Flying without bells

[EddieT]

Does anyone fly a falcon without any bell on?

My young gyr/pere wouldn't leave his tail bell alone whilst being weathered and eventually managed to actually pull out the deck feather (too early to know if it will grow back). As both of the adjacent feathers had telemetry mounts fitted I attached a bell to a telemetry clip and attached it to his tail that way. This also had the advantage that I could remove the bell when the bird wasn't being flown and so remove the focus of his annoyance.

Then yesterday I found I had left the bell at home so I proceeded to fly him in silence and the difference was suprisingly dramatic. I did have to keep better tabs on him when his circling took him behind, but the silent menace of a mounting falcon I found quite powerfull and more natural. I am now seriously considering flying this bird with two telemetry transmitters and no bell.

I have kept this in the longwing section as I wouldn't contemplate flying any other bird without a bell as in more enclosed areas or when a bird is in a tree a bell is invaluable. But for a game falcon, with adequate telemetry back up, it might be reasonable? I'm still not decided though.

[Venividevenatio]

I only fly a hawk without a bell when I, REALY REALY want to lose it !!!

[Elly]

Each to their own, ultimately its your call as its your bird. I fly my gyrxsaker with bells and telem, but he's not bothered about either.
Did you fit the bell to the tailmount originally with leather or a cable tie? If you use leather if its really annoying the bird to the point where they are gnawing at it constantly they can get it off by biting through it, whereas with a cable tie they cant and the end result id imagine could be the bird pulling the feather out..?

[GoodFooter]

probably not relevent but....when lamping I tape over the bell slit with electrical tape.....the noise of the bells at night empties the fields! Fishing isotope selotaped to a jess and you dont need a bell.

often thought an electronic bell would be a good idea....one that buzzes or bleeps when you push a remote controlled button....so you only have noise when you need it... is this possible? any techies out there?

[Berkut]

I prefer to fly the eagles without bells , just a personal preference but I do have bells on hawks and falcons.

[MitchellBrad]

Does anyone fly a falcon without any bell on?.

ME, ME, ME. I havent' had a bell on in over 25 yrs, neither has one of my hawks!!! I think I know one or two grouse hawkers who use them. All the rest of us don't. I have a nice collection though.

Brad

[Salty]

Does anyone fly a falcon without any bell on?

My young gyr/pere wouldn't leave his tail bell alone whilst being weathered and eventually managed to actually pull out the deck feather (too early to know if it will grow back). As both of the adjacent feathers had telemetry mounts fitted I attached a bell to a telemetry clip and attached it to his tail that way. This also had the advantage that I could remove the bell when the bird wasn't being flown and so remove the focus of his annoyance.

Then yesterday I found I had left the bell at home so I proceeded to fly him in silence and the difference was suprisingly dramatic. I did have to keep better tabs on him when his circling took him behind, but the silent menace of a mounting falcon I found quite powerfull and more natural. I am now seriously considering flying this bird with two telemetry transmitters and no bell.

I have kept this in the longwing section as I wouldn't contemplate flying any other bird without a bell as in more enclosed areas or when a bird is in a tree a bell is invaluable. But for a game falcon, with adequate telemetry back up, it might be reasonable? I'm still not decided though.ive done it lots o times ,by the way the tail feather will grow back ,as must a been ard penned to have the gear alreaddy fitted,i put electrician tape over my bells also cos theyre loud and when im manning in house ect ,it gets on me nerves, i take off before flyin , ive forgot lots o times to take it off, aswell as forgettin to put the transmitter on also, one thing went wrong one day what the bell would av avoided if id remembered to put it on,i was flyin one o me falcons an he was above me lookin mint ,then he just took off over this field and was givin it some racing after some collard doves a mile or so away ,he went over the top of a faraway wood and out of sight ,i was wondering shall i go look for him or stay here,has he caught owt,shall i get telemetry out,anyway i got me whistle out n me lure ,started swinging for about 5 or ten mins i was thinkin ,ok thats it il av to go seek, as i turned to walk away ,smack right in the side of me face me bird hit me as he was goin for the lure,i never knew he was there but i would have if id heard his bell,my face was bleedin and sore ,it nacked to be honest felt like id ad a crack, the bird was floppin about apparently semi out of it ,he was ok about 10 mins later mind.but he never hit me full on ,if he did i know without a doubt hed av been history now and id a been devastated as it was my fault all he was doin was puttin his heart and soul into catchin the lure wind behind him ,sneak attack as it were, so for me il always use a bell nomatter what,salty::oops:

