Let’s deal with the first question.

At this time of year, young raptors from all over Alaska, as well as locally nesting species, will move through our area. While we aren’t talking about a big variety of hawks, the list includes some of the most impressive aerial predators in North America. In our spruce forest habitat, at the top of the list would definitely be the northern goshawk. Large, fast and aggressive, goshawks are the most likely bird I’ll be called out to extract from a net or chicken coop. The other likely candidate is the great horned owl, which is even larger and stronger. Both of these raven-sized raptors have extremely strong feet and sharp talons that are capable of inflicting serious injury.

Also very likely to be seen around the yard or bird feeder are two much smaller hawks, the sharp-shinned hawk, and the merlin. These two hawks are not hunting your poultry, but in their pursuit of small birds may end up hitting your fences or windows and be either stunned or killed outright.

Less common, but also possible to see this time of year, are the red-tailed hawk and the northern harrier, neither of which is likely to end up in trouble in your yard. Bald eagles, however, certainly are capable of getting caught in garden netting or a coop, although, so far, I’ve not encountered them in this situation. This short list is by no means complete but does include the most likely raptors you would encounter.

Most of these birds will eventually migrate south for the winter. Before they do, we can expect to see a good number of them. These young hawks have only a short time to figure out a survival plan before serious hunger sets in, and they are still learning how and what to hunt. If you have chickens or other poultry, you’ve probably already been visited, perhaps repeatedly. If they catch one of your domestic fowl, it is a certainty they will be back for more.

Or, they may just be unlucky while chasing birds they see around your yard and end up in your garden netting. Chicken wire, fences, windows and netting are unnatural elements and a serious hazard for raptors. Their collision with these structures, while they are doing what is natural for them to do, is often fatal or may cause permanent injury.

Fortunately, there are a few simple things we can do that may allow the hawks and owls around our homes and gardens a better chance at survival. First of all, if you keep poultry and allow them to range free, you are asking for trouble, and not just from hawks.

Keep your fowl in covered pens and make sure predators (including raptors, mink, lynx and dogs) can’t find a way in. If you use netting as a part of your poultry protection measures, do not use gill netting; instead, go for seine net or something heavy that won’t snare hawks.

The same goes for the netting around your garden — if you are sold on using it, use heavy seine net or something similar. Gill net is a sure way to kill hawks and owls, and that’s where most of the raptor injuries I have to deal with come from.

Also, if you keep a bird feeder, place it well away from windows so that when hawks are in pursuit of prey, they don’t end up hitting glass, which to fleeing prey looks like an escape route. Pheasants and other large quarry are capable of breaking windows while trying to flee from hawks, and I know of at least one case in Homer where this has happened.

If you do end up with a hawk or owl that needs to be removed from your yard, don’t try to handle it. Call the Alaska Department of Fish and Game at 235-8191 for assistance.