Woodpeckers

[MassExodus]

I have a decent sized Red Oak tree that I planted in my front yard soon after my father died. Underneath it, my dad's ashes are mixed in with its roots.
I have several other young trees in my yard as well, which woodpeckers seem to be trying to kill.
I've tried various things to scare them off. Even a makeshift scarecrow. Nothing is working.
I live in the country, on ten acres, and while my nearest neighbors are 200 yds away, It seems like everytime I get my 22 theres a house in the background, behind the birds.
So I bought a very nice pellet gun, a very pricey German engineered one that I'm already very fond of, haha, and today I couldn't shoot the damned woodpecker. I find the task disgusting. I've watched a pair of roadrunners raise a chick in the lower branches of this tree. I still see all three of them occasionally, though the baby isn't with the pair anymore. My point is, I have a live and let live policy, And I don't want to kill these birds. What can I do? How do I keep woodpeckers away? Are there such things as non lethal bird rounds? I don't want to kill these birds. But they've already killed my biggest shade tree, and theres no way in hell I'll let them kill my dads oak. They keep coming back though, and the tree they killed has a hole right through the center, almost all the way through..any suggestions?

 

[Kymura]

http://www.wildlifeanimalcontrol.com/woodpeckerrepellent.html
Is about all.i could find

 

[MassExodus]

Yeah, I kinda figured I wouldn't have a choice. I was hoping for another way. Its distasteful enough having to kill rattlesnakes out here.

 

[Kymura]

Did you try the shiny things first? Might be worth a try. Said even old CD's might scare them off. I'm with you Mass, unless it's a venomous snake in my yard, and that's to protect my worthless pack. I try hard to live and let live....
But sometimes we're backed into a corner

 

[MassExodus]

I had a paper plate with tinsel on it as the head of my scare crow. Cans hanging from strings. Running outside and yelling at them. That's about all I could think of. I even started letting the dogs out front instead of the back yard. Nada. Well, it was worth asking. So it goes..

 

[Entity]

@MassExodus woodpeckers were digging my grapevine and i put a rubber snake and an owl with the bobblehead got it at lowes i think. and i havent seen them since. not sure which one did the trick.

 

[MassExodus]

You know its funny, I hear, but never see, two distinct owls on my property, but birds still flock to my yard and build nests everywhere. I'll try the rubber snake and the owl both though.

 

[kormath]

I get the live and let live, but the pests have to be dealt with. You can't kill woodpeckers though, they're federally protected, unless you have a permit. Shiny flashy objects are said to work, like @Kymura said. Balloons are said to work, shiny irridescent streamers are said to be the best, they shine and flash like a CD in the wind and make noise. those might be your best bet.

 

[MassExodus]

I didn't take a pic, but my scarecrow had plenty of shiny, flashy noisy stuff on it. No dice. They come close and study it, then, next they're boring holes in your trees again. Didn't know they were protected..too bad, really. Its pretty lonely out here, anyway..

 

[kormath]

I didn't take a pic, but my scarecrow had plenty of shiny, flashy noisy stuff on it. No dice. They come close and study it, then, next they're boring holes in your trees again. Didn't know they were protected..too bad, really. Its pretty lonely out here, anyway..

Right but the scarecrow is down near the ground, they're up in the trees annoying everything for miles. put the streamers in the trees where they go

 

[MassExodus]

In this case, the trees are down near the ground as well They're all saplings, except for a few. Good sized, but not big. I'm trying to get some shade on my flat, originally almost treeless property and I have young trees growing everywhere now. What's fantastic is they're all doing well. So yeah, I hope the owl works..otherwise there's going to be murder done.