Goshawks

[EnglishBulldog 14]

What is your opinion of a Goshawk as someones first BOP?

[Hammo 42]

If I was you mate I wouldn't entertain it ! You need to gain experience with something like a common buzzard or a Harris hawk .

[stubby 175]

I suppose it's who's telling you, if it's the seller, then take advice above.

on a recent falconry course, I thought I'd look at getting a harris, only for the instructor to tell me, at the end of the course, having watched how I handled and interacted with the birds, that a red tail would be ok for me, even though I class that as not a beginners bird

[Bluebell h 69]

No fella .read some books .i wudnt very tempremental Harris are more forgiving .

[fitchet 788]

I suppose it's who's telling you, if it's the seller, then take advice above.

on a recent falconry course, I thought I'd look at getting a harris, only for the instructor to tell me, at the end of the course, having watched how I handled and interacted with the birds, that a red tail would be ok for me, even though I class that as not a beginners bird

I like the red tails but the lad who bring his birds out said they can be very stubborn and hard to work with.

[Ginger shooter 58]

Harris all the way!!!

[.philmypower. 26]

Another vote for a Harris, a great first bird

[EnglishBulldog 14]

How could i get experience before i got a bird.

[Millet 4,497]

Harrises are shite foreign bird's that can only catch bunnie's in fare law..if you want a Gos go for it but you will be sadly disapointed if you have not done your home work..if you HAVE done your home work you wont entertain another foreign bird ever again unless you want a bird that can do what a dog will..

[Ginger shooter 58]

Now now millet no need for that!! Lol nothing wrong with harris! Mines great! People said I should got a male but she's doing great! In moult at the mo roll on next season!!

[arcticgun 4,548]

get the bird that you want to fly and suits the land you have permisson t fly on and the quarry available too hunt, oh and yeah your lifestyle as well, if you want a goshawk then simply learn all the basics in the usual manner books, dvd, get out with lads with goshawks, pursue a mentor and spend time learning planning , get everything in plave over say a year then look to visit potential breeders and when you find one you are comfatable with get your deposit doiwn, by that time you will be ready and can take the hawk on with confidence and back up, that way you can more or less guarentee some level of sucess , the rst is sheerly down to what you put in.

 

Its always harris people are advised to get first time, yet most those that dish that advice out began years back with sparrowhawks kestrels etc, too many of them are took on used for a couple fo seasons and sold on when lads wanna move forward or simply pack in. Harris a very clever type of bird, proper pot filler, hunts in many atyles like a jack of all trades master of none, but never the less its unfair to do them down, they are just different well thats my opinion,but see what Millet issaying, too many move on from them, usually after seeing first hand a Gos at work, so maybe thats why its better to get the bird you desire first time out, they with you a long time are BOP's so it only fair to do right by em, more boirds than falconers out there now sad sytate of affairs really

[pointer 543]

I've been happy enough with my Harris for the last few weeks, in the future maybe I will move onto a goshawk or something else.BUT I hope I never become one of those falconers that has owned a Harris for a season then slags them off whilst doing F**k all with their Gos etc.

I've spoken to and seen too much stuff written on forums by people who are doing very little with their "superior" species. I realise goshawks are faster etc etc than a Harris but you still have to get them out hunting. I spoke to a golden eagle owner and bird of prey breeder last year that was almost making out that hares were rare and that's why he wasn't taking them.

A Harris suits my work schedule, the land I hunt on and the quarry available to me. In time maybe ill want to fly a gos at gamebirds but I'd have to know I could put enough stuff infront of it.

I haven't met or spoken to many falconers but a few of them are sheepish when it comes to direct questions about how much they do, the usual statement about how it's only about quality flights not the amount makes me wonder.

 

However from even my very limited experience I can see the appeal of a goshawk.IF the person can do one justice.

[paulus 26]

a harris will fit around your lifestyle and are quite forgiving to the newcomer, on the other hand your lifestyle will have to fit around a goss and a mistake will cost you more, i believe the redtail has never reached its full potential as a hunting bird over here and is capable of much more,

[arcticgun 4,548]

methinks too many go the imprint route with gos and mess it up lol always loads of imprints for sale, personaly id go for parent reared, deffo gonna try a male this season coming, see just how hard they are or are not as the case maybe

[paulus 26]

methinks too many go the imprint route with gos and mess it up lol always loads of imprints for sale, personaly id go for parent reared, deffo gonna try a male this season coming, see just how hard they are or are not as the case maybe

i can see the logic of imprinting and have seen a very good male imprint fly very well indeed. however i made such a mess of my first 2 sparrowhawks through imprinting (aggresive screamers) it put me off imprints for life, mind very little was known of imprinting back then :laugh: