Eminence, Ky. — Allan Bryant scans the sky as he watches over a minutes-old calf huddled under a tree line with its mother. After a few failed tries, the calf stands on wobbly legs for the first time, looking to nurse.

Above, a pair of birds circle in the distance. Bryant, hoping they're not black vultures, is relieved to see they're only turkey vultures — red-headed and not aggressive.

“Honestly, the black vulture is one of the ugliest things I’ve ever seen,” he said. “They’re easy to hate.”

Black vultures, scavengers that sometimes attack and kill sick or newborn animals, didn't used to be a problem here. But now Bryant frequently sees the birds following a birth. He hasn't lost a calf in several years, but they've killed his animals before. So now he takes measures to stop them.

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