Your Views On Self-Hunting

[SPAR 2]

This may seem a silly question to some but would a bird of prey start to self-hunt if shown alot or to much game?

I fly mostly from a "follow on" position not often from the fist so say my FHH had a flight at a pheasant, missed it then sat in a tree 100 yards away, as I walk closer a rabbit pops up 50 yards infront of her and she takes flight and missed that and she ends up 100-150 yards away then say a hare gets up as she is about to land on top of a hedge and she desides to have ago chases and kills it. When Im out flying I could stay in the same field all day chasing game not because the fields are big but just because there is so much game about.

I was just interested in your views and what you thought.

1 other things is "NO" I haven't got a FHH that self-hunts

Can you over hunt?

[trappa 518]

Ive been thinking about your post all day (sad bast*rd arent I)!, but i think you might be on to something there spar.

Your lucky if you have a plethora of game to such an extent that you can stay in the same fields all day hawking, but , like you say if there is such a lot, then it might have negative repercussions. I know what you are on about, though i had it more with gosses than HH's, but a few times we would in chase, then if it failed the gos would see something and would be off again- not to your extent but i didnt have such game numbers.

Im going to ponder this for a while now, cheers bud

[SPAR 2]

Just something out the blue that came into my head. I try not to get into this situation but it is very possible here with the amount of game about. Like I said in previous posts, coveys of partridge are 200+ not 20

[jasper65 6]

Its funny how the best Hunter soon tag onto the idea of self Hunting! some obviousley have worked out their powers in Hunting so get out and do it for themselves.

 

I think alot of this can also happen when you Hunt with a Bird consistantly without doing any fist or lure bonding on the odd occasions, time out making the bird to the fist or lure can make a real difference expecially when the bird is still being made in its first year....

 

when you think of it the way we fly Harrishawks and Redtails we actually encourage them to self hunt, we put them up a tree and push underneath them, while they follow on either over you or a dog , I would think time spent doing this will in a matter of time encourage a bird to constantly bate at the sight of a tree and in time teach the bird to self Hunt....

 

Perhaps some birds encouraged to fly this way over some seasons may never quite get out of the habit expecially with a good few kills under there belt flying this way, time spent making birds to the fist as a recall or hunting off the fist has got to pay dividens? I know this much I Would never encourage any Gos to use this method! pride of place is the fist also used as her Hunting platform....

 

Jasper

[bullet 125]

i have my female following on from tree to tree, as soon as she chases something and missis i call her to the fist as soon as i know she's lost sight of it, that way i know she wont continue hunting up herself, it works for me