Retirement

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

dont know why but its been weighing heavy on my mind lately, what age do harris hawk and others hawks begin to slow down and not able to take as much as what they would have younger?

 

id say the peak age of a harris is probably 8-10 years but i havent a clue, after this do they seem to drop off slightly, anybody regularly HUNTED a harris until later of an age.

 

mine wont be put in a breeding pen but flown until he comes to an end, but surely they carnt be flown and hunted 7 days a week when they reach into there elder years.

 

im thinking maybe 3 days max when there really old.

 

i know i will hunt mine until i do notice he begins to slow down and not being able to put full effort or interest into hunting then i will take on another bird in his place. but then what comes of him, just flown and maybe hunted once in a while?

 

nice to hear your experience and others you may know of with older hawks, thanks

[CrowHawker 227]

My old boy who is a imprint Harris is 15 still takes rabbits and magpies very clever bird with a great attitude!your being a bit neigheve What's wrong with a bird being put in a breeding pen bred if it's proven itself in the field rather than just being hunted once a week?

[CrowHawker 227]

My old boy who is a imprint Harris is 15 still takes rabbits and magpies very clever bird with a great attitude!your being a bit neigheve What's wrong with a bird being put in a breeding pen And bred from if it's proven itself in the field rather than just being hunted once a week?

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

My old boy who is a imprint Harris is 15 still takes rabbits and magpies very clever bird with a great attitude!your being a bit neigheve What's wrong with a bird being put in a breeding pen bred if it's proven itself in the field rather than just being hunted once a week?

theres no need to breed birds unless theres a high demand, even though the harris is and will forever be the most popular bird there is still a surplus every year, id rather be hunted once a week but still flown everyday than be in a breeding aviary producing non required birds

[CrowHawker 227]

Mmm... Don't no if I agree with that myself but each to their own mate

[CrowHawker 227]

Nothing more to be proud of a youngster from your own old hunting partner!

[arcticgun 4,548]

Nothing more to be proud of a youngster from your own old hunting partner!

have you flown any out of him yet then mate? defoo the right way to go , at least you know what they done and if its enough for you then that's all that matters imho

[CrowHawker 227]

No my brother flys 3 of his offspring i crech imprinted myself in a cast 2 females and a male! Amazing to watch them hunt them 3! 300 for a male 550 for a female!

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

Nothing more to be proud of a youngster from your own old hunting partner!

get what you mean mate, but it wont ever be my thing to breed birds, would rather buy someone elses from a reputed breeder. Plus i dont think i will fly another harris so i wont need any youngsters from him.

 

Mmm... Don't no if I agree with that myself but each to their own mate

So you dont think harris hawks are bred too much ?

[CrowHawker 227]

Not proper ones from old blood no.

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

Not proper ones from old blood no.

 

Same with any BOP but nevertheless the harris hawk has been bred way too much and is still getting worse so i need not contribute to that. Not that i dont agree with breeding as if it didnt happen we wouldnt be able to fly birds lol

its just something that i dont want to do myself or use my birds for