Switching on for hunting

[Dranny GLC 112]

Its my first full season this time with my male Harris he was last years clutch. I was taking him out all the time before he molted and he just didn't switch on hunting. There could av been a rabbit under his noise and he wouldn't bait for it. But his flying was sharp at 1.3. He was parent reared. Has he more chance of switching on this time. ?

[CityHunter.uK 12]

did you try him on a dummy bunny? weight is not the most important thing condition is get him fit and he should switch on without you really doing anything try different quarry pigeons maybe more his bag than rabbits

[grovsey 74]

If you think about it his parents would show him.what to do in the wild ,if u see pere's they get a dead bird and drop.it for th to train on ,get a dummy bunny or a dead rabbit and get him crop up on it a few times then pull it along for him to attack.once he knows what to do

Get a mate and put a dummy/dead rabbit and hide in cover ,then walk along with bird and once in position get him to pull

Also birds have flying weight amd hunting weight but do the first bit first

[bribri988 141]

:laugh: this isss so strange i had a young male that done the same thing 1st time i took him out he perched up above the warren, ferret in bang 5 rabbits in quick time! he just sat there and watched them run away now at the same time i was flying a female when she caught he attacked her! but yet didnt want the catch just her! should of left him really she was twice the size in the end we had to get back to the drawing board with the lures and bits as you do and sure thing in the end turned out a great bird! just keep at it in the end it will happen i hope atb p.s as for the weight that to me is a tricky one coz this birds was hunting at any weight

[stoaty1 35]

Sometimes it does take a while for the penny to drop. My current female did the same thing. She would take the dummy and carcasse's all day long without hesitation but lost count of the rabbits she watched go past and never moved. I had her weight up and down and it made no difference. Thought about giving up on her loads of times but kept plugging away and eventually found one she liked the look of and bang. Never looked back.

regards

ian