watch those hawks!!

[gilu]

Hi everyone,
I was just in Florida visiting my mom and when I took Gigi and Lulu out for a walk, sure enough, there was a hawk circling overhead! It came pretty close to us. I scooped Gigi up (my 3lb-er) and after hovering for a while, the hawk finally gave up and flew off.
I always heard to watch out for hawks but didn't think it would really happen. Well it almost did!!
Hold your furbabies tight!!

[yorkieusa]

I've had similar situations while walking mine, but I wasn't sure it was her they were looking at or just happened to be flying around there. I always keep a watch out. I'm so paranoid...

[Jellybears]

I KNOW! I was on here a couple of weeks ago saying about a FALCON sitting on my son's fence in Florida when we were visiting. It just sat for a few minutes staring down at Mr. Darcy's toy hedgehog......long enough for me to get a picture of it and hawks were circling everyday over his backgarden.My big problem right now is the fishers who live out back of my house as we live up north in Canada. I never leave him out by himself. I do have chicken wire around back deck where he plays. Anyone know anything about fishers??? I have been wondering lately if they would climb up.....??

[YorkieD]

I just read a site that says Hawks can see in colour and bright pink or orange will scare them off (like flouresant colours) It said bright pink/orange coats on small dogs will scare the hawks off.
In summer I wonder if coloured ribbons tied to the collars will work
& maybe they would flap in the breeze. Might be worth a try anyway.

[Sweet Apple]

I live in a subdivision, where the easement runs behind my house, and there are cattle on it, and no houses... I have to watch out for hawks every single day! I always go outside, before I let the guys out, to look for hawks, and keep an eye to the sky, while we're out there...It's horrible, not being able to let them run around and relax outside...But, it's S.E.Texas, and we have lots of hawks...Not a day goes by that I don't see one...

[shodanusmc]

Originally Posted by Sweet Apple

I live in a subdivision, where the easement runs behind my house, and there are cattle on it, and no houses... I have to watch out for hawks every single day! I always go outside, before I let the guys out, to look for hawks, and keep an eye to the sky, while we're out there...It's horrible, not being able to let them run around and relax outside...But, it's S.E.Texas, and we have lots of hawks...Not a day goes by that I don't see one...

You also have a lot of Hogs in SE Texas. I have a trip to Corsacana coming up soon to get another Trophy Hog.

Here, you also have to watch out for Coyotes. They are more than a menace and more dangerous that a Hawk, but our Girl weighs around 7 pounds so it will be hard to get lift off...but we always watch, and never let her out alone. We live right next to a 2000 acre Forest Preserve which backs up to our house. You have to be careful with them, or get a 120 pound Mastino!

[StacyDufner]

Yes Florida is bad for hawks. I will be moving to Illinois in a couple of months and will have to watch out for the Coyotes. My sister has them coming into her backyard almost nightly. Bailey is only 1.5 lbs and Boomer is 10 lbs. I never let them out alone.

[beader]

I have chickens and hawks. Last year I had hawks flying off with my chickens and I had to put up some strings with old cds on them to keep the hawks away. the cds turn in the wind and the sun flashes off them and the hawks don't like the light flash.
I have been thinking on how to put some by the tie out and pen just to be extra safe cause it only takes a second and they are gone. After I did this I didn't have any more trouble with hawks.

[Sweet Apple]

Originally Posted by shodanusmc

You also have a lot of Hogs in SE Texas. I have a trip to Corsacana coming up soon to get another Trophy Hog.

Here, you also have to watch out for Coyotes. They are more than a menace and more dangerous that a Hawk, but our Girl weighs around 7 pounds so it will be hard to get lift off...but we always watch, and never let her out alone. We live right next to a 2000 acre Forest Preserve which backs up to our house. You have to be careful with them, or get a 120 pound Mastino!

I heard on the news, the other day, that some town, in my area, was complaining about wild hogs running through their neighborhoods, because they were losing their natural habitat...I have a 6 1/2' wood fence, so I think I'm pretty safe there...However, I'm sure I lost my 11 1/2 yr. old cat, last year to coyotes;he'd always been and indoor/outdoor cat...I was just heartbroken... I never leave my babies outside, w/o me, and then I'm watching the sky, like a hawk, myself!!!

