To those without telemetry.

[WeeDodger]

As a recent newcomer to falconry, i , like many before, thought i would probably hardly need to bother about tracking my bird.

Today, however, was the worst day of my short falconry "career".?

Went out with a mate to a new area, a woodland, and for an hour, we never seen a thing.It was getting a bit windy, so we decided to head into the middle of the woods , away from the wind.

My harris bolted after a rabbit, and was near the edge of the woods, a pheasant got up and off he went in pursuit.By the time i got to the forest edge, he was outa site.

The next 45 minutes, i felt like a right ****hole, a stupid fool who thought they knew better.
No amount of shouting, whistling , name calling did junior hear, the wind was blowing hard, the rain was coming down and the steepness and openess of the valley below made me feel quite sick.

Id lost my bird , my first bird, and although just a youngster, a bloody good friend - if you know what i mean.

Anyway, after another 15 or so minutes of covering what seemed miles, my mate was giving it the big whoa ! etc, when a hen pheasant got up next to him, he heard a bell, and wedged in a fallen tree - tree stump, was junior on a big cock pheasant.
Id walked past him probably 3 times, and never heard or seen him, and if he heard me, he sure wasnt giving up his tea.
Tonight, ive got a transmitter from my mate, who has a Martin Jones telem system , and i want to see if anyone has, or knows where i can get a mount that will take a tail bell and the receiver.
If anyone has something that will do the job, or knows where i can get one , please let me know, i dont want to make one myself.

I know birds do get lost, but all you can do is take EVERY precaution you can, and from tonight , i most certainly will.
I really do feel for people like harrissi , its bloody heartbreaking.
Cheers Steve

[Sean]

i lost my bird at the start of november for a day and a half, its terrible lol. but luckily got him back, got telemtry for xmas, but aint needed to use it yet.

[Barney]

A very valuable lesson i think mate and not one you will be repeating, so glad it worked out well, but so many new falconers lose birds and never see them again, i must admit i did the same with my second mhh years ago, a very windy day and his first day off the creance, didnt give up till i got him back 8 hours later and we were both soaked to the skin but a lesson learned..... glad all worked out well mate;-)

[Jack Merlin]

Get a single tube mount which clips, with a dab of superglue, to a single deck feather. Then, if the transmitter hits a fence wire, you only lose one feather!

[WeeDodger]

Will a single tube mount hold a bell and the pictured transmitter Jack?
Where can i purchase one?
Cheers Steve

[Wightwings]

http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=9403&highlight=tail+mount

some one showed you once......:roll: ;-)

[Gos212]

Steve,

I know someone who lives not far from me that will have one. Let me know if you want me to get it for you and I'll fit it for you at your place or I can meet you at his house and we'll get it done there.

You get the Superglue !!!


Graeme

[DeathFromAbove]

aye... telemetry... prob the single most expensive piece of kit you buy, but hope you never have to use it....

[Wightwings]

or better still araldite;) ...gives you more time to work...and dab the talk around to stop everything sticking and better resistance to moisture...SG can sometimes go brittle when wet and disintigrate...:evil:

[Coedhirion]

for those who recon you don't need telemetry for a Harris... I hope they read your post!! They blend with the woodland too well and in cover you can walk within a foot of them and not see them hidden under rush or bracken. A tail bell works better than a leg bell as they do tend to move the tail the most and the leg can be under water in a drainage ditch!!
So glad you found your bird, it is the worst feeling ever.
Learn to use your telemetry and practice tracking the transmitter and the bird even when it is not lost. It is quite an art learning to use it as the signal can bounce off all sorts.
I use a piece of leather with 4 point mounting 2 points on each deck. This stops the transmitter flipping up over the birds back and bending the deck feather. I cable tie the bell to the top and a telemetry metal mount below this. it is easy to make up and I can fit one with a well mand bird sitting on the fist, so I don't have to cast the bird. You can also buy plastic mounts from Westweald (I think,) they work well but the telemetry tends to jump out, so add a bit of builders tape over the top for safety.

[GregMik]

or better still araldite;) ...gives you more time to work...and dab the talk around to stop everything sticking and better resistance to moisture...SG can sometimes go brittle when wet and disintigrate...:evil:

Yes I agree....SG will give you a problem when out in moisture. I use 5 minute epoxy. I have made my own tail mounts out of .22 rifle shells. Now I use a Marshall tail mount. It is made out of machined aluminum and comes with a special pliers that makes the job really easy. I have also made a tail bell out of crimp on electrical connectors and a pakistani bell. I use the pakistani bell because it doesn't seem to loose it ring when soldered onto the electrical connector.

www.marshallradio.com

Greg

[RabbitHawker]

When you get even a harris flying well at feather you will occasionally need telemetry, anybody who saya otherwise is an idiot. I once searched for 40 minutes for one of my MHH before finding him on a partridge, it was only because I knew he was near me with the telemetry that I found him hiding in the ivy in a ditch. He had leg and tail bells, but obviously wasnt planning to share the kill.

[Harrisii]

I know birds do get lost, but all you can do is take EVERY precaution you can, and from tonight , i most certainly will.
I really do feel for people like harrissi , its bloody heartbreaking.
Cheers Steve

cheers for the kind words Steve.
yes, i have to say you are bang on mate. only one thing i would add to that is to get yourself a reliable system. the system i was using when ellie went off is clearly not reliable enough. it was checked as were the batteries before being used and all apeared well. i tracked her for about half a mile to some woodland where i then lost the signal. system failed me and the bird.
telemetry is extortionate. hundreds of pounds but if you recover your bird once or twice then its paid for itself. if its too pricey then why not chip in with friends and share a system, buy a transmitter each and way you go.
i should mention that the system i was using was a back up and i was intending to use a lukesander system but could not obtain it at the time. plan ahead and ensure you have access to the telemetry, if you share a system.
i dont go along with the idea that if you cannot afford telemetry then you shouldnt be in falconry. thats too snobbish, but you should really think about it. its a fantastic piece of equipment. just mind its reliable.

[Jack Merlin]

One point I should add.

If using a tube mount, make sure it is the correct length for the wire clip on your transmitter. The hooks of the clips should JUST be able to open out when they have passed through the tube.

I learnt this after making my own tube mounts from spent .22 shells soldered back to back. If the tube is too short, the clips can pull through.

Mind you, when the transmitter does come off, you get some excellent practice in using telemetry finding it again!!

[Lee C]

Lesson learnt, once bittern and all that!
To any one with a new bird, telemetry is a good idea.
I’m glad you got Junior back and are taking the right approach.
Good luck in and may the weather be on your side.
Lee C