Vultures Threaten Missouri Calves as Herds Shrink

Black vultures are killing young livestock in Missouri as national cattle numbers fall to their lowest level in 75 years.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Agriculture

Black vultures perched on a bare dead tree above a rolling Missouri pasture, with a few cattle grazing in the distance under a gray sky. — Black vultures are preying on young calves across Missouri as national cattle numbers fall to their lowest level in 75 years, with calves worth over $2,000 each. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Black vultures migrating north are preying on Missouri livestock, and producers are dealing with the threat alongside high calf prices and a lasting drought. The Missouri Farm Bureau, USDA, and Missouri Department of Conservation have launched a campaign to help farmers ward off the birds.

Why it matters

Black vultures are generally the only predators that kill calves, and calves under a year old are bringing over $2,000 apiece, making losses costly for producers. Input costs, drought, and disease have already pushed national cattle numbers to their lowest point in 75 years.

Permits authorizing black vulture kills in Missouri rose more than tenfold between 2022 and 2025, while calves under a year old now sell for over $2,000 apiece. The extraction does not report total livestock losses to date.

The players

Missouri Farm Bureau

The state's agricultural advocacy organization, which partnered with federal and state agencies on the vulture-preparation campaign and received authorization in 2021 to permit producers to kill black vultures.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

The federal agency that partnered with the Missouri Farm Bureau and the Missouri Department of Conservation on the campaign to help farmers protect livestock from vultures.

Missouri Department of Conservation

The state agency responsible for managing fish, forest, and wildlife resources, which joined the Missouri Farm Bureau and USDA on the vulture awareness and prevention effort.

The details

Black vultures have affected south Missouri farmers for several years and have now been sighted in Benton, Cole, Moniteau, and Morgan counties in mid-Missouri. The Missouri Farm Bureau, USDA, and Missouri Department of Conservation are running radio ads, social media posts, and a billboard on Interstate 70, while officials have urged removing dead trees to reduce roosting sites.

In 2021, the Missouri Farm Bureau received authorization to permit producers to kill black vultures.
In 2025, more than ten times as many vulture-killing permits were issued as in 2022.
This year, producers are facing added pressure from prices and disease.

Market Landscape

Black vultures are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and cannot be legally killed without a permit, yet Missouri's 2021 authorization and a tenfold permit increase since 2022 show that protection is being weighed against livestock losses. The shift reflects a national cattle herd now at its lowest level in 75 years, leaving producers less margin to absorb predator losses.

Missouri livestock producers face direct financial exposure, since a single calf under a year old is worth more than $2,000 and vultures are generally the only predator that kills calves. Producers can apply for permits to kill black vultures and can remove dead trees that serve as roosting sites.

The takeaway

Missouri livestock owners should review vulture risk on their operations and consider removing dead roosting trees while the state's permit program and awareness campaign remain active. Staying current on permit rules helps producers protect calves while complying with federal protections.