DANVILLE — Sean Lucas knew that when the flock of black vultures circled above his pasture in Danville, they weren’t scavenging.
They were hunting.
“They are rotten, nasty birds,” said Lucas, a sheep farmer in Danville. “We have close calls all the time.”
Not to be confused with the bigger and more docile turkey vultures, black vultures will surround, attack and kill small livestock. The birds are a real threat for livestock producers, particularly since black vulture populations seemed to have increased in recent years.
“I’ve had to chase them off more than a dozen times in the last few years. If I or my wife wasn’t around, we would have lost young animals,” Lucas said.
Black vultures are more prevalent in the southwestern part of the state, according to Jeff Pelc, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services. The USDA doesn’t keep track of population numbers, but Pelc said it’s possible that black vultures are spreading out across the state.
“Forest structures in Ohio are aging, which provides better nesting sites. DDT is finally disappearing and people know black vultures are a protected species, so they don’t kill them. All of these are reasons black vultures may be moving north,” Pelc said.
Producers harassed by black vultures have limited options. The birds are protected by federal law, which means producers can’t kill them without a permit, even if they catch the vultures attacking their livestock.
John Groseclose, a Knox County animal control officer, said he knows of two incidents in the last year when livestock in Knox County were killed by black vultures. He said a sheep was killed in Danville last fall, and a newborn calf was killed in Fredericktown last summer.
“I heard about black vultures becoming more of a problem a few years ago. It seems to be a growing problem throughout the state,” Groseclose said.
For producers like Lucas whose livestock are harassed frequently by the birds, one of the only recourses is seeking a depredation permit. Permits are available through the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Services, but local applications must go through Pelc’s office in Columbus.
“Producers must show that they have made an effort to get rid of the birds in a non-lethal manner,” Pelc explained. “They don’t have to wait until they’ve already lost an animal. We recognize that black vultures hang around and become more aggressive and more difficult to scare off over time.”
Lucas applied for and received a depredation permit, but he said he hasn’t had to use it. He doesn’t know where the flock of black vultures roost, which is crucial for getting rid of them.
“The best method for getting rid of black vultures is by using an effigy,” Pelc said. “You kill one of the birds and leave its carcass where the other birds roost. That works to scare them off almost 100 percent of the time.”
The birds do return after a while, however, and the struggle recommenses.
Producers who lose an animal to black vultures may be reimbursed by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Lucas said he is happy to report that he hasn’t had to take that step, but he knows that continued success will require more cooperation and watchful diligence.
“We’ve worked closely with several government agencies and with the OSU Extension Office in Knox County,” Lucas said. “As the territory of these birds continue to increase, more and more producers with pasteurs will be affected.”
