Rehoming Ravens

I find I am spending a lot of time fortifying runs and topping cages to prevent the pesky ravens from slaughtering my animals.

But how can you profess to love birds, yet want to do away with ravens.

In my mind I have formulated a sure fire trap to catch these pesky but regal birds.

The area in which I live has vast areas of crown land. There are thousands upon thousands of acres just west of Drayton Valley. If I caught a bunch of these beasts that are hanging around waiting for dinner, what are your thoughts on driving them into the wilderness and releasing them? Yes? No? Why or why not?

They might beat you home.

That would be my first worry. Homing Ravens?

I don't want them to be pests for others, or to disrupt their future raven population too much. The deep dark woods are my last hope before the gun comes out.

I know that rehoming many mammals like squirrels and raccoons and even bears is just a death sentence - they have lost the knowledge of their home geography, where to find food and the seasonal movement patterns. They will not be accepted by the locals of their species and may even be hunted down and killed by them. But ravens - not sure. They are very social and can move around a great deal so I'd tend to favour Fowler's answer. Maybe if you could take them to Japan or England? An ocean might discourage them.

My husband hung gopher traps when he was a kid on the outdoor chicken runs for chicken hawks. It worked like a hot dam. He said it would work with crows or ravens as well. We don't have a problem here but our runs are covered. Something you could try. Ravens are pretty smart so maybe they might learn its dangerous and stay away.

I would have to agree with Fowler. They would probably beat you home unless you drove them to the other side of the country where they may then stay, but more would move in soon enough!! Lol

As the raven flies, eh? Well the other option is to trap them all and shoot them in the trap. They are to wily to stick around when a gun comes out. They don't even like to see me carrying a broom.

I think they would assimilate well if they don't beat me back so maybe it is worth a try.

Big Tom Turkey
My Blue Slate runs with everyone and boy does
he protect. I watch him chase ravens from the field
for hours they will not even try to land anymore
just sit in the outer area in tree's. He even
protects the baby goats.
I even put up with him coming at me once in a while
because he does such a good job.

The ravens just laugh at my turkey and geese. They ignore each other totally.

My dogs both hate ravens and crows. Suspect it is because they steal bones but the dogs do their best to chase them off - but hard when they sit in trees and watch for them to go away. I do find shooting one now and again and hanging it in an obvious spot has a great deterrent, at least for a while. Does not impress human visitors though.

Schipperkesue wrote:As the raven flies, eh?  Well the other option is to trap them all and shoot them in the trap.  They are to wily to stick around when a gun comes out.  They don't even like to see me carrying a broom.  

I think they would assimilate well if they don't beat me back so maybe it is worth a try.

Pop the screens out of your windows and get a good scope on your rifle. It's the redneck way!

Ha ha! I have a lot to learn about being a redneck. First I need to take the test and purchase a gun. I am a pretty good shot in a range with a stationary target. I suspect taking potshots at ravens will be another kettle of corvoids entirely.

Viking used to use ravens when they were sailing long distances. They'd let the bird go and watch where it flew to learn what direction land was in.

If you know any vikings, they might be willing to take them off your hands.

Also Game of Thrones and Tolkien's series both used ravens as messengers.

Maybe those birds are just trying to deliver a letter.

Ravens as unemployed postal workers, interesting thought.

Have a friend who kept losing young chickens to ravens, even though his run was covered, the birds found a way to sneak in. He shot one and now swears that its buddies go out of their way to not even fly over his property. Says he has not had a raven on the place since. So maybe, Sue, you need to take the approach of using one bird to set an example.

I know it is not fun shooting anything (at least we don't like to and try our best to avoid it) but Hub had to shoot a robin once. IT was insane. I think it had Mad Cow disease.   

Was it Robin Williams? I can totally understand and am certain it was justified.

Fowler wrote:
If you know any vikings, they might be willing to take them off your hands.

Isn't Sweetened a Viking?

If I decide to do any raven shooting it will have to happen when Doug is away. And I could never hang one up as an example to the others. Doug would collapse in a crying fit of sadness.

Most crows fear Raptors such as hawks / owls etc , so maybe get a dummy of one of them , or two , and post them on a pole some where that they can't be missed ...................should scare them off ! I have seen a hawk somewhere that would spread it's wings ( fake of course ) every now and then to give it realism but I can't remember where I saw that  ?.But shooting a few and then hanging there corpses will also scare others away ? strange as it would seem........... seeing as a crow is seen as a dark omen ?

I don't think it was Robin Williams, but it was acting extremely bizarrely and beating itself against our windows for hours everyday. It was not right in the head.

I think Sue should hang one raven up wearing an eye patch and bandana around its head with a little sign around its neck "Ravens, Ye Be Warned."

Sue - I have only shot one Raven ever. It was like a kick in my guts when I hit it. I was sickened. But it was marauding my young birds, and I chose to take action. I shot it, and left it where it died. I didn't display it, but I didn't bury it right away either. I did, later, as I just couldn't leave it. That was a few years ago and I haven't seen another Raven perch on any tree or post or building when I'm at home to see it.

Sue, just shoot one, and hang the dead body somewhere in plain sight where you don't want them. THATS the redneck way, and it works. Sometimes you have to shoot a few hostages to save the rest.

How close can you get to one of these ravens? Do you have a pellet gun? [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Do you have your PAL? Possession and Acquisition Licence.
How close are your neighbors? What would the say if they heard you shooting your 22?
Do you have a raccoon trap?  My neighbor uses one of these to trap magpies and it works very well.
How much larger are these Ravens?

I wouldn't try shooting a raven with a pellet gun unless it was one of the higher end ones exceeding 1000fps. Ravens are tough buggers. It can be done, but you run a higher risk of injuring it, and that isn't right.
Shotguns are usually your best bet if you're shooting near other residents, as they're not dangerous up to 2 miles like rifles can be. Noisier, yes, but much safer.

Hillbilly wrote:I wouldn't try shooting a raven with a pellet gun unless it was one of the higher end ones exceeding 1000fps. Ravens are tough buggers. It can be done, but you run a higher risk of injuring it, and that isn't right.
Shotguns are usually your best bet if you're shooting near other residents, as they're not dangerous up to 2 miles like rifles can be. Noisier, yes, but much safer.

I agree Hillbilly, I believe you need a PAL to buy one of the high zoot pellet guns

Yes you do debbie. Anything over 400fps requires a pal. That's why most pellet guns are 395fps.