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I know we live in the real world, but my thing is, the poster came here complaining of a legitimate problem, and I have no problem with solutions offered besides "shoot, shovel, shut up," but my point is, those methods are more of a hassle & rather than this problem having to take over the poster's life, why doesn't the government get out of his way and let the man legally do what he has to do to protect his castle? What's the difference in him/her doing that regarding a flicker or woodpecker or whatever vs spraying for bugs or setting traps for mice? It's a pest, pure & simple.
And I was saying that if I were rich at the JR Ewing level I'd do things like he did, assuming you can. For instance, you have Magpul leaving the state of Colorado in response to the changes in the gun laws. I'm saying I'd be one to threaten doing that sort of thing if they harassed me over me exercising pest control on my own freaking property. I don't see that stupid bird's name on my property deed, and it isn't my fault it's too stupid to take a hint and leave me alone, it's not my job to practically quit my job and turn into the "Bird Whisperer" and talk to it in Bird-ese language to convince it to please let me alone.
I don't know where the poster lives, but here, we live in the boonies & people all around me practice "shoot, shovel, shut up" with any sort of pest that causes them problem, and as far as I'm concerned, I think it's great. The birds I've seen have been red "generic" birds that just fly off in the trees etc, I've had no problems at all. If that's because we just don't have woodpeckers period, fine, if it's because the neighbors have shot them & moved on with their lives instead of quitting their job and mutating into the "Bird Whisperer," I think that's just fantastic personally.
We have a flicker that flies up under the eaves on the house in one general location. He pecks relentlessly under the eaves. I noticed the other day that he has chipped through the roof sheathing in one spot and the bottom side of the shingles. or tar paper is visible. Would like to discourage him from this. Does anyone know how I might discourage him? Kind of wonder if I just put a box up there with a hole in it, if he would just go inside and leave the house alone. Not sure if he is looking for a nesting spot, or just behaves this way. Thanks.
Flickers are interesting in that they are the only woodpecker who will feed on the ground. Look around and you may find little cone shaped holes in your yard.
This time of year he/she may actually be building a home. Maybe he has found a wet spot or soft spot and is working on it. I'd try a plastic owl that gardeners use. Hang it where the owl can 'see' the flicker's spot.
Territorial Drum:
The territorial drum is used by woodpeckers to announce their presence to all who may be concerned, and is done on gutters or some other loud spot. It makes the regular tat-tat-tat-tat-tat Woody Woodpecker kind of sound, and it not a feeding sound. The feeding or building sound is an irregular peck....peck-peck...peck...........peck kind of thing.
I'd have a carpenter remove the damaged wood and replace it. If you don't do that other animals will find it. The wood is probably a little rotten anyway.
I found this article on woodpecker damage: Woodpecker Damage Prevention and Inspection - InterNACHI. It has some good pictures and recommendations (including the netting I was recommending). It also goes on to state: " The unlawful killing of woodpeckers is punishable by fines and incarceration". That is a federal regulation under the North American Migratory Bird Act.
Somewhere in the hardwood swamps or pine forests of the southeastern U.S. there MAY be the last of the Ivory-billed Woodpeckers, the holy grail of the bird world. This huge black and white woodpecker, at 20 inches long, is one of the largest woodpeckers in the world and very well may be extinct. But hope survives, along with some unconfirmed sightings in recent years.
Let's say the Ivory-billed starts pecking on your house. You shoot him. His mate appears to see what the commotion is and you shoot her. Poof! Extinction for an entire species. Not so far-fetched as it happened with the Passenger Pigeon in the early 1900s, a bird so widespread that huge flocks would darken the sky as they flew overhead. Today not a single one left.
That's the reason most birds are protected. I challenge you to take an interest in the birds in your yard, especially the "generic red bird." I'm sure you have a pair of binoculars and you can get a bird guide from your local library. Please let me know when you identify it. We'll talk later.
I just built a quick bird house and put it under the eave. I guessed at the size, but it seems like it should be large enough. Thanks for all of the suggestions. We'll see if it works.
Frankly, WHO CARES that it's illegal to shoot them? If I were rich, I'd be inclined to shoot them, TELL anyone who asked, and then DARE them to do anything about it. The minute they tried to prosecute me, I'd "go JR Ewing" on them and do things like shut down the main factory that employed 1,200 workers etc and let it be known--if you don't want that to happen, then don't mess with me. On my property, I AM THE LAW.
I mean gee whiz, what kind of world do we live in where a stupid bird has the right to peck all over your house, damaging it and/or driving you crazy with the noise, and legally you can't touch them? For crying out loud, that stupid bird doesn't pay my property taxes or mortgage, I don't see their name on the deed, and you mean to tell me I'm not legally allowed to touch them? SCREW them. Bang bang!
I mean, really, what's the difference between shooting a woodpecker and killing nuisance mice with mice traps? Next thing you know they're going to try & make it illegal to do that, or to spray bugs in your house. To me it's all pest control, the day they pay my property taxes & mortgage then I'll give a rip about their "rights."
That is one thing I like about where we live--we live in the boonies, and it's totally commonplace for people to just shoot any such nuisances and go on with their lives. It's called "shoot, shovel, shut up" & frankly I think a person should be able to do this ANYWHERE period. Don't tell me that I paid $150,000 for this house and I have to interrupt my life by engaging in a woodpecker resistance program when I can much more quickly & easily just shoot the stupid things and go on with my life. The law can shove it in such cases for all I care.
Partner, I agree with much of what you say, if not the spirit of how you are saying it. You do, however, seem to have missed the most important point of the SSS trilogy, and with the internet being what it is, I would mention that you might want to revisit the school of country wisdom and finish out your education on the SSS methodology.
As far as Flickers go, as long as they leave my structures alone, I like having them around. If they start bothering the structures(they never have), I'll drive them off. No real need to kill something that isn't in the process of killing family, pets or stock, usually there's time to figure out some less destructive discouragement. Now if something is attacking anything of mine that breathes, then it's curtains for that critter, and no regrets. Or bragging. Just SSS.
We had a cardinal do peck on our window every day. Went to the store, bought a realistic rubber snake and laid it on the window sill. He never came back. Snakes are a natural enemy of birds.
Yeah, I put pieces of washing machine hose in the garden and fruit trees to ward off birds. Keeps the blackbirds from cutting off young plants to build their nests with.
We have a flicker that flies up under the eaves on the house in one general location. He pecks relentlessly under the eaves. I noticed the other day that he has chipped through the roof sheathing in one spot and the bottom side of the shingles. or tar paper is visible. Would like to discourage him from this. Does anyone know how I might discourage him? Kind of wonder if I just put a box up there with a hole in it, if he would just go inside and leave the house alone. Not sure if he is looking for a nesting spot, or just behaves this way. Thanks.
A flicker pecking on your house...be grateful, it could be the other way around.
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