Hawks

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yote_tote

New member
How many of you have hawks fly in when calling? We must be loaded with them here in Pa.I mostly hunt forested country and i have these darn little hawks about the size of a pigeon fly in when calling for coyotes.They have a creamy light colored belly with light brown tail and wing feathers.What kind of hawks would these be? They show up at about 50% of my calling stands.They say hawks are protected,i can't for the life of me figure out why. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gifThe woods are full of them.
 
My son and I always see them here in NEPA as well. I was figuring they were sparrow hawks. A few times we'd call up a red-tail. The other evening I had a huge owl land in the tree 10ft above me. It was like a mexican stand off, he'd be watching my speaker to my JS Preymaster and when I would barely move my finger to hit rodent distress his head would spin and look at me. I took some pic's but they didnt turn out so well.

Vic
 
I've been told by successful predator callers that birds of prey responding to your calling is a good sign. I'm told to be alert & give the stand a little extra time. HTH
 
I've heard it and seen it too many times to discount stories of coyotes following in crows or vice versa to an easy meal. I figure I'm doing something right if I'm bringing in crows or hawks. And I love the sound of blue jays squawkin', you know something's on the way.
 
Quote:
What kind of hawks would these be?



At the size it sounds like Sparrow Hawks. Fasicinating little creatures to watch while they hunt over a field.
 
The Kestrel falcon (aka sparrow hawk) is actually only the size of a robin. The only pigeon sized hawk in PA is called the Merlin falcon. The only others that comes close is the Sharp-shinned and Coopers hawk. But they have a very distinguishable long, barred tail. One of the greatest places in the U.S. to watch migrating raptors is on PA's famous Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.
 
I had one swoop down on me while calling a steep drainage . Scared the crap out of me . I was focused on a coyote in the bottom ,quite a ways off when all the sudden I got flapping wings at my shoulders . I turned quick cracking my back in about 5 places , thought I had a Bobcat or a Lion come to give me a visit . I laugh about it now , it was'nt funny then . No , I did'nt get the coyote either .
 
It always makes me feel a little better after blowing on a call for a while and having a hawk come flying in to my stand.....if it sounds good to them I must be doing something right.
 
the very first time i set the fx3 up i had a red tail halk swoop down and try to take it off.e tx we have all kind of halks and owls.i have a couple of red tail halks that nest in a tree in my back yard.they are fun to watch.
 
I had some crow dekes set it a plowed field one day & a hawk came swooping in & turned sideways with his legs stretched out to grab a deke by the neck. You shoulda seen the look on it's face when the dust sttled after the loud thump on the hard plastic decoy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif We've had em come in to steal a dead crow before as well.
 
They show up quickly here. It is interesting how they get worked up. I do worry when they figure out it isn't dinner and leave that it sends a signal of false alarm.
 
My hunting partner and I both have callers and very often he uses his call on a disress call with mine turned to crows. Works very good.
 
I have had owls come in just a coupla feet above my head, weird feeling. My brother and I were calling one night from the truck (in my pasture) with mouth calls and an owl almost made it inside the cab with us, that bird would have had himself an '98 chevy!
 
2 years ago I was hunting with a friend and was trying out my homemade decoy, a stuffed lion about 1/2 the size of a cottentail, on a spike and a screendoor spring...the decoy was moving with the breeze, and my THO jackrabbit was crying, and a very big redtail hawk came in grabbed at the decoy, and then pulled up and came back again after it...the stake was really in the ground, and he must have though the critter weighed 20 lbs..he gave up, but tore some stiches loose on poor "Leo"...
 
i don't have too many hawks respond but the crows and turkey buzzards go nuts. the strange thing is they won't come in to a high pitched cottontail type sound. they only come in to a raspier deep jack rabbity sound. it's strange because there isn't a jackrabbit within 800 miles of here. if i had a shotgun with me last season i would have been king of crows.
 
I called in a Bald eagle once, it came in and sat in the tree I was next too and kept stareing at me. It was an experience for sure. First time I had seen one at 5 ft away.
 
I have redtail hawks grab at my decoy all the time.I have to stand up and start waving to get rid of them and mess my stand up.
 


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