As stated in an earlier blog, I always place all remains from my deer and turkey harvest back into nature. I can not casually throw these parts into a dumpster or garbage can. This tradition of mine proves a lot more work and time for me, but I feel this act is part of the respect for the animal I have mentioned in a past blog…nothing wasted!
Everything returns back to the natural world. The parts I place out in the wilds are consumed by predators such as foxes and coyotes to many specie of bird life. Crows, chickadees, woodpeckers, the tufted titmouse, nuthatches and a host of other birds are helped to survive brutal winters by eating the muscle and fat tissue supplied by these parts. Like I said, these all return to nature.
My tradition too is to place the rib cage in the trees around my property. The crows usually discover this food treasure in short order. All the birds listed above enjoy feeding too. What I enjoy are the hawks. I have watched two red-tailed hawks eating at the rib cages. (I haven’t been able to get a good photo yet!)
Male Cooper's hawk by my feeder
I often see the Cooper’s hawk on my property. These fast-fliers take an occasional bird to eat. Although, I do not wish this to happen, I realize the hawk has to kill to eat… a fact of nature! Whenever, A hawk sighting occurs on the property the area seems 100% void of bird life. They are hiding motionless among the many limbs of the vegetation I have planted. Sooner or later the hawk flies away and seemingly in an instance the feeders are filled again with activity.
Larry A. Smail's Blog 
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