Adopt A Dead Person Project

Why Did Deerfield Put a Bounty on Hawks?

By: Matt Morissette

                    Lots of information on Hawks was found on the Internet and DCS Library. Some hawks that can be found in New Hampshire are the Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus), the Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), the Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus), the Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus), Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii), and the Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentiles).

                     The Sharp-shinned hawk is a permanent resident. That means the Sharp-shinned hawk stays in New Hampshire all year round. The Length of the Sharp-shinned hawk is 10.5 inches and the wingspan is 21 inches. Its diet consists of mainly other birds, but once in a while, the Sharp-shinned hawk will have a small mammal such as a rabbit, mouse, or a gopher. The scientific name for the Sharp-shinned hawk is Accipiter striatus. The Cooper’s hawk is a very close relative to the Sharp-shinned Hawk.

                    Cooper’s hawk is a summer resident. That means that Cooper’s hawk lives in New Hampshire only in the summer. The length of a Cooper’s hawk is 15.5 inches and the wingspan is 28 inches. Its diet is the same as the Sharp-shinned hawk, mainly other birds, but once in a while, Cooper’s hawk will have a small mammal such as a rabbit, mouse, or a gopher. The scientific name for Cooper’s hawk is Accipiter cooperii. Immature Northern Goshawks are related to immature Cooper’s hawk by shape and patterning.

                    Northern Goshawks are permanent residents. The length of the Northern Goshawk is 19 inches and the wingspan is 42 inches. Its diet is the same as the Sharp-shinned hawks and Cooper’s hawk, mainly birds but once in a while, the Northern Goshawk will have a small mammal such as a rabbit, mouse, or gopher. The scientific name for the Northern Goshawk is Accipiter gentiles. One close relative of the Northern Goshawk is the Immature Red-shouldered hawk.

            The Red-shouldered hawk is a summer resident, just like Cooper’s hawk. The length of the Red-shouldered hawk is 16 inches and the wingspan is 40 inches. Its diet consists of mainly small mammals such as rabbits, mice, and gophers, but once in a while, the Red-shouldered hawk will have a reptile or amphibian or another bird. The scientific name for the Red-shouldered hawk is Buteo lineatus. The immature Broad-winged hawk is similar to the Red-shouldered hawk except for its tail pattern.

            The Broad-winged hawk is a summer resident just like the Red-shouldered hawk and Cooper’s hawk. The length of the Broad-winged hawk is 13 inches and the wingspan is 33 inches. Its diet consists of mainly small mammals such as rabbits, mice, and gophers, but once in a while, the Broad-winged hawk will have a bird, insect, reptile or amphibian. The scientific name for the Broad-winged hawk is Buteo platypterus. The Broad-winged hawk is a relative of the Red-tailed hawk because it has broader wings.

            The Rough-legged hawk is a winter resident that means that the Rough-legged hawk only lives in New Hampshire in the winter. The length of the Rough-legged hawk is 19 inches and the wingspan is 52 inches. Its diet is the same as the Red-shouldered hawk, mainly small mammals such as rabbits, mice, and gophers, but once in a while, the Rough-legged hawk will have a bird, reptile, or amphibian. The scientific name for the Rough-legged hawk is Buteo lagopus. A relative of the Rough-legged hawk is the Broad-winged hawk cause the Rough-legged hawk has broader wings than it.

         The hawk that Deerfield put a bounty on wasn’t any of the hawks mentioned above.  These hawks, however, may well have been in the area, at times, because they are closely related to the Red-Tailed Hawk. In fact it was the Red-tailed Hawk, a permanent resident only in southern New Hampshire, that was preyed upon in Deerfield. In northern New Hampshire, the Red-tailed hawk is a summer resident.

        The Length of the Red-tailed hawk is 18 inches and the Wingspan is 48 inches. Its diet consists of small mammals such as rabbits, mice, and gophers. But once in a while, the Red-tailed hawk would have a bird, insect, crayfish, reptile, or amphibian. The scientific name for the Red-tailed hawk is Buteo jamaicensis.

        Red-tailed hawks have been hunted since the beginning of time. Back in 3,000 B.C. Egyptians and Asians used Red-tailed hawks to hunt. So Red-tailed hawks were kind of like hunting dogs for the Egyptians and Asians.

        Back in the 1800’s, bounties were paid for the Red-tailed hawk right here in Deerfield, New Hampshire. Mostly farmers were paid to do the shooting. [It seems likely that] since the Red-tailed hawks had an appetite for poultry and game birds, and some were killing livestock, Deerfield put a bounty on hawks.

There were many types of guns back in the 1800’s that a farmer could have used to shoot a Red-tailed hawk. Some that I found were an 1860 “Henry rifle”, a Henry Octagonal Barrel Rifle, a P-160 Enfield Rifle, a 6-shot Rifle, a Enfield Three Band Percussion Rifle, a Spencer, a US Model 1861 Springfield Rifle Musket, a Flintlock Double Barrel Shot Gun, and a U.S.A M1865 “Remington” Rifle.

The 1860 “Henry rifle” was used in the Civil War and Wild West for rapid fire. Its length is 42.5 inches and it weighs 6.5 pounds.

The Henry Octagonal Barrel Rifle was used during the Civil War and Wild West, its 44 inches long and weighs 6.5 Pounds.

The P-160 Enfield Rifle was used in the Civil war and is also called the 1860 Enfield Civil War Musketoon. Its length is 40 inches and it weighs 5 pounds.

The 6-shot Rifle was used in the Wild West and is also called a U.S.A. M1850 Revolving Musket. Its 42 inches long and weighs 5.5 pounds.

The Confederates used the Enfield Three Band Percussion Rifle in the Civil War. Its 55 inches long and weighs 5.4 pounds.

The North used the Spencer in the Civil war. Its 42 inches long and weighs 8 pounds.

Both the North and the South used the US Model 1861 Springfield Rifle Musket during the Civil War. It was sold to both sides by Europe.

The Flintlock Double Barrel Shot Gun was used in the years 1700-1800. Its 44 inches long and weighs 3 pounds.

The U.S.A M1865 “Remington” Rifle was used in the 19^th century as a sporting rifle. Its 44 inches long and weighs 5 pounds.