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EskdaleHawks

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Everything posted by EskdaleHawks

  1. The place we just moved from was a graveyard of mainly Goshawks which died of Asper over the years, also chicks which either fell out of the nest or was Murdered by the parents. for some reason I lost two Goshawks in one year down to Asper which knocked me sideways! I can't say anything for sure but the neighbour used to have a compost heap litteraly feet away from one of the aviaries which could have been the cause, then again who knows.... Times like this you have to pick yourself up, brush yourself down and move on! like you say Rod shit happens expecially when you're keeping Birds Of P
  2. So how do you know it was a heart attack if no PM has been done? It could be Viral, Bacterial, Mould spores, anything? You will probably never know for certain. I have just had Two Falcons Die unexplicably within a week of each other! All the signs pointed to aspergilosis or some kind of poisoning but I to will probably never know! S***t Happens!! You have just got to go back to the start, look at what could possibly have caused the birds death and try to eliminate any future threat! Good luck for the future and hang in there! Regards, Rod. hi rod sorry to hear about your falcons mate you
  3. hi dont mean to be rude but everybody starts somewhere and to bring the bird on as quickly as he has i think im doing really well,im just asking for a little bit of help or guidance on my birds hunting weight im not incompitant or useless at this the birds healthy and were both doing fine if you havnt got any suggestions or helpful ideas id rather you didnt post anything simply saying beacause i have no mentor im not good enough isnt fair,cheers jan Yes everybody has to start somewhere but what experience have you had BEFORE you got your bird? You can't learn falconry over night? You appea
  4. If you don't really know what you are doing and you haven't got yourself a mentor what the hell are you doing with a bird? I find it incredible that none of the rest of you guys have said anything about this? You all seem to be turning a blind eye to the fact that it is this sort of thing that gets Falconry a bad name and you should ALL be ashamed to call yourself falconers. NO MENTOR? NO EXPERIENCE? = DEAD BIRD VERY SOON?
  5. So how do you know it was a heart attack if no PM has been done? It could be Viral, Bacterial, Mould spores, anything? You will probably never know for certain. I have just had Two Falcons Die unexplicably within a week of each other! All the signs pointed to aspergilosis or some kind of poisoning but I to will probably never know! S***t Happens!! You have just got to go back to the start, look at what could possibly have caused the birds death and try to eliminate any future threat! Good luck for the future and hang in there! Regards, Rod.
  6. Not seen a dog like that for years! He's a cracker! I used to work at a terrier kennel when I was a boy. Jonwire Fox terriers! He had dogs of a similar stamp but he used to show his. The breed has gone all to pot now. even the smoothe fox has change to what it used to be. very sad!
  7. Point Taken! I do understand and sympathise as to the position gamekeepers are in. But we have to be careful as you have so rightly pointed out. I to have been on the receiving end of the Raptor brigade. I shoot, fish and fly Birds of Prey. I watch a peregrine nest and have done for the last 4yrs. Noting when the birds laid, approximate hatch date for ringing purposes and then fledging etc. Only to be S*** on by the RSPB ringer. They tarr us all with the same brush. There are NO good people in either the Shooting or Falconry fraternity according to these people. Apologies! No offence meant.
  8. As I have already said Buzzards are usually only troublesome for a week or two when the the poults first go to wood, but usually loose interest once the poults grow a little and start to find their way out of the pen. As with any predator they will not pass up the chance of an easy meal. Quote! "Out of eight release pens a couple of years ago I was loosing birds regularly and moaned about it to some of the guns . One of them decided to come round with me for a morning feed to see what was happening . 5 of the pens had "ONLY" two buzzards in them , two more pens had three , and the last pen
  9. Didn't think it would have taken it in flight. Like I said they may take on a pheasant on the ground. but not in flight. If it was a cock bird I would say that it was probably a female buzzard. Apologies for any confusion on my part! Just for the record I shoot as well, and have done so for nearly 30yrs so I know where most of the people are coming from on this thread.
  10. Instead of looking to blame raptors for the lack of ground nesting birds try looking at the bigger picture! Changes in farming practices, foxes, badgers and the like. I find your remark about buzzards taking a cock pheasant a little hard to believe. As I have already said in an earlier reply, Despite the buzzards large size their feet are in fact quite small nor do they have the speed to catch a pheasant in flight.Being a lazy bird when it comes to hunting, they may take on a pheasant on the ground, but once airbourne the pheasant will simply out fly a buzzard. Harris Hawks on the other hand a
  11. More pheasants are lost on your shoots by buggering off or are killed on the roads from what i see, but what saddens me is the inclination by many folk to poison or kill birds of prey.(even mentioned in this thread) How would you lot like it if someone poisoned all your young poults or your working dogs! Some gamekeepers give me the dry boak, jumped up little hitlers. Do you know your stuff its not just poults they kill the fact that they are the apex predator the have no natural predators and up my way are out of control i counted 14 buzzards up here in no time and funnily enough
  12. Go to page 3 general falconry-best bird for a beginner?
  13. Where abouts in the country are you? There are many Falconers/Bird of Prey keepers who woul be more than happy to take snared or head shot Rabbits!
