Info Needed, Wanting To Have Hawk

[Ribblevalley85 2]

Hiya guys, was just wondering how hard it is to keep a hawk, iv been amazed buy them for years n love watching them, iv seen a lot of folk have got them now but not to work to just have as pets n to fly now n again!!!!

 

Was wondering about which would best hawk to start with n the licenceing aswell with the birds,

 

Am I right there isn't no licence needed for a gushawk????

 

Look forward to hearing everyone's opinion

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

id say unless you have a mentor who could teach you with a goshawk steer clear until you have the falconry basics. go for a harris or redtail. harris probably better if a mentor isn't an option. but match the bird to the quarry, a harris is really only for rabbits wheras a gos for pheasant and partridge. i fly a male harris but the bigger female is capable of taking hares. no they dont need a licence they should but dont. i think if a hawk carnt be out 5 days a week its being wasted and i dont just mean a 5 minute fly. they take up alot of your time but only fly 5-6 months a year. they are expensive to first set up they require telemetry which will cost around £300-400 the bird probably same price. an aviary and a freezer plus hawk furniture. also getting someone to feed it when your on holiday could be a problem and also vet bills should you need it. but if you meet the required criteria it's the best type of hunting you will ever experience imo. read books, internet but try get a good mentor who knows what there on about.

[Ribblevalley85 2]

Yeah I'm going away next week n got 4 books ready to read!

The holiday thing isn't a problem cause iv someone who is willing to help out who also is fascinated with birds of prey n there looking after my dogs to when I go, if I didn't have some with but of knowledge I wouldn't go away!!!!

Iv already got few new proper sheds available on my land so can turn one of those into an avert quite easily and it's very secure!!!

 

Would you recommended going to a bird of prey centre for experience days or be better going n paying a lad what works um n help out????

 

Thanks for your advise

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

get someone to mentor you from what ive heard falconry courses are wank, and experience days are just that an experience. not much education there. im sure there will be someone willing to take you out. put a post on here the bloke who im taking out next season did and he got me and someone else offering to take them out. i wouldnt pay them to take you out although offering to drive them to the hunting grounds would be a better proposition.

[Ribblevalley85 2]

Cheers pal appreciate it!!

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

no worries bud

[grovsey 74]

why you want a gos ? what quarry you got to hunt the bird at ?

[Ribblevalley85 2]

Iv plenty of land to use with full permission all way round Ribble valley well over 400 acres, theres every sort of ground possible and plenty of everything,

But like I said at 1st iv had a thing for birds of prey all my life iv heard about gus hawk and Harris hawk being the easiest to start with, but I'm going to get experience first [BANNED TEXT] I jump in,

It's also to get my lads into it aswell instead of computer games, iv already got eldest one who is 8 coming with me with dog rabbiting n think instead of bloody goldfish lizards like modern day kids have these days a nice bird would be lot better for them n educate them hell of t more than any other!!!!

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

goshawks are by no means easiest to keep and keep right. alot of people who keep them say its like a full time job. you cant take them for a fly round like a harris to keep fit some days, they need to be hunted everytime you take them out, the prey drive is alot higher than that of a harris and they are more highly strung compared to the chilled out harris they generally wont follow you like a harris does and generally only flown of the fist. if your looking for something different than a harris look at the redtail they are a great begginers bird, harder work supposedly but better say if you were looking to move on to something else later on, but if you find a mentor to teach you with a gos then go for it but like i said if you havent stick to a harris or redtail as there is more room for error. also what you have go to take into consideration of how your going to set up slips for a gos without a good pointer or bushing dog your job will be made alot harder and slips will be harder to come across. theres not many i know with a gos that hasnt got a dog to work with it, theres a saying that good birds are made by good dogs and that is probably true. a gos will be wasted on say rabbits bolted by a ferret, a harris or redtail will do the same job with less stress

[j j m 6,537]

mate a gos isnt a good bird to start with get a few years under your belt before trying to fly a gos mate ,and get some good telem when the times right you will need it for a gos mate

[grovsey 74]

gos are one of the hardest birds to start with so where you got that info is beyond me and 400 acres is not a lot of land mate by far ,u need be out with it killing around 5 days a week ,so that's a lot of quarry to go at to keep the bird fit and happy .the things with new people getting into the sport is the have never spent a season and seen the ups and downs before getting a bird .I wish people would not rush into it like the vast majority are doing

licence the sport before its to late mr prime minister

[panda32 0]

so how much are we talking for the setup? including everything.

[arcticgun 4,548]

so how much are we talking for the setup? including everything.

look at the advice given pal, it aint about money, get a few books read first, there's loads of suggestions as too what to read on the subject. Once you ready you will know what ya need and already of bought it, or you will no longer be interested, either way best of luck

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

over a £1000 easy, main costs will be aviary, bird and telemetry

[pointer 543]

I got a hawk last November, it has cost me about £1200 so far to keep it.

That's the cost of the bird, telemetry, aviary, perches, hawk box, bath etc etc.

I will try her on the lamp next season but I already own a lamping kit for use with lurchers and guns but that would have been another £200.I was able to get most of the aviary materials free of charge and have mates that can weld and was able to make a lightweight plastic hawk box out of 5mm black sheeting the only cost was the brass hinges and bolt.

 

It's not an expensive thing to get into really and the ongoing cost of owning a Harris is practically nothing, food is so cheap it dosent even need thinking about. I pay a few quid a month for insurance but that's about it.