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Started By
Message
re: Any Falconers Here?
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:09 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:09 pm to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
So how does this work? Do you just cut the bird loose and let it go kill something? Does it bring it back to you or do you go find it yourself? How do you keep the bird from eating whatever it is?
It varies a bit, depending on what kind of bird and what kind of game you're hunting. But the general premise is, you make sure the bird is hungry, release it, try to flush some game for it, it catches it, you help kill the game if need be, you trade a piece of food for the game (unless you want the hawk to feed up on what he caught).
They don't bring it back to you. And, for the most part, they won't even come back to you unless they're hungry and you have food.
It's also very heavily regulated. You have to jump through some hoops to become a falconer. It requires a two year apprenticeship under a licensed falconer. You have to take a written exam and have your facilities inspected. And most states (although some new regulations are changing some of this) require you to catch a first year hawk from the wild for your first two years. And it can only be certain species.
This is my bird:
This post was edited on 12/22/11 at 12:11 pm
3
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:11 pm to Teague
You're hard core. Props to you.
Can they kill a big swamp rabbit?
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:14 pm to Nawlens Gator
quote:
Can they kill a big swamp rabbit?
Yes. People kill 15lb jack rabbits with them. I've heard of everything from 'possums to beavers being taken with red-tails (accidentally).
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:22 pm to Teague
Yeah it would be tough with the trees and lack of small ponds. We are around Tulsa, so there us plenty of small ponds and not a lot of trees.
His bird usually goes to about 1000 feet, the stoop from that high is incredible
His bird usually goes to about 1000 feet, the stoop from that high is incredible
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:24 pm to Teague
Do you have long hair and a beard?
Just kidding. That is an awesome hobby to get into. Good luck.
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:27 pm to mark65mc
quote:
Do you have long hair and a beard?
I have a beard and a buzz cut.
quote:
That is an awesome hobby to get into. Good luck.
I like it. It takes a certain kind of crazy though.
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:28 pm to Teague
2 words:
gopro hawkmount
DO IT
gopro hawkmount
DO IT
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:30 pm to TexasTiger34
quote:
2 words: gopro hawkmount
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:31 pm to Teague
quote:so how the frick do you get him back?
They don't bring it back to you. And, for the most part, they won't even come back to you unless they're hungry and you have food.
quote:and how the hell do you do this?
require you to catch a first year hawk from the wild for your first two years. And it can only be certain species.
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:32 pm to TexasTiger34
quote:
2 words:
gopro hawkmount
DO IT
Is that a camera?
There's actually a guy wanting to meet up with us at our club meet and put a camera on some birds. Not sure if that's going to happen or not.
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:36 pm to Teague
yea it's a camera, but probably too heavy realistically
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:43 pm to CarRamrod
quote:
so how the frick do you get him back?
Probably the most important aspect of falconry is weight management. Birds gain and lose weight very quickly. You basically keep track of how much you're feeding the bird and how much it weighs so that you can be sure he's hungry when you take him hunting. If they're too fat, they won't really hunt and you may have trouble getting them to come back to you. If they're too light, they'll be too weak to hunt.
quote:
and how the hell do you do this?
It's actually a lot easier than you'd think. I won't go into detail here, just because I don't want to encourage anyone who might be reading this to do it without proper training and licensing.
After you catch it, it generally takes 2-4 weeks of "manning" and training to be ready for your first hunt (with a red-tail anyway).
This post was edited on 12/22/11 at 12:44 pm
Posted on 12/22/11 at 12:43 pm to TexasTiger34
Posted on 12/22/11 at 1:07 pm to AlxTgr
Wow, that golden eagle is huge.
Posted on 12/22/11 at 1:52 pm to Teague
Are you an apprenticing under a master falconer?
Posted on 12/22/11 at 2:02 pm to Rickie
quote:
Are you an apprenticing under a master falconer?
I was originally going to apprentice under a master falconer that had been doing it for a very long time, but he moved out of state. He hooked me up with one of his former apprentices. I think he has his master's license, but I can't remember for sure. He may just be a general. He doesn't live very close to me, so I mainly just contact him by phone or email if I have any questions.
Posted on 12/22/11 at 2:16 pm to Teague
Are you mainly hawking rabbits? I assume you are flying a red tail?
Does everyone mainly hawk down there because of the terrain?
I take it that it would be difficult to get a falcon going......
Does everyone mainly hawk down there because of the terrain?
I take it that it would be difficult to get a falcon going......
Posted on 12/22/11 at 2:23 pm to Rickie
Rabbits and squirrels. Mainly squirrels during the week because it gets dark so early I don't have time to go to the rabbits.
Yes, I have a red-tail. Very few people have falcons in AL. The vast majority hunt with red-tails and harris hawks. Some hunt birds with Cooper's hawks and a lot of people play around with Kestrels but about all the Kestrels catch is mice, grasshoppers, and an occasional small bird.
It would be tough to fly a falcon because most of the state is heavily forested and some of it is mountainous. Also, there really isn't much game for a falcon other than ducks and there's not a ton of them except on large bodies of water. We don't have pheasants and I've never seen a grouse. People fly the cooper's at quail sometimes.
And I think there's only something like 50 licensed falconers in the state and a lot of those probably aren't active.
Yes, I have a red-tail. Very few people have falcons in AL. The vast majority hunt with red-tails and harris hawks. Some hunt birds with Cooper's hawks and a lot of people play around with Kestrels but about all the Kestrels catch is mice, grasshoppers, and an occasional small bird.
It would be tough to fly a falcon because most of the state is heavily forested and some of it is mountainous. Also, there really isn't much game for a falcon other than ducks and there's not a ton of them except on large bodies of water. We don't have pheasants and I've never seen a grouse. People fly the cooper's at quail sometimes.
And I think there's only something like 50 licensed falconers in the state and a lot of those probably aren't active.
This post was edited on 12/22/11 at 2:25 pm
Posted on 12/22/11 at 2:36 pm to Teague
Pretty much just a Saints fan here..
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