  14. The Starling is a protected species in England and is protected under the wildlife and countryside act 1981. Which makes it illegal to catch, injure or kill them. It is still under general lisence in Scotland and Wales. I would check with DEFRA if you are in any doubt? Hope this helps?
  15. rubbish ] # iv seen both musket and a female spar on poults in pens in used to look after. How big were the poults? Thats like saying a merlin is capable of taking a crow?? Weighing only a few ounces Muskets do not have the phyical strength or the equipment to over power large quarry! You may have seen them on dead poults, but live ones???? I saw with my own eyes on a few occasions a pair killing poults from between 8 - 9 weeks old. They were older because they were held back because of the shit weather we had down here 2 years ago But it seems you know all so im probably t
  16. rubbish ] # iv seen both musket and a female spar on poults in pens in used to look after. How big were the poults? Thats like saying a merlin is capable of taking a crow?? Weighing only a few ounces Muskets do not have the phyical strength or the equipment to over power large quarry! You may have seen them on dead poults, but live ones???? I saw with my own eyes on a few occasions a pair killing poults from between 8 - 9 weeks old. They were older because they were held back because of the shit weather we had down here 2 years ago But it seems you know all so im probably t
  17. rubbish ] # iv seen both musket and a female spar on poults in pens in used to look after. How big were the poults? Thats like saying a merlin is capable of taking a crow?? Weighing only a few ounces Muskets do not have the phyical strength or the equipment to over power large quarry! You may have seen them on dead poults, but live ones???? I saw with my own eyes on a few occasions a pair killing poults from between 8 - 9 weeks old. They were older because they were held back because of the shit weather we had down here 2 years ago But it seems you know all so im probably t
  18. so why is a gamekeeper of 40 years experience saying a tawny owl? Would a goshawk just take the heads off?? ?????? I have not said that the keeper is wrong or what I suspect is taking these poults! I have only outlined what birds will/will not take them and have stated reasons! The gos would more than likley take the poult away rather than eat it on the spot if it were feeding young. If the birds are being eaten on the spot then that would point to an individual bird of an as yet unidentified species targeting the pen. No! A gos would not just remove the head. If the heads are being rem
  19. rubbish iv seen both musket and a female spar on poults in pens in used to look after. How big were the poults? Thats like saying a merlin is capable of taking a crow?? Weighing only a few ounces Muskets do not have the phyical strength or the equipment to over power large quarry! You may have seen them on dead poults, but live ones????
  20. hen sparrow hawks will also take fully grown french and english partridges which are bigger than ferral pigeons If you read the post I said that the largest prey item that "I" have seen a hen spar take is a feral pigeon, What I am saying, is that it is not possible for them to take anything much bigger becuase they they do not have the physical strength to do so. The exception being a trained bird that has the help of an Austringer to dispatch larger quarry! In this case the bird can beed trained and encouraged to take larger quarry but it is still limited to what it can take. Trained fema
  21. so why is a gamekeeper of 40 years experience saying a tawny owl? Would a goshawk just take the heads off?? ?????? I have not said that the keeper is wrong or what I suspect is taking these poults! I have only outlined what birds will/will not take them and have stated reasons! The gos would more than likley take the poult away rather than eat it on the spot if it were feeding young. If the birds are being eaten on the spot then that would point to an individual bird of an as yet unidentified species targeting the pen. No! A gos would not just remove the head. If the heads are being rem
  22. I am a falconer and I also shoot and have done so for nearly 35 yrs. Lets start with the Spar! If you look at the size of the Spar it is tiny! The largest prey item I have seen a female spar take in the wild is a feral pigeon in the town. You can discount the male spar or musket due to his diminutive size as he usually hunts song birds! It is not possible for these little raptors to overcome larger prey on their own unless assisted by an Austringer! Next on the list is the Tawny Owl! Tawny's can be aggressive and Yes these will take poults and can be a real nuisance at a pen when the po
  23. Good man 22 signed so far 33 now I would like to know how many have looked at the petition? DONE!
  24. Try Dean Britton- Mid-Glamorgan 01443-755202 They ain't cheap though. It'll probably cost you around £800-£1000 each? And you'll have to order one! Hope this helps!
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