novice

[poacherjoe 1]

Basicly im new to falconry and am planning to do some volantry work at a bird of prey center to learn. i have loads to learn and plan to learn a bit before i start a place ment through books and asking questions on hear. would any kind falconer answer these few questions for me

1) is a harris hawk the right bird for catching rabbits and hairs for someone starting off.

2) how long do harris hawks live for

3) is there any books just about harris hawks, any you recomend

4) what sex of bird work the best

5) if a hawk gets wet what do you do ( do you have to bring them inside)

6) is concreet with pea gravel over it best for an aviry floor ( just hoze down)

7) can you work hawks on the lamp

haw do you train it to a dog/ferret

9) haw many times do you fly it of the glove when exersizeing it ( meaning will it get full up and just sit somwere)

10) does manning just mean trainning or somthing else.

ten questions to start and it will be much appreciated

 

thanks joe

[mick1212 389]

1 female harris hawks will take rabbit and hare males will take rabbit not many will take hare

2 harrises can live up to 30 years

3 martin holinshead does a few decent books on hh

4 depends on what type of flying you do i think males are better in woodland females open land

5 depends on what time of year it is if its cold dry them off before nite can get wing tip odema

6 pea gravel on mud will be fine if its deep enough for drainage concrete will hold water

7 hh take to he lamp well

8 when you get your hawk just have the dogs and ferret around when manning befor you drop weight

9 weight management when dropping weight you should know how much a day the bird will eat trial and error just nock 1 8th of an ounce of food of a days ration and weigh it 24 hours later and see how much weight is lost if not then drop a quart youll soon get the gist of it but a hawk will eat alot more in winter after a week or two you should know but make sure you have a mentor with youwhen dropping weight shouldnt be saying this without seeing the hawk and feeling its keel

10 manning is spending quality time with your hawk introducing him to things youll come across while out like tractors horses

[Parabuteos lad 878]

1) is a harris hawk the right bird for catching rabbits and hairs for someone starting off. Female harris will take hare and rabbit, male will take rabbit only. A female red will probably be better for hare.

2) how long do harris hawks live for Harris Hawks in captivity can live up to 30 years, i know of a 28 year old one. Its rare someone has one throughout its life.

3) is there any books just about harris hawks, any you recomend Martin Hollinshead does a few, but theyre more storys of his hunting trips, theres DVDs solely about harris hawks

4) what sex of bird work the best Both equal, but female giives advantage of hare

5) if a hawk gets wet what do you do ( do you have to bring them inside it depends on the time of year, if you think the bird will still be wet at say, 11pm then i'd keep it in overnight

6) is concreet with pea gravel over it best for an aviry floor ( just hoze down) Should be ok

7) can you work hawks on the lamp Yes, you just do some training lessons at night on the creance until she is coming to the fist instantly and hiting the dummy bunny well easier if shes hunting prior to starting this.

haw do you train it to a dog/ferret Keep the dog run, ferret hutch in sight of the bird at all times, she realises theyre not food or danger. When hunting, the first 10 trips, i would hold the bird back if she bates, if she is baiting at a rabbit let her go, but if shes after a ferret and you let her go, you'll be gutted.

9) haw many times do you fly it of the glove when exersizeing it ( meaning will it get full up and just sit somwere its entirely down to you knowing the bird, if your bird eats 3 chicks to keep it at the same weight, i would feed it 2 chopped up into 'tidbits' this ensures you get enough flights, but the bird is still hungry if you lose control you can get her back.

10) does manning just mean trainning or somthing else. Manning is anytime spent with the bird, its training, but not necesarily classed as training. During this time you take the bird out to see things it may be scared of, bikes, dogs, horses etc. after a few times the bird should get used to them and you bond will also strengthen. Most people just do an hour with the bird on the glove watching tv, i dont feel this is enough.

 

 

Hope thats ok

[j j m 6,483]

good luck mate get as much info as you can mate

[poacherjoe 1]

thanks for replys

[Lee C 55]

Hi you can use a hair dryer to help dry the bird off if the weather is cold but it must be Teflon free as Teflon will kill the bird.

Put a heater in the aviary and or bring the bird inside if it is going to be very cold. Never put the bird away wet as it can get frost bite!!

Training is best way from the house / garden as you don't want the bird screaming at you for food or it will scream and scream !!

Man the bird to everything cows sheep horse dog etc. You may find it is fine with your dog but hates all other dogs

Lee William Harris does a book on the Harris hawk. But get a good few books to read.

It is good to see you are getting experience before getting a bird. Well done for that!

ATB

Lee

Edited July 1, 2012 by Lee C