Harris or red tail

[Nero]

Hi all, i am thinking of getting my first bop this year and would like to know what bird you would sugest.
The quary in my area is rabbit, hare, duck, and anything that comes my way.
I would also like to know what would be the easyest to train for this type of quary.

[Wightwings]

if you want to learn how to respect BoP get a Red.

less forgiving but not as versatile IMO as a HH.

Both good birds.

[ACCIPITER-GENTILIS]

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if you want to learn how to respect BoP get a Red.

less forgiving but not as versatile IMO as a HH.

OH YE YOU WILL LEARN MORE AND BECOME A COMPETENT FALCONER,a hh will forgive you a red will show you imho.

[Sandalar]

not speaking from experience here
It sounds to me like Harris Hawks are abit point and press
Whereas redtails take a bit more work but overall will be a more rewarding bird.

don't know if thats the case but hh can't be reccomended as a novice bird for nothing

[Kanati]

Hi all, i am thinking of getting my first bop this year and would like to know what bird you would sugest.
The quary in my area is rabbit, hare, duck, and anything that comes my way.
I would also like to know what would be the easyest to train for this type of quary.

i cant comment on Reds as i have not had one but I like male harris hawks. You WILL learn from them. they are nice and quick to catch on in the initial training, but i find they can be tricky to get entered if you dont understand/realise what they are looking for. (its not jsut weight control) I dont know, but i have been led to believe that Reds are pretty keen to chase and take on anything (and i have found Fem HH the same) So they will be quicker to get entered and cause you less stress. from that respect a male Harris will give you more of a challenge... (Defo NOT point and press! as Sandalar mentioned) they are also soft as butter if you put the manning in. And if you fancy a bit of lure swinging they will make multiple passes to a swing lure... i have managed about 8 or 9 before he sat in a tree for a rest :roll: but its great fun if you cant get out, or want to get them fit (much more fun then high jumps to the fist;) )

Dont think you will go far wrong with a male harris mate... from what i have had, i like the parent reared, open pen birds most, but you might want to look into that and decide for your self what you would rather have.

[Nemesis]

Hi nero had the same desion to make last year went with the harris and though she will for give some things she has a good memory my son anoyed her and now she wont let him near her ,so thay might be more forgiving but not all the time ,she is a lovely bird and I am glad I went for the harris we have had some great day,s out and with me she is grateshe will take fur and feather with some realy brilent flights all the best with your new bird whatever it is /dave

[Kanati]

not speaking from experience here
It sounds to me like Harris Hawks are abit point and press
Whereas redtails take a bit more work but overall will be a more rewarding bird.

don't know if thats the case but hh can't be reccomended as a novice bird for nothing


i think they are recomended as a novice bird, by people who are trying to sell them, and by people who think they are un-worthy to be called anything else. I thought that untill i got one and now i have spent a lot of time with them , i think its totally wrong. they are very popular because they get through the early training very quickly, but that doesnt make them easy. if you get that part wrong (and with the harris brain in many cases being larger then the falconers it often can go wrong) you can have lots of problems from screaming to aggressiveness etc etc.

with regard to them being rewarding. all birds can be rewarding if you put the effot in and strive to get the maximum out of them...cant they?!?!?!

[Skeld]

i think they are recomended as a novice bird, by people who are trying to sell them, and by people who think they are un-worthy to be called anything else. I thought that untill i got one and now i have spent a lot of time with them , i think its totally wrong. they are very popular because they get through the early training very quickly, but that doesnt make them easy. if you get that part wrong (and with the harris brain in many cases being larger then the falconers it often can go wrong) you can have lots of problems from screaming to aggressiveness etc etc.

with regard to them being rewarding. all birds can be rewarding if you put the effot in and strive to get the maximum out of them...cant they?!?!?!
Totally agree with Kanati! I fly both Harris and RT each bird has it's own merits, personally I think the RT has the edge, but never think that any BOP is just easy to train.

