muttley94 74 Posted November 3, 2015 Report Share Posted November 3, 2015 okay thats interesting thanks! from what I can gather squirrel hunting is much more common in the US than the UK with hawks?! do you mean for her to catch the rats? or just the case that she sees them and gets them? Quote Link to post
pointer 543 Posted November 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 There are always rats around the hedgerows early season and we get the odd one up the dales as well. My Hawks had a few this season along a stream and I saw an article in a local paper a few weeks ago about a rat problem at the nearest housing estate. I love ratting of any kind and it's brilliant sport with a hawk so yes if I've been out after work and blanked I will try to find her a rat before it gets dark. Sometimes a hawk wil catch one in an awkward place or down a hole etc and that's when you have to know what your doing to ensure the bird is safe. Squirrel hunting is something I want to do more off but I understand those that say you shouldn't deliberately go after them. I don't go into many woods so squirrels don't pop up very often. Watching a hawk working a rat that's running along the inside of a hedge is as good as anything else I've witnessed out hunting. Quote Link to post
muttley94 74 Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 ah gotcha! yes i can fully understand that, i am a big fan of air gunning for rats (or anything else) myself but im sure if i am fortunate enough to have a hawk, as i plan to in the future, its something i would do too! sorry for the questions and i look forward to hearing your progress through the season! Quote Link to post
pointer 543 Posted November 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 Ratting with a hawk isn't something many would deliberately do and it's to be avoided if there's a risk of poison being in the area but I love it and I wish I had more places to hunt over with rats on it. Either way rats are just about everywhere so cannot be avoided. 1 Quote Link to post
pointer 543 Posted November 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2015 We've tried to get out over the last week or so but the rain has stopped us doing as much as we would like. I've also had a few dodgy moments in the wind and certainly it's helped a few things escape my hawk. A few rabbits have been taken so things are ticking over ok. Today we got out for an hour where my mates hawk caught a rabbit after a long flight but mine missed a few rabbits and pheasants and had an unlucky session. As we walked back in the rain my dog went on point and a rabbit was flushed, unfortunately the rabbit got to the hedge and my mates hawk pulled a tail feather out as it went after it through an old fence. It's been a tricky season so far with the weather and a lack of rabbits. This has resulted in my hawk only making 36 kills so far but the hunting with Hawks and Gwps has been better than ever. 1 Quote Link to post
pointer 543 Posted November 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 The weather has been against us this week but we got out on Saturday afternoon. Things were going ok until my mates hawk decided to attack mine. Nothing too serious but they landed in a stream and got soaked so that put an end to hunting. Yesterday was better with some nice flights on rabbits over the pointer. Both Hawks got to take a couple but were soon soaking wet, mine caught one in the reedy grass stuff and was towed around over the waterlogged ground. I tried her after that but she couldn't fly very well so both Hawks were fed up before we took a mates lurcher out with my pointer to finish off another good afternoon in the dales. 1 Quote Link to post
bullet 125 Posted November 23, 2015 Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 good read there mate, hope this weather stays calm and dry now Quote Link to post
pointer 543 Posted November 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 I hope it does, this months been terrible for us. I can't seem to get a good run going this season. Quote Link to post
bullet 125 Posted November 23, 2015 Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 I hope it does, this months been terrible for us. I can't seem to get a good run going this season. November always seems the wettest month for some reason, I preferred it today as it was nice, calm and fresh 1 Quote Link to post
fourtrak73 1,334 Posted January 11, 2016 Report Share Posted January 11, 2016 Just been out tonight with pointer on some of my land had some excellent flights on long ears. I hope he got some good action on the go pro. Hope to be back out again Thursday night depending on the weather. That bird is fantastic to watch and she really wanted them tonight. She watches the beam like a dog and she flies straight down it. Quote Link to post
sean goshawk 189 Posted January 11, 2016 Report Share Posted January 11, 2016 The Harris will start to catch on on the lamp and cut out of the beam .as my female done this on the lamp and surprise them at the last min.and hope to see the flight on the GoPro as I use one for the Gos. Quote Link to post
pointer 543 Posted January 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2016 It was her first time on the lamp this season as the weather has been so bad. We saw some really good long flights but the sodden ground meant she was soon too wet to fly properly. Still it's good fun and helps keep her fit. Hopefully the weather for the rest of the season will be ok. She's only caught 59 things so far this season but I'm not complaining as the flights over my pointer have been great sport and she's following and hunting alongside my young pointer which is fantastic to see after all the problems I've had with her hating dogs. 3 Quote Link to post
pointer 543 Posted January 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 We had a great afternoon out on fourtrak73's land today with the Hawks. We saw good flights over the pointer and bolted a few with the ferrets. My hawk bagged a bonus pheasant and we had an exciting few minutes when rats started bolting from a set. Both Hawks caught one each and the other half dozen escaped into a stream, they are there for another day. 1 Quote Link to post
pointer 543 Posted January 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Pointing a pheasant Marking a wall 2 Quote Link to post
fourtrak73 1,334 Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Another excellent day today I will put some more pics on tomorrow 1 Quote Link to post
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