Hawking/Falconry

[Graywolf]

Spent yesterday learning about Hawking/Falconry the art of hunting with a bird of prey.It was a wonderful experience(and the wife paid)
Some of the birds handled included Harris Hawk,Sparrowhawk,Saker Falcon and Bengal Owl.
Clayton

 

[StormWalker]

On Crufts last night it had a bloke who used Hungarian Wire Haired Vizlas (dogs) to put up prey for his imprinted Bald Eagle to hunt. I thought when i was watching it that it would be a great skill to master to hunt with birds of prey and dogs.
Please tell me more about the course.

Cheers in advance.

StormWalker

 

[Nemisis]

I'm jealous I held a European eagle owl at a demonstration a few months ago beautiful bird wonderful experience.
Dave.

 

[Wayne]

I did my flaconry training at the National Bird of Prey center it was a great course. Hard work but learnt loads.

Highly recommended.

Be careful with imprints though they can be difficult to handle.

 

[Salix]

I thought that on crufts was pretty amazing, with the Vislas and eagle, wow.
Every year we have a bird of prey demonstartion at out Green Fayre, it's done by Cheshire waterlife, and it always ges down well with the public. The birds are all on display when not working as well, people can go up quite close to them, an the eagle owls always have this great look on their face when a little dog sneaks past..........he he he!
We also have a few guys that come up an fly their harris hawks on the park, but we cant allow them to hunt, Council Rules an all that

mark

 

[Graywolf]

One of the instructors said he would be willing to give me individual instruction I am certainly going to take him up on the offer,this would be a great skill to have.Something I have always wanted to do but never got round to doing it.
Clayton

 

[Graywolf]

I saw crufts and those dogs amazing,but I am sure that I read somewhere that the British Hawking Association do not agree with this practice(using dogs and birds hunting together)I will have to see if I can find it on the net.
Clayton

 

[torjusg]

I am not too fond of this sport. Was ok when people where farther between. Today the demand for these birds threaten the existance of the predator birds in places where there is no tradition for this activity. For instance Norway.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[Graywolf]

Torjus,
I do not agree with any sport which includes the killing or maiming of another animal(Fox hunting,Hare coarsing,Badger baiting etc).Even hunting whether it is with a firearm or bow is a sport I do not agree with.But I do believe that if my life and families relied on me gathering food by killing animals I would have the skill to carry this out as when I was younger I hunted with both these weapons.Now falconry is a skill I have longed to learn since I was a child,I did not know it was a sport,I know now that some do participate in hawking/falconry as a sport.But I look at it another way as a conservation issue.There were raptors all over this country,not so now, if I progressed into Hawking as a hands on interest it would have to be with a bird that naturally inhabited my locality.
Clayton