[buzzbee]

Hi all, i am thinking of getting my first bop this year and would like to know what bird you would sugest.
The quary in my area is rabbit, hare, duck, and anything that comes my way.
I would also like to know what would be the easyest to train for this type of quary.

An ideal bop would be a Fhh but i do work a Mhh who goes for that quary list. No bop is exactly easy to train just easier than others. How long have you been learning about falconry for? Remember dont rush into anything.x

[Dave G]

nero dont rush getting a bird go and get in touch with a few falconers and tag along for the season then you can learn alot more about the birds and training, then you can decide for your self which bird is right for you ,but please dont rush as you will regret it cheers dave

[Matty]

nero dont rush getting a bird go and get in touch with a few falconers and tag along for the season then you can learn alot more about the birds and training, then you can decide for your self which bird is right for you ,but please dont rush as you will regret it cheers dave

quality advice ,please take it seriously
try and get a local falconer to help you out with your first bird
what ever you decide on
all the best

[Harris]

If its any consilation, i am having a similar dilema, I fly and handle both Reds and Harrises at the centre all the time, but still can't make my mind up, a Gos is still on the cards but am still really unsure what to get! :roll:

[MickeyDredd]

Amazing thing this Search function, shame its not used more often ;) :lol:

http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7910&highlight=red+tail

http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7910&highlight=red+tail

http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=9122&highlight=red+tail

http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=9743&highlight=red+tail

http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=9988&highlight=red+tail

[Sandalar]

had a quick read of those mickey
thanks but they do seem to confirm a suspicion that if you ask another falconer they will reccomend a Harris.
Most still consider them to be point and press easy.
.
Most people I have spoken to consider HH to be ridiculously easy to train and so a beginners bird.
I can't stand Harris Hawks finding the Redtail much more my sort of Bird so would find one much more rewarding than the HH.
I am however constantly warned off the RT by people with this obsession for Harris Hawks.
What did people start with before HH you would think Falconry didn't exist until HH's were discovered a few years ago.

I actually think you should go for what you like personally.

[MickeyDredd]

had a quick read of those mickey
thanks but they do seem to confirm a suspicion that if you ask another falconer they will reccomend a Harris.

I am however constantly warned off the RT by people with this obsession for Harris Hawks.


Thats it in a nutshell really, the people who warn against flying a RT have usually only flown a harris (not that I think there is anything wrong with HH) - and if they have tried a RT their knowledge of the basics of the sport are often sadly lacking and they have screwed the job up with the RT, blaming the hawk/species rather than their own ineptitude.

As you will see from my post above, this topic seems to get debated often but really there is no reason not to take on a RT - unless of course you know sod all about falconry. ;)

[NGuruve]

watch the road to bakersfeild dvd and this has harrises and reds flown very well so you can see there potential and diffrences aswell this helped me to make my choice of first bird alot because i prefered the reds style and aggresion and i will beout alone alot and not into this group hawking so a red will do me fine:yawinkle:

[Sandalar]

Thats it in a nutshell really, the people who warn against flying a RT have usually only flown a harris (not that I think there is anything wrong with HH) - and if they have tried a RT their knowledge of the basics of the sport are often sadly lacking and they have screwed the job up with the RT, blaming the hawk/species rather than their own ineptitude.

As you will see from my post above, this topic seems to get debated often but really there is no reason not to take on a RT - unless of course you know sod all about falconry. ;)

sounds good to me...the last little sentence is the clincher there I think

watch the road to bakersfeild dvd and this has harrises and reds flown very well so you can see there potential and diffrences aswell this helped me to make my choice of first bird alot because i prefered the reds style and aggresion and i will beout alone alot and not into this group hawking so a red will do me fine;)

I will look out for that one thanks NGuruve.

thanks people good thread there.

[Newton Newguy]

What did people start with before HH you would think Falconry didn't exist until HH's were discovered a few years ago.

Ermmm, pteradactyl's ????????

[MoltenMetal]

get a red learn to fly a bird