thinking of getting into falconry

[grovsey 74]

i beleive is should be like the usa where u have to do an apprentiship or how ever you spell it and that way people would have to put in the time and commitment and learn before ever getting a bird ,is joke how anybody can go out and buy a bird if they got the money in there pockets,boy is at a fate and sees a display and sees mr cute barn own and asks daddy can he have one ,daddy goes home and on the net and that weekend they have a owl ,you think that is ok then ????

you feel it is ok that anyone can go out now and buy a eagle or any other bird just cos they can afford it ??

my issue is regarding the birds welfare thats it and yet i do come across wrong as trying to put frustration across in writing is hard at the best of times ,so many people decided that they want to get into falconry and have never been out hunting a bird or seen one hunt in real life and only contact they have had is at a show or a day course,then decided falconry is for them after watching a few dvd's on youtube and thing wowwwwwwwwwww thats f*****g awsome .never have they spent a freeing cold day digging a ferret out cos its layed up while there out with there birds ect and think at the time why on earth do i do this .or lost there bird for a day or so and the stess of finding it or getting it back .

ill ive anyone advice and they can ring me anytime as long as im in as i have done for one of the lads of here and spent as long as poss talking to him before he gets his bird and trying to guide him into getting it right first time and save his money ,

the reason hhs are bred so much is cos they are a piece or piss to breed not like gos;s and thats one reason there is so f*****g many of them about and you get 2 mates and they decided over themoult to put there birds together .

[grovsey 74]

if thinking of getting into the sport invest into the dr nick fox dvds there invaluble and learn so much and always got them to refair to in the future ,id recommend this than any course

[shello 6]

firstly, i aint some twat that just takes up something for fashion (as for others i can't comment), i take things seriously before i commit to them otherwise i'd be a fool, secondly i paid what i paid because i wanted to enjoy a day learning (and i did learn) about birds of prey (yes a weeks course would be better but hey ho) thirdly i live in the countryside (19 years now) and feel i could offer a good life to a bird of prey) as for asking on the net, why not? is it not best to ask first? yea some folks might get the bird first and maybe some do sell cos of other commitments,not me!! as for buying the harris hawk well i'm getting mine from a reliable source and from someone who knows about most birds of prey and someone who is willing to help me, not someone who just seems to want to slate everyone for wanting to learn and ask questions about falconry!! i dare say that if hh's were £2k folks would think twice but don't tell me you've never bought something cos it's 'cheaper than it was last week/year' if you're that bothered about people getting in to falconry i feel sorry for you! it seems to me that most folk on here are helpfull but you give me the impression you really don't like folks getting in to 'your sport'

tough! i'm 48 years old and i realise the commitment required for a bird of prey, it's gonna be hard work but i'm sure it'll be very rewarding as long as folks help me and not piss me off on here for asking

totallty missing the point ,regarding the course i was saying that the people offering them are only after your money and dont give A CRAP about you being the next falconer or they would offer you it for free,what it is to them is buisness and praying on people.

regarding harris hawks u have to look at the amount that are being bred and bought ,the vast majority get a harris for a season or 2 and in that time normally start talking about how much they want a gos next or long wing and soon sell the harris orand get what they wanted in the first place

so as i was saying if you want a gos or eagle in the first place then learn of a falconer and get what you want as i was saying you should get the knowlage in the first place to be able to play any bird

 

 

look mate i aint gonna get in to any further discussions re this and that with you, all i will say is i havn't missed the point, i realise where you're coming from but you could at least try be polite with your replies instead of the negative posts! i'm just learning as a lot of folks are but i can tell you 1 thing, i'm genuine!! as for falconry centres just being in it for money well i guess some are, however when you hear of them taking in birds that have been 'dumped and left on thier doorsteps' then i respect them.

not sure what bird you first started with or how you learnt (whether bird first or after) but i will do my best to make sure i learn all i can

cheers

end of!!

[grovsey 74]

here is an example of a centre nr me that i went to with someone who was volentering there and the owner took me round and was showing me all his bird ,this was a place that was a rescue centre and had around 150 birds in there,after going round he took me to a place out of sight weather he was showing of or what ever and shown me 2 wild pere;s that had been taking in and where back to good health and fitness and where more than ready to be released but he told me he was keeping them so he could breed of them,this is totally out of order but show what these places are like same as when seen the little owl also there .

another was a centre up north and a simular thing there as what you got to think is there getting these birds in for free and then either keep them or do what ever they want with them .

i agree there is some good one out there but what im trying to say is be very carefull and keep ur guard up and your money in ur pockets.like i said get nick fox dvd set as learn so much more of them than a weeks course

[shello 6]

here endeth the first, second and third lesson

[punch&judy 2]

AND YOU LOT SAID THIS WAS NOT LIKE THE IFF ,,, BY BY

[jasper65 6]

Nothing wrong with people disagreeing with each other P&J, the world would be a bad place if we all agreed on everything. nobody spat their dummies out or got abusive in this thread so its nothing seriouse to get concerned about.

 

not come across a forum yet where there hasn't been a disagreement in one way or another..........

[shello 6]

have to say no matter what forum you're on there's always 'discussions' one way or the other mate, regardless of whether it's hunting,sports,hobbies etc etc

end of't day we all enjoy the same thing!

[Millet 4,497]

From what i have read Grovsy has a valid point but he has a funny way of putting it across.. ..trying to talk on the internet can be hard for some folk and like me at times i am key board illiterate and talk a load of shite... but i really mean something else for the good of all.. ..

