advise needed

[rickardo 76]

hi i have a question im looking at getting a male redtail working with my dog on bunnies ,phesant, poss hare anyway i have spoke to a few people and they say i would be better off with a female harris ? i have a few mates i some times go out with and they fly harries , ive never flowen or seen a redtail fly only on videos, so now i dont know what to do.... so anyone flowen both and what did you think ?

[Kat 3]

hi i have a question im looking at getting a male redtail working with my dog on bunnies ,phesant, poss hare anyway i have spoke to a few people and they say i would be better off with a female harris ? i have a few mates i some times go out with and they fly harries , ive never flowen or seen a redtail fly only on videos, so now i dont know what to do.... so anyone flowen both and what did you think ?

 

This is purely my personal opinion but my redtail is like a fhh with a turbo Hes somewhat bolder and flies harder at prey but hes not as lithe as my fhh. Hes very much a buzzard with added oomph! Trouble is ive only got 1 redtail and several hh's so maybe my comparison isnt very accurate. Also my hunting fhh is creche reared and the red is parent reared so again a different cup of tea lol A female redtail seems to be a rather different story and requires a different level of competence. I think id describe my red as an arsy sod where as the fhh is biddable at any weight..

Might be an idea to befriend a redtail owner and get out and see if one floats your boat..

[gsi2000stokie 5]

THERE NOT A LOT OF A DIFFERENCE IN THE REDTAIL OR THE HARRIS REGARDING TRAINING AND HUNTING. BUT THATS JUST MY OPINION. THEY ARE BOTH RELATIVELY EASY BIRDS TO WORK WITH AS A FIRST BIRD

[rickardo 76]

cheers guys. ive flew a female and male harris but to be honest i want something with a bit more punch if you know what i mean ?

[Ruger8 0]

I have trained both and found a female redtail a much more difficult proposition than a harris hawk, you may get a Harris flying free in two weeks from fat weight, this will not be the case wth a redtail, and if you do it in six, well done.

 

The principles may be the same but the pace of learning is far slower, they are clumsy and niave early on and will fly well one day and at the same weight the next spend 2 hours in a tree. They get stuck awkwardly in trees and will appear lazy and unreposive. I admit to making mistakes and at one point dropped the weight to low aiming for a simular response to the harris, but it is not the same and patience and small steps are needed. I got there in the end but it taught me i was not the expert i thought and that falconry is or can be difficult. The harris will train you.

 

The wieght comes off them very very slowly and if your getting a bird at fat weight this creates its own problems.

 

If your going to fly with mates get a Harris.

 

I love redtails but i still have away to go with this bird next season, I took her up in november and although flying free well, and following on really well by March, when i put her down she had only taken quarry with a little help

 

You will need treble the time training and getting fit and have to fly it almost daily if the bird will even get close to its potential.

 

I have trained a male and female harris and one redtail so im no expert, but others have had the same experience as me.

 

Good luck

Edited May 20, 2008 by Ruger8

[jasper65 6]

Top post and bang on the nail....

[rickardo 76]

cheers for your input everyone ,i may have found some one with a female red hes flying so ill have to arrange a day with him see first hand, even though it a male red im intrested in it should give me some idea.. also im not that bothered to much about training them as i can fly every day all day ,its more the working abilaty of the red compared to the harris,