The babies will remains in the nest for six to seven weeks. The hawk becomes less stable and requires a larger range to hunt, therefore they will seek out a place with a large secluded area, usually free of homes and people and a rich food supply. The hawk population has been on the increase in recent years. It has surpassed the red shouldered hawk as the dominant diurnal. This makes the red tail one of the most abundant wintering hawks and one of the most common breeding hawks in Wisconsin and North America.
Older hawks are very shy and difficult to approach.
As one drives down the road one may come across a hawk sitting in a tree. They have become so conditioned to passing cars, that they ignore them. But if a cars stops and someone gets out then they will generally take off. The immature birds are remarkably tame especially during the winter and they usually pay the price for their carelessness. Many farmers now realize that hawks are actually desirable to have around as they control the rabbit, mice and snake population on a farmers land.