 

The first bird i ever owned was a Kestrel back in the day's when they was no internet..i had no mentor or anyone to help me but i did have a good book which was (A Hawk For The Bush) which i still have now..BUT i did not read it properly and thought i was the kiddy with this kestrel..needless to say this kestrel was passed on and then released into the wild...

 

The second bird i owned was a second hand first year female harris which was sold to me cheap about 7 yr's ago from a falconer who i went out with regular over the space of 1 1/2yr's which nearly cost me my job at the time as i was never there.. ..because i had a mentor and some one to point me right in the field and at home i did make a decent job of this harris and got it killing rabbit's every other day..if i did try to go it on my own from reading book's i am pretty certain i would of lost the bird or killed it somehow..through the bird being second hand it had really bad habit's which i wont go into so she had to go to pastures greener.

 

After that i tried a Musket..he was ok and i got him feeding and jumping to the fist but through work and building a double garage at the time of manning i could not put the time in with him...i would not of got as far as that if i did not have the help of a good Falconer of this site who is a mod.. .

 

After the Musket i had a little break and after many phone conversation's i was recommended not to get a spar but a male gos..which i did 4yr's ago and i have not looked back.. ..i have had my up's and down's but Jasper has alway's been on the end of the phone to help me out when i was in trouble..and all the reading in the world would not of given me the information i received..

Reading good book's does help ten fold but you cannot beat hand's on experience with a experienced falconer who know's his stuff at hand via phone or personal contact.

Anyway enough rambling on.. .. have typed this as quick and as basic as i can and i hope anyone reading understand's my meaning .

Which is a Mentor of some sort is allway's beneficial.

[saxonmaster 74]

shello and jaspa totally agree with yous we all have are own ideas and ways of doing things mate and i thought it got interesting without getting over the top. at the end of the day we all agree the birds no matter what you fly should always come first and give them the best you can because the bird will always give you 100%. COME ON EVERYONE LETS HAVE A THL GROUP HUG :D

[saxonmaster 74]

Of course a mentor is the best way forward but people will get a bird with or without one so give them all the information they need to hopefully put them off but also all the help they might need so hopefully the bird will be looked after. And breeders need to take some responsibilities when selling birds, again not all breeders are the same but as grovsey correctly pointed out because there easier to breed there will be always breeders in it for a quick quid, just would be nice to hear people slatting these type of people as i see it without them there would be a lot less birds in trader and alike.

[jasper65 6]

Must say mentors was pretty thin on the ground when I was a lad. I spent alot of time reading books from the Library and attempting to make equipment which was all good practice, never used almeri's either then but only used traditional jesses knocked up. could only find a couple of suppliers then too.

 

I always had birds as a lad from Jackdaws, Carrion crows, Kestrals, Sparrowhawks. remember my dad getting me a cage when I was a kid with some zebra finches in, they never did it for me as they wasn't wild, it was always the wild birds that fascinated me.

 

still have to say! after all the info I gleaned from books and handling of birds I picked up information from some old falconers I couldn't put a price on. I never flew with some of them until later in life but they was there on the end of the phone to give some advice if needed, my problem back then was I stuck to the 10% rule from the old "Hawk For The Bush Book", some old falconers gave me more confidence to take them a step further in weight conrol management, by this time I had flown some Kestrals and Spars of which some was bad imprints but still produced plenty of kills as they all do! but taking up some of the arsey P/R birds requied more finesse on the behalf of the falconer.

 

as for mentors? Yep they are of great benefit if the info is good, then again these days there's a whole pile of info at the end of your finger tips via the internet, info is far easier to come by these days as are the birds. you also have to say a mentor can only do their best if the person is listening and taking it on board, basically supplying the person with the Ammo then its up to them to point it in the right direction and pull the trigger. there's a guy on the forum who flys one of the most obedient well mannered Parent Reared Goshawks I have set eyes on, its a pleasure to go flying with him which was down to him. you can advice some people but at the end of the day its up to them if they put it to good use, its their handling that makes or breaks the hawk...

 

the final outcome is left firmly on their doorstep, no matter who mentors them they are the one's who deserve the credit when they succeed

[punch&judy 2]

Must say mentors was pretty thin on the ground when I was a lad. I spent alot of time reading books from the Library and attempting to make equipment which was all good practice, never used almeri's either then but only used traditional jesses knocked up. could only find a couple of suppliers then too.

 

I always had birds as a lad from Jackdaws, Carrion crows, Kestrals, Sparrowhawks. remember my dad getting me a cage when I was a kid with some zebra finches in, they never did it for me as they wasn't wild, it was always the wild birds that fascinated me.

 

still have to say! after all the info I gleaned from books and handling of birds I picked up information from some old falconers I couldn't put a price on. I never flew with some of them until later in life but they was there on the end of the phone to give some advice if needed, my problem back then was I stuck to the 10% rule from the old "Hawk For The Bush Book", some old falconers gave me more confidence to take them a step further in weight conrol management, by this time I had flown some Kestrals and Spars of which some was bad imprints but still produced plenty of kills as they all do! but taking up some of the arsey P/R birds requied more finesse on the behalf of the falconer.

 

.

my god that post could be me to. , i had a few old guys that helped me down the line, but books were all there was back then, no internet , a good mentor does help and can iron out the little niggles , have to say you cant beat a pr spar that hates you keeps you on your toes ha

[grovsey 74]

guy sorry if i come across wrong as stated its so hard to put ur point across in a letter but that i try to get across is people now days want to get a bird before even ever going out hunting with the bird ect after just seeing one at a fate ect .i try to tell people to go out of the winter months with someone and get a proper taste for it ect ,what u got to remember is the amount thats popped up of the yrs and alot of them for the wrong reason and not for once sayinbg any of u lads are and if i can help i surely will

[Millet 4,497]