Common Buzzard

[andy64 2]

Hi,

Due to time constraints and kids and other factors in the past i have never thought it was the right thing to do in getting a Hawk, i have been interested in BOPs and birds in general for a long long time , over the last five or six years i have read just about every book there is on Harris Hawks and birds of prey.

In November i will be made redundant from the job i`m in after eleven years of 60-70 hr weeks , now this has got me thinking, and not for the first time that maybe now is the time for me to realise my ambition to have a bird.

However i still need to work but with the kids grown up and the wife working full time i don`t have to work so many hours and only want to work 35 - 40 hours a week.

I have very limited experience with Harris Hawks , and nearly bought a Hawk a few year ago before thinking better of it , however i think my overall knowledge is quite good.

I have the space in a concrete patio/base14 x 12 which would be great for mews and weighing room ect , the only problem i can see is my old nemesis

time.

If i was to get a Harris Hawk i am well aware of the time needed for hunting and although i plan to work less i still don`t think i could do one justice , there is plenty of land around were i live and i go fishing quite a lot and know a few land owners less than ten minutes from my house but no bunnies , i would have to travel to find them , i do know of a couple of places but this would just add to the time needed to do a Harris justice.

However i have a plan.....................what if i was to compromise and get a Common Buzzard , i do think they are beautiful looking birds , and can be very hard to enter but my point is would the bird be bothered about not hunting every day , i could fly the bird most days to a dummy that would not be a problem, and have it out hunting a minimum of two or three days a week , i do think it would make a good bird for me to learn with and if i did manage to get it entered then that would be great but if not it wouldn`t be the end of the world for me.

So i`m asking your advice and thoughts on this do you think it makes a difference because it`s a common buzzard or should it be treated just the same as a harris and hunted most days if not every day.

 

Cheers Andy.

 

 

[CrowHawker 227]

Hi Andy Not being funny, you say you have quite a good knowledge of falconry so you would no that even a common buzzard needs flying as much as possible in my mind 5 days a week min as all my birds are and need to go out and fly for a while not just out flying from fist to post my old buzzard will soar for hours on thermals at hack. You say you've read books etc have you been out with someone who owns both sorts of birds to see the pros and cons flying styles temprements etc of each species? If you haven't I highly recommend you spend a season out with someone with your chosen bird ie buzzard or Harris as both birds are very different and can be dangerous if you get it wrong and no book will help you out then. Like I said I'm not being funny just pointing a few things out.

Edited June 1, 2013 by CrowHawker

[andy64 2]

Hi,

Not at all crow hawker this is why i asked the question , when i say i have a decent knowledge it is in general and mostly from books ect, i have been out a couple of times with lads and there hawks but just as an observer . Yes i do know that Buzzards soar for hours on the thermals and i have the land and space local to me to do this , it was more of the hunting aspect i was bothered about not the flying , i have been out with a red tail before and know that they can be stubborn little buggers but also are excellent hunters as this one was.

I don`t mean to take the CB lightly and i do know that BOPs can be dangerous and that it is a different bird all together from the Harris , i know the harris is a prolific hunter and that in some cases it`s the bird making the owner look good , and that is another reason for starting with a CB , if i was going to just go out and get a bird i would have done this years ago and believe me when i say if i do go ahead i will do it the proper way and this will include some sort of mentoring and plenty of land to fly the bird on.

However you are spot on with the time aspect and to be honest i just don`t know until i get another job sorted , i would love to spend a season out with somebody who fly`s a buzzard but not many people do now , but if there is any body local to me on here i don`t mind carrying the ferrets ect :-) .

 

Cheers Andy.

[CrowHawker 227]

Good I'm clear now on what you want my common buzzard of 18 has never hunted or shown any desire to do so the only thing to think about is you maybe found wanting more this is why not many are flown as true falconry is hunting with birds of prey I don't no where you are I'm in Somerset and if you are near are more than welcome to come see.

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

there will be alot of display birds that are never hunted, a harris will take perfectly well with never hunting they are extremely adaptable, however the sole aim of falconry is to fly the bird in pursuit of prey, so the question you need to ask yourself is, am i doing the right thing keeping a bird that is supposed to be hunted but then only keeping it to fly? is it fair on a hawk? like crow hawker said, his buzzard would fly hours on a thermal, have you the time to allow the bird to do that? a harris will fly along whilst you walk, but a harris is a bird to hunt, the only option i can see is an owl perhaps. but again you need a mentor to help you with any bird of prey. all the best anyway bud

[andy64 2]

Crow hawker thanks for the offer you are not that far from me once i get over the bridge , so might take you up on that, i have a fortnight off next month so will pm you nearer the time if thats ok cheers .