[PiePiper]

Originally Posted by Jellybears

I KNOW! I was on here a couple of weeks ago saying about a FALCON sitting on my son's fence in Florida when we were visiting. It just sat for a few minutes staring down at Mr. Darcy's toy hedgehog......long enough for me to get a picture of it and hawks were circling everyday over his backgarden.My big problem right now is the fishers who live out back of my house as we live up north in Canada. I never leave him out by himself. I do have chicken wire around back deck where he plays. Anyone know anything about fishers??? I have been wondering lately if they would climb up.....??

I live in a wooded area in Connecticut and a few years ago I let out my older yorkie to do potty late at night. He would just walk off the deck go potty and come right back in. I would stand at the glass door and watch him. One night I saw movement by the woodline and something was sneaking along, watching Chipper. I immediately got Chipper in the house and realized it was a fisher. They are really sneaky and they can run up and snatch their victim before you know whats happening. Somebody in our neighborhood saw their cat scooped up by a fisher and they started chasing it. The fisher climbed a tree with the cat and just stayed there staring down at them. Eventually the fisher dropped it. The poor thing was dead. Now when I take Piper out at night I turn on the floodlights, scan the yard and woodland then carry Piper and put her in an x-pen and I stand there. I'm not taking any chances with fishers or coyotes which also are a problem.

[Sweet Apple]

Originally Posted by PiePiper

I live in a wooded area in Connecticut and a few years ago I let out my older yorkie to do potty late at night. He would just walk off the deck go potty and come right back in. I would stand at the glass door and watch him. One night I saw movement by the woodline and something was sneaking along, watching Chipper. I immediately got Chipper in the house and realized it was a fisher. They are really sneaky and they can run up and snatch their victim before you know whats happening. Somebody in our neighborhood saw their cat scooped up by a fisher and they started chasing it. The fisher climbed a tree with the cat and just stayed there staring down at them. Eventually the fisher dropped it. The poor thing was dead. Now when I take Piper out at night I turn on the floodlights, scan the yard and woodland then carry Piper and put her in an x-pen and I stand there. I'm not taking any chances with fishers or coyotes which also are a problem.

I've also started turning on light, outside, scanning the yard w/a flashlight...So you have an xpen set up in your backyard, and your pup is good to use it? What is a fisher? My xpen is kinda big, but I guess I could put it out there...I suppose I'd have to cover it up, at night, so it wouldn't rust...it's metal....

[PiePiper]

Originally Posted by Sweet Apple

I've also started turning on light, outside, scanning the yard w/a flashlight...So you have an xpen set up in your backyard, and your pup is good to use it? What is a fisher? My xpen is kinda big, but I guess I could put it out there...I suppose I'd have to cover it up, at night, so it wouldn't rust...it's metal....

The first time I saw a fisher I wasn't even sure what I was looking at. It is in the weasel family, head kind of like a fox, long body like a weasel but alot fatter, short legs and a long bushy tail. Strange looking animal. My x-pen is also metal (gold enameled) and it has been outside for 1 1/2 years and it hasn't rusted at all. It looks just like new. I think most x-pens are meant to be used both inside and outside.

[yorkieusa]

I was going to ask what a fisher was, too! I'm glad you explained. I've never heard of them, but do they ever sound ugly!

[Peabody]

I just logged in to search on hawks--wondered if I was being overly cautious. From the other posts, I see my concerns are true.

I live in the country in NE Oklahoma. A Yorkie breeder warned me before I got my puppy about hawks and owls. She told me about a chiquaqua that she knew of that had been carried off by a hawk in Tulsa--in town! She thought a yard with lots of trees would be safer because the hawk couldn't swoop down so quickly. Even so, I always have my Yorkie on a leash with a harness when we go outside. (Sad, that he can't just run around the yard.) Yesterday I did see a hawk come and circle over us lower than I usually see them. I see another poster had the same experience.

Thanks to the poster re bright pink and orange being colors that hawks would avoid (makes sense--since it wouldn't look like natural prey). Guess I'll make Stoney a vest in hunter's orange.

[2girls]

Last year my mom's neighbor had a kitten scooped up by a hawk.

The scarey thing about it was the kitten was standing about 3 feet away from 2 adults, that hawk had no fear!