Falconry

[Magwa]

Well I have always been of the mind that in life do the things you dream about and I have always been facinated by birds of prey. I started when I was about 12 climbing trees to hawk nests and reading stories about falconers but never really got into it flash forward to 1988 kids are amost grown and I meet a falconer and poof I am right back to being 12 got in with both feet studied for 6 months took the test passed and became a apperentice.

 

  Got a red tail hawk caught alot of rabbits and 2 years later I was on my own . Now hawks and Falcons hunt in two different ways Hawks are short flights with a big burst of speed they are ambushers, Falcons fly so high up (the good ones do) that you can barely see them and just dive and smack their prey (game birds) huns,ducks,pheasants etc... A Hawk will catch just about anything fur or feathers and my favorite prey was always Jack Rabbits they are fast and cover alot of ground great flights with a Harris or Goshawk.

 

  I do not fly any birds at this time as it is a 365 day commitment you have to feed and water and take care of them every day after 12 years straight the wife (who is also a falconer ) and I decided to take a break we have grand kids now and like to travel a bit and i have new hobbies and I still hunt and fish 200 days a year.. but I will gladly answer any questions about falconry so ask away....

[jrtMA]

I'd imagine you'd need a lot of open space to do this type of hunting. There's not much where I live. Thanks for sharing. It definately seems like a very full-on committment.

[planeflyer21]

Cool!

 

When I was a kid, one of our assistant boyscout troop leaders had hawks and a falconry license.  Badass birds...and HUGE!

 

Any questions, eh...

 

What are the most common type of raptors used for falconry?

 

Anybody ever use small birds, like kites?

 

Are there any raptors that are prohibited from being used in falconry?

 

Despite wanting a bolt-action rifle and a compound bow now, the girl thinks it would be cool to get a hawk.

[Magwa]

Cool!

 

When I was a kid, one of our assistant boyscout troop leaders had hawks and a falconry license.  Badass birds...and HUGE!

 

Any questions, eh...

 

What are the most common type of raptors used for falconry?

 

Anybody ever use small birds, like kites?

 

Are there any raptors that are prohibited from being used in falconry?

 

Despite wanting a bolt-action rifle and a compound bow now, the girl thinks it would be cool to get a hawk.

Most common birds now days are Harris Hawks, Goshawks, Coopers Hawks Red tailed hawks, in the falcons Gyr Peregrine Hybrids, and both peregrine and prarrie Falcons

 

on small birds people fly sharp shinned hawks, merlins, Coopers hawks and kesterels, Kites and hawks like that mainly catch grass hoppers and bugs not very exciting....

 

In Idaho the only raptor that you can not use is a Ferruginous Hawk I do not know why but they do not want you to use them  now other states may have different laws, a licened Falconer is allowed to take young birds from a nest then they are banded and raised as a imprint in other words they think they are human...

 

It is a very rewarding sport but some things to consider you will be a apprentice for two years flying only a red tailed hawk you will have to build a mews (a hawk house) to keep your bird in and buy about 500.00 bucks of equipment... in addition you must have a prey base to fly your bird on which with red tails could be squirrels,or rabbits and have the time and gas money to fly the bird at least 3 times a week.....

[planeflyer21]

All great info!

 

What happens when you're out falc-ing around, and wild hawks/falcons are in the area?  

 

I don't remember what the guy had here in S. AZ but they were BIG hawks...at least to a bunch of boyscouts.

 

My sister had a neighbor at one point who was a licensed "wild life rehabilitator" or some such, people brought him wounded local wildlife and he nursed them back to health, at which point the AZ G&F decided if it could be released back into the wild or needed to go to a zoo/reserve area.

 

What is the cutoff for the age of the birds where "imprinting" won't take anymore?

[Magwa]

about 2 weeks is the cutoff on imprinting but there is a lot of danger in imprinting, the bird will loose it's natural fear of humans and when that happens you may become the focus of it's frustration when you have to cut it's weight to fly it at game and face attacks are common. the other bad thing about imprinting is that once imprinted they can never be turned back to the wild....

 

 In S AZ most likley candidate is a Harris hawk they are fun birds and social you can hunt them in groups like a wolf pack, they are warm climate birds so they live free in TX and NM and Az. but up here they have to have heated quarters in the winter

 

  Wild birds  can be a real problem when you are hunting Eagles are the worst but any bird of prey can try to get your bird if they are competing for a hunting area but by staying close to your bird ,wild ones will stay away from you because they still fear humans....

[unforgiven]

Brother Mike that is very cool.Great info.

[Rsquared]

Brother Mike is ONE bad ass playing with those predator birds. I like it. That's cool as hell.

[unforgiven]

<lmao> ^^^^ Just caught it.So when is the CMMG SBR w/can gonna happen brother??? I'll take you'r "seconds" now that you have a new love. <lmao>  <laughs>

Edited September 6, 2013 by unforgiven

[Rsquared]

Yeah right. Don't get your hopes up my brother. Our man Matt is like a shuttle that's not operating on all thrusters............just sayin.

 

But that's why he's on the short bus with us I guess.

 

Besides......somebody has to pass beers......er, ah.......water to the pilot and navigator

[unforgiven]

Yeah right. Don't get your hopes up my brother.  :'(

 

Besides......somebody has to pass beers......er, ah.......water to the pilot and navigator  <thumbsup>

[shepp]

That would be very, out at my parent house there is a family of goshawks 4 of them total. They are so cool to watch the young chase each other around and some times mom gets in on it too. The Squrreil and rabbit population is waaaaay down out there lol

[Magwa]

Yeah lol a family of Gos's depletes the small game for a few miles for sure... and what is left hides all the time they know better than to show themselves... :)

[planeflyer21]

This was too cool not to post!

 

 

[Robocop1051]

Gawdam! It looks like a Harrier jet is landing on her arm!

[Magwa]

That my friends is the largest raptor on the planet a Harpy's Eagle from south America they breed them here in Idaho at the birds of prey center on the Snake river they weigh up to 25 lbs..... do NOT Fook with one their legs are almost as big around as your wrist and their talons are as long as your fingers. They make a living killing monkeys and if you ever visit a nest site it will freek you out as all around the tree on the ground are skulls

 

 

and here are some smart golden eagles....

 

Edited November 20, 2013 by Magwa

[unforgiven]

Infukincrediable,wow.It's not the fall,but the sudden stop that gets you. :eek:

[washguy]

That is so kewl! Here where I live you know spring is coming cause the red tail hawks are everywhere when spring is on us.

Last year I was stuck in traffic on the freeway by an overpass...a redtail was on the shoulder munching on a pigeon :) Wash

[seasprite]

Showed it to my wife her facial expressions were priceless  :eek:  <laughs>  

[planeflyer21]

Was trying to find footage of a forest eagle, hunting in dense forest…their maneuverability is AWESOME!!

 

Found this instead:

 

[Magwa]

that is a good one Goshawks rock.....

[planeflyer21]

That's pretty much what that eagle was doing too but in very dense woods…flap-flap, wings folded through tight spots, half-flap, another hole, kick off the ground, flap-flap-flap SNATCH!!