 

youcanthide...BANG cheers mate but i don`t think an owl is for me mate i`m not getting up in the middle of the night to take him for his fly ................ if i did get a CB i would hunt with the bird and try and get the bird entered , what i wanted to know was how much hunting not days flying would be ok for the bird, the bird would be flown most days , i don`t think it is acceptable to keep a Harris or a Common Buzzard for just flying , but saying that , a CB is hard to enter for what ever reason and if the bird don`t want to hunt he ain`t hunting , a Harris Hawk on the other hand in my opinion needs to be out hunting regular to get the best out of the bird.

Edited June 1, 2013 by andy64

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

the only thing is when that rabbit does bolt in front of you your gonna be kicking yourself for having a common buzzard, if in 18 years crow hawker hasnt got his hunting i don't think your gonna fair any better. maybe get a harris if your determined to fly a hawk, i just think with a common buzzard your just gonna want more after flying it for so long. at least with a harris you have the means to catch rabbits and other game should the rabbit numbers pick up or you gain more permission with more prey on it or just if the opportunity arises. regards to hunting i would say an absolute minimum of 2 days a week. but saying that pest control harris hawks are only flown never hunted same for display birds

[CrowHawker 227]

If you do want to hunt I'd not even contemplate a CB mate my even when very keen would just fly half hearted at best they are lazy birds that in the wild don't take rabbits on a regular basis I would go with a pr male Harris perfect for what you want. But the thing is the more you fly/hunt the better and more confident and strong hell be. Imo Harris if you are going to be hunting

Edited June 1, 2013 by CrowHawker

[andy64 2]

Fair point about display / pest control birds but in the main i think a Harris that is not hunted regular is a waste , i could mange two days hunting easy in fact i would do more than that , i just need to get my work situation sorted out , i don`t plan to work more than four days a week but nothing is definite yet , i just don`t want to get a bird and not do it justice.

I always thought if i did get a bird it would be a Harris but the last week or so i have been reading a lot about the common buzzard and the challenge it presents for the beginner in getting it entered ect and the fact that you will learn loads with it in terms of manning ect, of coarse i`m not speaking from experience and i stand to be shot down in flames but i don`t think the Harris would present the same challenge and i would be better for it in the long run starting out with a Buzzard.

A lot of people have managed to get them entered and i have read loads of positive things about them , but i agree there may come a time when i want more in terms of hunting .

[andy64 2]

Cheers CrowHawker yes i agree the CB is a lazy sod , i see one regular perched on a lamppost outside work he`s there all the time , and i see them regular out the back of my house

soaring on the thermals , yes mate i do want to hunt with a bird but not knowing how much time i am going to have to give is a bit frustrating , like i said i have loads of land for flying on my doorstep but for bunnies i`m going to have to travel which just adds to the time i have to give and couldn`t give more than three or four days to hunting bunnies , of coarse there`s always lamping .........but that`s just me getting ahead of myself again ,

Yes mate a nice gutsy little male HH would be nice.

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

to be perfectly honest bud if you think you can manage more than 2 days on hunting then i would say your time will be wasted on a buzzard, yes people have got them entered but what if your the one of the people that dont get them entered, 18 years is a long time spent flying a useless hunter. when the time comes and you do want more out of a bird do you think you will have time for 2 birds since youve been questioning how much time you can spend with one. like crow hawker said get a male harris, same bird ive got, pleasure to just fly and a fantastic hunter you wont regret it like i guarantee you will a buzzard. mines the bird in my profile pic, his first rabbit he caught in snow

[andy64 2]

In 18 years i`ll have all the time in the world because i`ll either be well into retirement or dead ..but you do both have a point and i do love the harris hawk , i could do more than a couple of days hunting , and like i say there`s loads of land on my doorstep i can use for flying , how long have you had your male HH , is this your first bird and how did you go about getting the experience , this is what is going to hold me back if anything , i`ll have to try and sort something out.

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

yes he is my first bird bud he is 5 years old, at first i started reading books then the internet but then my dad said that a bloke who lived at the other end of the village used to fly birds but he didnt know if he still did, so i went to see him, he was flying a mates peregrine at the time as the only bird he owned was a bonded pair of a harris and a redtail. i spent a season with him and his two sons then when he moved his sons showed me the ropes from there for a short time. one was bringing on one of his dads harrisxredtails at the time and his brother flew a gos a female i believe, i then purchased the harris had the choice between him and his sister but chose him as my land suited the male better, trained him with the help of my new mentors, since then been having the time of my life flying him

[CrowHawker 227]

Think you will learn just as much from a Harris and reap the benefits as a well trained harris is somthing to be proud of.on the other hand you could put all your effort into a cb and be disappointed with the end result.

[andy64 2]

Thank you both for all your advice , i have a clearer picture now of what i want to do , i`ll have to sort some sort of mentoring out , and i have a bit of work in the garden to do to make space for the mews ect , .......youcanthide...BANG it looks like a very nice bird mate and you sound like you are loving every minute with your hawk

CrowHawker , yes mate i think you are right , i just went of on a tangent after reading about the CB a lot over the last week , they are lovely birds mate theres no doubt about that.