Brutal hawks attack cellar dwellers

KELLER, Texas – High above a tree in the Mount Gilead community of Keller sits a hawk’s nest.

Neighbors said they have been on guard over the past three months after a pair of red-tailed hawks attacked people about two dozen times.

Neighbor Anastasia Schumer said everyone in her family was attacked, including her daughter Madison.

“They come down with such force,” Schumer said.

The pair of falcons protect three chicks in their nest.

“I get the mail every day and every time I get the mail I get hit,” Madison said.

According to the Schumer family, there were young animals in the same nest last year. Since then, Madison has suffered six attacks. She has scars on her head, including one near her eye.

“They hit really hard, she thought it was a baseball bat,” Schumer said.

The Schumers are not alone.

They told WFAA that their pool, lawn and roof staff were attacked.

Another neighbor, Alana Gray, said her 72-year-old mother was also a victim.

“My mother has deep wounds in her scalp that go down to the bone,” Gray said.

Gray has contacted several wildlife agencies over the past three months and said she kept running into roadblocks.

The city of Keller acknowledged the issue and told WFAA that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking the lead because the hawks are federally protected.

In a statement to WFAA, the USDA said biologists are currently working to remove the chicks and send them to a local rehabilitation center within the next few days. The nest will then be removed.

The USDA says the adult hawks will be able to nest again and Wildlife Services will use non-lethal methods to remove the birds from the area.

“I like wildlife and I really don’t want to hurt anyone, but they attack us,” Schumer said. “We can’t even go outside.”

The Schuman family adopts their post-drive-through style to avoid the Falcons.

Neighbors have started carrying umbrellas and helmets to protect their heads when they venture outdoors.

“I’m definitely an animal lover myself, but this is out of control,” Gray said.

Gray said a U.S. postal worker was attacked while delivering mail and has not gotten out of his vehicles while delivering mail since then.

“The postwoman was actually attacked twice. Once on both sides of her head and she has permanent nerve damage,” Gray said.

A spokesman for the city of Keller said the hawk family’s move was planned for Friday morning from 7:30 a.m

The USDA has requested assistance from Keller Fire-Rescue and Keller Animal Control.