Testing out novices

[BlueHawk]

Hi All

A little controversial here...

Any good tips on discouraging complete novices from getting into falconry?

Let your redtail tag them? Let your gos sluice in their face? Fit them with a Davy Crockatt hat and let you cast of Harrises chase him/her round the garden?

And no, I'm not talking about people with a keen interest, we all have to start somewhere...

Any takers?

[Hacker]

You real m8?

[hawkgirlrandomnumber]

As a novice (but a keen one!) I say:
squeeze a doc

[wanderingstar]

Speaking as a complete novice myself. Why would you want to discourage us?
Ian.

[Paddy1]

Hi All

A little controversial here...

Any good tips on discouraging complete novices from getting into falconry?

Let your redtail tag them? Let your gos sluice in their face? Fit them with a Davy Crockatt hat and let you cast of Harrises chase him/her round the garden?

And no, I'm not talking about people with a keen interest, we all have to start somewhere...

Any takers?


do what you want mate but nowt will put me off

[Shaun Byrne]

Speaking as a complete novice myself. Why would you want to discourage us?
Ian.

It sorts the men from the messers!!:lol:

[JFSeaman]

Tell em they have to join a club.

Follow the apprentice scheme supported by the club or the LANTRA scheme.

Don't sell em a bird and beat the tar out of any breeder who does.

Regulation is coming soon wheter you UK guys like it or not. Support the LANTRA scheme and the HB or have a new police (RSPCA) enforcing a system far worse than the american one because the anti's don't want falconry to survive.

[BlueHawk]

It is actually a serious issue, personally I don't tell too many people about what I do for a couple of reasons. One of them being that I have been responsible for someone getting into falconry who clearly shouldn't...

[Sean]

yup, get them in to a club, get them hutning a whole session, handlign ferrets, dispatchign quarry, askign for permission, getting good housing, and if they do all this you know they aint messers, the messers will be gone after the first cold day out in the winter lol

[Richard]

As a novice myself, i'd have to say preparing food. It wakes you up to the less glamerous side of it. Squeezing DoC's and cleaning aviarys would sort ppl who are going through a little phase and ppl who are good to go.

But i think actually handling birds can help, its all to easy to say you want a FRT and then have 1 standing on your fist. Can make you re-think about trying to take her off a kill :lol:

[hawkgirlrandomnumber]

As for regulations, this may be a dumb question, but do you not have any over there? In Canada, you have to have a Falconry Licence (apprentice, general, commercial) to own a bop, plus a small game liscence if you want to hunt. However that is only for indigenous birds. For non-indigenous birds all you need is a small game licence (kind of dumb but oh well).

[Hacker]

As for regulations, this may be a dumb question, but do you not have any over there? In Canada, you have to have a Falconry Licence (apprentice, general, commercial) to own a bop, plus a small game liscence if you want to hunt. However that is only for indigenous birds. For non-indigenous birds all you need is a small game licence (kind of dumb but oh well).
No, over here you just need a healthy bank balance:supz: :supz: :supz:

[Afshimo]

Dont worry WS - I'm not taking notes!

But the doc is a very good one for seeing what their general attitude is.

Let them hold a bird that isnt push button.

Come down in mid winter and ask em to clean your mews out.

If they can take that thats not too bad.

Then I'd follow the advise of sean - get them to see that falconry is challenging no walk in the park and they will have to learn.

[Matty]

Hi All

A little controversial here...

Any good tips on discouraging complete novices from getting into falconry?

Let your redtail tag them? Let your gos sluice in their face? Fit them with a Davy Crockatt hat and let you cast of Harrises chase him/her round the garden?

And no, I'm not talking about people with a keen interest, we all have to start somewhere...

Any takers?

no need to be quite so harsh me thinks
make them learn the basics of weight control before they handle a bop if that fails
as some one has already said food preperation might be the key, gutting rat, quail or DOC for the day should do the trick
if they pass that, get them to dispatch some quarry if that fails then
they will probably have falconry in their heart and good luck to them

[Richard]

Yeah, dispatching quarry could would seperate the men from the boys (so to speak)

I think so many people get absorbed by the the possibility of having a 'pet' BoP, they forget the not so pretty side.

[Luke Davison]

Hi All

A little controversial here...

Any good tips on discouraging complete novices from getting into falconry?

