Cages! They won't keep out the underground critters - but most everything above ground. You're probably thinking of just digging a nice garden out in the open - with a critter-proof fence all around the perimeter. How I would love that myself! Unfortunately, I live on the edge of a canyon wildlife preserve - Whose inhabitants visits my place almost nightly. You'd think with all that lovely preserve to play in, that they'd leave me alone! However, because of the steepness of the canyon and sloping terrain, it is impossible for a fence to be placed. I would definitely opt for a cage or two. As long as you are going with raised beds eventually, I think it would be less expensive to begin with them anyway. A nice bed made of 1 x 6 cedar board x 2 (stacked) x 8 to 10 ft. long, will grow a lot of stuff. You are thinking of purchasing wire, etc., so the hardware cloth would be the easiest - stretched around some PVC pipe formed into a cage to place inside the box. I guarantee that it will deter most any of the "guests" you mentioned - especially with a wire across the top (birds) - so that leaves ants, aphis and cabbage moth as just about your only invaders. Some Remay cloth stretched over the frame would stop that gap somewhat too. Sorry - if I'm not sounding too optimistic about perimeter fencing, but "been there" "done that" "doesn't work" as I recall, especially if you have that many "interested" visitors, as you mention. Bejay

What do museum people know? The tail alone makes it not a Broad-winged; way too long. It's a juvie Cooper's. -O-

I'd say you are correct with Broad-winged Hawk. -O-

Update on the two fledlings. They are doing well and pretty grown up. Parents are gone. They are still around my yard and get pretty excited when I mow the lawn. They usually find something that I disturb in the grass for them to eat. I decided to have some fun yesterday (too much time on my hands I guess) with them to get a closer look. I put a red hot dog on the lawn attached with fishing line far out in the back. No hooks by the way. I kept twitching it across the grass while they were perched above. You guessed it, one of them from high above dove down onto it where I could see it up close. He only ate a little of the dog though then took off. I did it again and the other one dove at it again. This hawk kept picking at the fishing line but didn't stay too long. I didn't have the camera handy, but what a sight to see it fold up its wings from high above to attack it. Oh, by the way, when I was about 12 yrs old,61 now, I used to have five of these Broad winged hawks as pets. I wish I could find the pic that was taken of me with one sitting on my shoulder. Thats it for now.