduction of the Uhu (largest of the eagle owls) which had almost been completely devasted by man. Now the balance between the owls and hawks has averaged out and the hawk popluations are held in check by the owls. Owls dont hunt during the day so unless your babies are out over night they have nothing to fear from them.
> ...


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## HeavyDlofts (May 23, 2012)

*Great Idea*



conditionfreak said:


> This reminds me of a method I was told, and eventually used. Putting old music CD's on the fronts of my coops. I did, and the various color reflections the suns causes on them, did bother the hawks for a couple of weeks. But they apparently learned there is nothing to fear and now totally ignore them.
> 
> Was good to go for a short while though. I could see the same thing happening with the spot light method. Works for a short time, but then they realize there is nothing to fear, except fear itself.


Thats a good idea


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

lawman said:


> treejumper said:
> 
> 
> > I've seen the red tails looking at the birds, I've even seen the younger red tails chase them a bit. But unless a red tail can catch your bird sitting somewhere and not paying attention the red tail isn't fast enough to catch a healthy racing pigeon in flight. Especially not a trained racing pigeon.
> ...


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## Roger Siemens (Nov 12, 2011)

coolest thing i found that the conservation office up here has a guy that radio bands hawks/owls. the fellow that live traps them has pigeons and will come remove them with out harming them with a trap perhaps its worth seeing if they do the same in your area? saves pigeons and hawks alike.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello PT. I had American Kestrels in my hood and they did chase away the bops to my satisfaction. We can make homes for them in the fall, but the birds may have loud courtship sounds. And they are pretty. Thanks.


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## Granny Smith (Jul 16, 2011)

I have never flown OBs before, so I have nothing to compare this year to, but the hawks this year are awful at my location. The last two days I have had either a cooper or gos trying to get in my loft. The birds are getting attack almost every time they try to trap. I hope this lets up or it's not going to be a fun year.


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