Let your redtail tag them? Let your gos sluice in their face? Fit them with a Davy Crockatt hat and let you cast of Harrises chase him/her round the garden?

And no, I'm not talking about people with a keen interest, we all have to start somewhere...

Any takers?


just be positive in a controlled way. if ultra keen do the right thing and encourage. However if they are complete novices and you are almost certain they will give up on the idea in a couple of days..still support them and try to make them realise that it is far more of acomitment then they think. But dont go and delibratly out of your way to discourage. otherwise this sport wouldnt be here if it wasnt for Novices.

[MitchellBrad]

Use them and abuse them. If they can take the pressure, welcome them

[Harris]

let them watch a Harris kill a fluffy bunny wunny, and hear it scream :twisted:

[Hacker]

It is actually a serious issue, personally I don't tell too many people about what I do for a couple of reasons. One of them being that I have been responsible for someone getting into falconry who clearly shouldn't...
Can we ask why was that?
Could have relevance to this thread?

[Barbary Boy]

i defo think enrolling them in a club will put them off, youve got to be into politics, diplomatic experience is essential,"arse licking helps" the art of back stabbing is usefull and talking bullshit an absolute must.IF they make it as far as a field meet then they need to know how to praise someone publicly for their birds prowess then slag them down discretely later on.if they can manage all this !they deserve to be in "THE CLUB"

[Hacker]

i defo think enrolling them in a club will put them off, youve got to be into politics, diplomatic experience is essential,"arse licking helps" the art of back stabbing is usefull and talking bullshit an absolute must.IF they make it as far as a field meet then they need to know how to praise someone publicly for their birds prowess then slag them down discretely later on.if they can manage all this !they deserve to be in "THE CLUB"
RRRPMSL!!!!!!!!!!
Get the next pint in m8:supz: :supz: :supz:

[MitchellBrad]

i defo think enrolling them in a club will put them off, youve got to be into politics, diplomatic experience is essential,"arse licking helps" the art of back stabbing is usefull and talking bullshit an absolute must.IF they make it as far as a field meet then they need to know how to praise someone publicly for their birds prowess then slag them down discretely later on.if they can manage all this !they deserve to be in "THE CLUB"

BB I always say the guy who isn't present is the one that catches it! Slagged a few in my lifetime but the older I get the better I'm getting at keeping my mouth shut.

[Berkut]

It used to be that the difficulties in getting into falconry was enough in itself to discourage those who only had a passing interest in the art.
Unfortunately it is so easy to get into it now,with the easiest part and possibly cheapest actually getting a bird,usually a harris hawk.

[Intek Hosting]

Give them a bird to hold, get them talking and then feed the bird a DOC head. The first time the bird flicks its head, covered in grey matter, while they are busy speaking, you will know if they have the makings of a falconer :-)

[Barbary Boy]

it dosnt help these days when there are 1379 different "falconry centers" in existance all encouraging people to hold and fly , barn owls and have tame h/hawks land on there heads, bless! it gives out a totally wrong message to gullable would be newbies, there should be a stricter code of conduct for these places. the number of people now wanting to own a bop but not wanting to hunt it is disturbing.when the banning of hybreds and none indigionous is complete it will make no difference to these people cos theyll still have there pets?

[Ben C]

Nothing you do will ever stop a moron from following his heart......:!: :confused:

[Jackson]

as a novice - make them prepare the fod, gut the food (for the fun of it lol) cut up a whole day old chick, clean all the poo in the avairies/mews, clean the transport boxes (so not fun if you have a mucky bop), make them weed the mews/avairy!!!!

[Harris]

as a novice - make them prepare the fod, gut the food (for the fun of it lol) cut up a whole day old chick, clean all the poo in the avairies/mews, clean the transport boxes (so not fun if you have a mucky bop), make them weed the mews/avairy!!!!


Been there done that, read the book and bought the Tshirt :lol:

[Jackson]

Been there done that, read the book and bought the Tshirt :lol:

lol and your still keen? if so then youre probably ok for falconry but if any of this puts someone off they should stay away from falocnry!

oh and take them out in the winter - somewhere you know will be boggy and muddy and perhaps a river to cross!! and amke them look after anything you catch!