[MattSpar]

A friend of mine doesn't bell his hawks, for the simple reason he's partially deaf and can't hear them.

[Dean]

Never used a tail bell on falcons,leg bells on the other hand are a must,adding to the excitement of the moment in the field,also for quick location on unsighted tussles! I tail and leg bell hawks,similar reasons!

[Perlin]

I fly a tiercel perlin,4th season,and have not used abell for the last 2years,but when I did,I had it on its tail,because it switched its tail a lot,I had a mishap with its deck feathers,lost the 2 of them,very very lucky,they grew back the same season while flying it,but slightly twisted.When I put it a way at the end of the season for the molt,it dropped the deck feathers and they grew back perfect.lucky.:D

[Kazahk]

I prefer to fly the eagles without bells , just a personal preference but I do have bells on hawks and falcons.

same here,they just try and pull them of when at their bowperch.

[Lascelles]

The bells will still be working long after the telemetry has stopped!:rolleyes:

[Salty]

The bells will still be working long after the telemetry has stopped!:rolleyes:

couldnt agree more mate,well said:supz:

[Hacker]

The bells will still be working long after the telemetry has stopped!:rolleyes:

Hi m8,
Richard

[Jackson]

my mentor flies his with bells on - its often a good indication of where they-re coming in from the cheeky wotsits lol

i tried to fit a mount to my mhh to fit the transmiter on and he took the feather straight out - grew back two weeks later but knowing him hell take it out again if i try tail mounts! i now put the transmitter on the leg - bell on with bewits! strange but he doesnt seem to bother with that as mcuh as the tail!

[Manok]

It's your call, I don't own telemetry yet, & I became more aware of flying with it last week early season with leaves still on the trees & dense foliage on the ground. ( intermewed male passage redtail-squirrel hunter )
My bird flies with a pair of **** bells $10, should I acquire telemetry i'll use one bell & the transmitter on the other anklet.
I wonder if the falconers in Texas use telemetry on their birds whilst hunting squirrel ?

[Nemesis]

Hi when I first got Star I lost her when I could not hear her bells after a kill got her back next morning since then got some digital hearing aids dont have a problem now I would not be with out bells on my bird for that reason if kills out of sight geting dark hell of a job finding your bird also if telemetry fails /dave

[GosFlyer]

i fly with two bells on the gos when i am getting him going the cover is thick. a tail bell and i put one on a leg. once the cover is down i use just the tail bell. then when the local pheasant and duck get to know whats coming and believe me they do, i tape his tail bell up to deaden the tone its horses for courses.

[Sokoly]

I stopped using the bells as they are a two edged sword to birds life. Yes they help you find the bird but also they make the bird more vulnerable to idiots with guns. Few years ago a peregrine on a field meeting racked off and started stooping on a farm house pigeons. It had bell on the leg. The bell anoyed the dog and it started barking. By the time the falconer get to rich the farmhouse the owner had pulled the gun to the peregrine because it was stooping his pigeons. Unfortunatelly the bells sometimes can acctually do harm to your bird. You just have to look the both sides of the coins. I personaly like to hear the bells of the circling falcon , but after this incident I will think twice before I put bells on the bird. Also think of it this way if your bird escapess she is more likely doomed if she has bells on her, than without them.

I just thought it would be nice to hear this and you go ahead, and make your own choise.