DIY Hawk Platform: Sustainable Gopher Control
Create a hawk platform in your field for natural gopher control, courtesy of our friends at Farm Show.
By GRIT staff
Check out the Alberta SRD’s plans below to see how easy it is to build your own hawk platform. A triangular or rectangular framework is fixed to the pole 10 to 12 feet above ground. A steel mesh or wire lattice is fastened to the framework to provide a nesting platform.
This easy-to-build DIY hawk platform can attract hawks to nest, offering your pasture or cropland a unique, sustainable form of gopher control. With a few inexpensive materials, you can protect your land from the ravages of wily rodents, and assist in preservation of habitat for several species of hawks who would like nothing better than to rid your field of pesky critters. Each breeding pair accounts for up to 500 gophers per season.
According to Brandy Downey, who works with farmers and ranchers who want to install nesting sites, it helps to place the 18- to 20-foot poles as far as possible from other tall objects like cliffs, houses and trees (800 yards is ideal); a good site also avoids areas with daily machinery use or human traffic, such as roads, oil/gas developments, and farmyards. Downey encourages ranchers or landowners with an undesired surplus of ‘varmints’ to contact her at brandy.downey@ca.ab.gov.
Read more: Make tomato cages from field tile cores and learn more about hawk habitats for natural gopher control in the article DIY Tomato Cages and Natural Gopher Control, courtesy of our friends at Farm Show.