[Claire]

lol I enjoyed cleaning out avairys in the morning at the centre and remember how happy I was once my mentor trusted me to move the falcons, seems so long ago lol I did all the mucky jobs and enjoyed just being around the birds, still remember dispatching my first bunny that did the opposite to putting me off :twisted: , none of the jobs around the centre put me off, (except maybe cleaning the office out when the weather was too bad to fly)

[DeathFromAbove]

If anything's gonna help put em off it'll be the smell of a rabbit being gutted...:vom: ... Man they stink! :toimonst: lol

[BlueHawk]

Nothing you do will ever stop a moron from following his heart......:!: :confused:

Actually Ben, I think you've hit the nail on the head...

[Harris]

If anything's gonna help put em off it'll be the smell of a rabbit being gutted...:vom: ... Man they stink! :toimonst: lol

Try gutting a Hare that has been hung for 5 or 6 days! The guy that gave it to me said oh sorry I forgot to gut it!! Not a plesant job but I have a cast iron stomach thankfully :vom:

[DeathFromAbove]

Try gutting a Hare that has been hung for 5 or 6 days! The guy that gave it to me said oh sorry I forgot to gut it!! Not a plesant job but I have a cast iron stomach thankfully :vom:

I've not done a hare yet.... mainly cos she hasn't caught one of the massive brown ******s yet, but I hope she will....... although I can imagine it's pretty bad, especially if it's been hung :vom: .

[Harris]

I've not done a hare yet.... mainly cos she hasn't caught one of the massive brown ******s yet, but I hope she will....... although I can imagine it's pretty bad, especially if it's been hung :vom: .


Well this one had been shot, so most of the guts looked like someone had put then in a blender by day 6 and added a little green food colouring for effect!! I just get in there with the hands, yum yum!

[Stewigan]

It is actually a serious issue, personally I don't tell too many people about what I do for a couple of reasons. One of them being that I have been responsible for someone getting into falconry who clearly shouldn't...


well if thats the case, the onus is on the falconer to be a better judge of character instead of being flattered by the attention of a newbie!

[DeathFromAbove]

Well this one had been shot, so most of the guts looked like someone had put then in a blender by day 6 and added a little green food colouring for effect!! I just get in there with the hands, yum yum!

ewwww hehe - bet your hands stunk for ages afterward despite washing lol :lol: I've taken to wearing disposable gloves when gutting (especially on rabbits) as the smell of rabbit gutts all over my hands all the time was really ****ing me off lol

[BuzzBee]

I believe you were a novice once?:roll:

[Harris]

I believe you were a novice once?:roll:

Who is that aimed at?

[Harrisii]

do what you want mate but nowt will put me off

great answer.
you have passed the test.
you may not be a falconer but you can fly a harris hawk my son.

everyone was a novice once. everyone. no-one was born a falconer unless your name is Jamima Parry whatsit.

but i think we do need some sort of quality control.

[Harrisii]

i defo think enrolling them in a club will put them off, youve got to be into politics, diplomatic experience is essential,"arse licking helps" the art of back stabbing is usefull and talking bullshit an absolute must.IF they make it as far as a field meet then they need to know how to praise someone publicly for their birds prowess then slag them down discretely later on.if they can manage all this !they deserve to be in "THE CLUB"

your posts get better and better BB.
publicly i think your great.
privately,,,,,,,,,,,

well said.

to test newbies for their true feelings and ambitions within the sport is simple.
get them to log on here and ask a civil question. that will sort them out.

[Lurcer]

Hi All

A little controversial here...

Any good tips on discouraging complete novices from getting into falconry?

Let your redtail tag them? Let your gos sluice in their face? Fit them with a Davy Crockatt hat and let you cast of Harrises chase him/her round the garden?

And no, I'm not talking about people with a keen interest, we all have to start somewhere...

Any takers?

falconry is very much a minority sport, and it has very little voice as of the few peaople doing it compared to other coiuntry sports, so why discourage novices, and who decides whos a novice and whos a pro??? im 18, and started flying birds 7 years ago, noone in my family new anything about it, so had to do it of my own back, but really if it wasnt for the help recieved by the know how falconers in the area then i wouldnt be a falconer now, and i still would never consider myself as perfesoional, just experienced, would you rather cast novices aside and let them screw up bird after bird, or try to help them get it right, nobody will improove without help will they, admitedly people shouldnt start without knowing what there doing, but people like YOU dont help them, and wont support them there fore they will do it of there own backs, and it will never do them or the bird any good.... so come on guys, lets help eachother, afterall we were all there once, and everyone is always learning.....think about it

