Aloys and his hunting hawk Sibelle

Vince

Thanks for the update Aloys…I’ve been wondering how Sibelle is going mate.

Elvis

sounds interesting,a mini power struggle going on.....be interesting if she will hunt a small rabbit if hungry...... some ofthe hares get rather large...3-4kgs isnt uncommon here.

Aloysius · Last edited by Aloysius on Sat Oct 16, 2021 4:27 am; edited 1 time in total

northdude wrote:

Interesting so when you hunt with it does it bring what it catches back to you?

It's not a dog Smile

a bird of prey will hunt for itself. At the start, with the first catches, you let them eat as much as they will or can. Sometimes they have difficulties to stay on their feeth after such a meal. You have to act so because they have to trust you and that they don't consider you as competition for their food. Afterwards you must learn to exchange their prey with you for something else, the head only, the head and the internals, a 1-day old chicken...
otherwise your bird can eat and you will only get the leftovers Smile

that's why it's also very important that you avoid your bird can take its prey up to a tree. When that happens, you are in deep sh.t as it will eat up there till it has enough and then stay put till it's hungry again and continue eating... so you have to wait under the tree till all is consumed and it want to go hunting again. When it's alowed to go hunting on its own your bird will probably lost for several weeks or months till its trapped or death (attacked by another bird of prey?)
So you always have to pay attention. The bird will even try to take the chicken out of your glove to take it to the trees as it soon knows you are not able to fly and folow it up there.
When it's up in a tree, you might get it back with some prey it realy likes: in my case it's a living quail (on a rope so it cannot be taken into the tree!)
And always watch out for the unexpected... yesterday evening I was a litle bit with my mind on other things and I again got some marks in my face and a red handkerchief... 2nd time already... almost every mistake you make will hurt you as your bird will punish you immediatly.
Did I already mention how much fun a falconer is having? Smile

Aloysius

Elvis wrote:

sounds interesting,a mini power struggle going on.....be interesting if she will hunt a small rabbit if hungry...... some ofthe hares get rather large...3-4kgs isnt uncommon here.

Rabbits or hare shouldn't be any problem for a redtail... a friend's redtail even attacked a Jack Russel without hesitating...
I think my Sibelle joined the green party or PETA or so, or is that lazy (or clever) that she already knows my weakness: I will feed her before she'll fall down of starvation...
why taking risks for a difficult prey as chicken, quail or phaisants are available without a fight?
They learn to read you and you should learn to read them...

Elvis

yes agree,you do see my point...a 3-4kg hare is going to be hard work compared to a chicken or quail.......
keep us poted,this is not something I read about anywhere else.

Elvis

here is the NZ Falcon neat wee bird,VERY fast,takes game in flight. love seeing them around the place.

Aloysius

Elvis, that's quite a different way of hunting compared to a hawk or bussard. When you release a falcon it's going miles away and (hopefully) returns after a wile to take a position high in the air abose the falconer (or his dog). With a redtail or a Harris you can try without telemetry-equipment, with falcons I would't dare. Besides that, they will cost you x times the amount of money more than for a redtail or a Harris hawk.
Falcons are the Ferraris and hawks or bussards are jeeps...

Elvis

all good...I just think these wee fellas are beautiful critters in their own right.

Vince

Elvis wrote:

all good...I just think these wee fellas are beautiful critters in their own right.

Very much so mate...in fact all birds of prey look magnificent. I really like the look of our Wedge Tailed Eagle and the American Bald Eagle, an the King of Birds...the Philippine Eagle.

Aloysius

Eagles are again another class for a falconer. How many falconers do you know who hunt with an eagle? My friend tries to hunt with a golden eagle but doesn't succeed that well. They are agressive, very powerfull and their tallons are daggers that are very painfull when they stick trough your hand... and remember: you cannot pull your hand back as that will cut your bones out...
for me: my redtail has enough eagle attitudes and has more than enough strength to hurt me...