Neat pics Phil! Thanks for sharing them.

Just today i seen a hawk fly about 6 feet above the ground thru my cousins yard.
Wasn't sure why it was so low,anyway my cousin and nephew started to play with the metal detector. I told him about the hawk and if he seen it when he pulled in. he said no. but any way there in the yard about 15 minutes later he found half a rabbit . So that is why the hawk was so low. He was comming down to finish it off right when my cousin pulled in and just kept flying.

Catching nature on film is fun. Thanks for the photos Phil.

Most hawks here that we have seen will drop down out of the sky onto thier prey. After nailing thier pray will stay on it until it is dead. Then fly away with the victim to either eat in peace or feed thier young with..

Ruger developed the 17 RFM a while back and all through out the development program avian predator numbers kept expanding.
With blended powders and quality bullets, speed and incredible accuracy were the results.

These two factors happening during the same time time period coincidence? I don't think so.

This from 2007 article I found.


Endangered Rabbits Returned to Wild, Quickly Eaten

EPHRATA, Wash. — Most of a group of 20 endangered rabbits that were reintroduced to the wild with great fanfare last month have been killed by predators, state officials said.

Hays said two males were removed earlier this month and will be returned at the end of April. The other 14 rabbits are believed to have fallen victim to predators, mainly coyotes, but also hawks and owls, Hays said.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,265456,00.html



Loosing battle when you got to many predators to save any thing worth hunting.

Hows the wood rats doing? To bad they don't take as much concern in or small game animals as they do stupid rats.

RSB will _ _ _ _ himself if he reads this thread, I am torn as I like watching the eagles and ospreys work. the hawks and owls seem to be a dime a dozen anymore and i have had more than one come into my dying rabbit set up! Mybe need thinned out, some cover left. It goes back to what I have said before, take control of your hunting areas, do not wait on the PGC to help or act. Create your hedge rows of berry's and bushes and brush piles. Create food plots design and carry out an animal plan built for all animals not just one species. If you have one species you got all the others w/it. Raptors have their place, however in saving one you have made the playing fileds lopsided for the others.

That's the same message from a "few" forum members that's been shared before. Sadly,for some.It is easier,to pizz and moan.

Yes,exactly. Everyone owns their own hunting lot to do this. Everyone enjoys paying the PGC so they can take care of rats and other non game animals with licenses sales. I can't believe people excpect anything from their dollars they give the PGC. What the he!! are those idiots thinking by complaining and thinking they have a voice in the matter? I am glad there are some really intelligent people on this forum like blkpowder to show us the way. Thank you oh mighty bright and intelligent one with your in the box wisdom.

Don't have my own property, I don't lease property. But have been improving my area's for the last 25 yrs. I choose to enhance the area's I hunt. You choose to pizz and moan. To each their own.