[Richard]

falconry is very much a minority sport, and it has very little voice as of the few peaople doing it compared to other coiuntry sports, so why discourage novices, and who decides whos a novice and whos a pro??? im 18, and started flying birds 7 years ago, noone in my family new anything about it, so had to do it of my own back, but really if it wasnt for the help recieved by the know how falconers in the area then i wouldnt be a falconer now, and i still would never consider myself as perfesoional, just experienced, would you rather cast novices aside and let them screw up bird after bird, or try to help them get it right, nobody will improove without help will they, admitedly people shouldnt start without knowing what there doing, but people like YOU dont help them, and wont support them there fore they will do it of there own backs, and it will never do them or the bird any good.... so come on guys, lets help eachother, afterall we were all there once, and everyone is always learning.....think about it

I think theres a difference between a true wannbe falconer and someone who watched harry potter and wants a snowy owl :-|

Thats the two different kind of novices that im familiar with

[Lurcer]

yes but the people who watched harry potter, normally kids, should have the parents given a beatn to, not the kids fault, but even so, i know the effects of mistreated birds as i used to work for an owl sanctuary, but id people had healped people, and yes even the hrry potter finatics, half the problems wouldnt arise, and after that, and after trying to help. if theres a problem with the welfare of the bird, then the authrities need to be contacted and the bird removed from danger.

[Paddy1]

peronally i think testing the novice is a superb idea (and yes i am a novice if you like as i yet to own a bop) but i think a good test is to meet people who fly bops and get their opinion to think if you are ready like i did recently and both the people i meet sayed go for it you are ready its the only way you are going to progess

[BuzzBee]

Who is that aimed at?

Soz, Bluehawk

[BlueHawk]

I believe you were a novice once?:roll:


Absolutely, and in lots of ways I still am.

[BuzzBee]

One thing i like about you honesty.:D

[BlueHawk]

One thing i like about you honesty.:D


No hidden agenda on here Buzzbee, always interesting to read peoples' replies when they haven't fully read or understood your post..

Dollies out of prams for no reason..

[BuzzBee]

No hidden agenda on here Buzzbee, always interesting to read peoples' replies when they haven't fully read or understood your post..

Dollies out of prams for no reason..

You may have a point. Depends how much stress there is about.:yawinkle:

[IAmTheWeasel]

Tell em' that there is an ancient initiation ceremony where the newest to the rank has to eat part of the birds first wild caught quarry, raw, right when it is taken......That ought to slim down the list a bit.....and if they say "Fine, I'll eat it".....then they are propobly crazy enought to be in this sport anyway.

[Stewigan]

Tell em' that there is an ancient initiation ceremony where the newest to the rank has to eat part of the birds first wild caught quarry, raw, right when it is taken......That ought to slim down the list a bit.....and if they say "Fine, I'll eat it".....then they are propobly crazy enought to be in this sport anyway.


or you could always make them bend over clutching a newly caught pheasant in their teeth while u spank there arse wi a table tennis racket wi drawing pins in

[TimTom1]

get them doing gardening for 9 months with out touching a bird, and cleaning the avery, I did this at my local Bird of Prey Centre I did this when I started. That sorts out who is interested in birds and who itsn't too fused loads came and went.

[Matthew Patching]

give him a hooded bird to hold and take him out ferretting in mid winter, once he geos blue and keeps smiling then you know that you are onto a winner

[Paddy1]

get them doing gardening for 9 months with out touching a bird, and cleaning the avery, I did this at my local Bird of Prey Centre I did this when I started. That sorts out who is interested in birds and who itsn't too fused loads came and went.



sorry mate that just being a joey nothing to doi about learning a sport

[Black Hawk]

Hi All

A little controversial here...

Any good tips on discouraging complete novices from getting into falconry?

Let your redtail tag them? Let your gos sluice in their face? Fit them with a Davy Crockatt hat and let you cast of Harrises chase him/her round the garden?

And no, I'm not talking about people with a keen interest, we all have to start somewhere...

Any takers?
giv em a vicious hawk that only comes to you and leave them to it. Giv them some jobs then walk off. would discourage me. dnt help them though. b cruel. y u want to know? who u tryin ton get rid of?