Anyone hunt starlings?

[Sean]

Anyone hunt starlings?

I hope to hunt em with a male harris when i get one lol. what way would i go about it?

[Parahawker]

Best to speak to a few US harris hawkers

Most that fly the harris in this country would tell you this is impossible
When your online next i'll try introduce you to a lad that flies them.

A lot depends on the location / terrain etc & how close you can get though!

[Wightwings]

a Fem would have very littl hope, but a fit male in the right circumstances may have a chance. :D

[Parahawker]

thank you WWings..

Glad to see someone not knocking him down
All too often we dont see potential, but rather just apply our own judgement of caperbilitys

[Sean]

well i dunno how fit they would need to be but I would be flying the hawk every saturday and sunday, and on weekdays making it fly 20/30 yards for its grub. i will also be free lofting it. would this be ok. and is it exciting hawking? and what about the hood, would i need to fly it outa the hood ?

[Shaun Byrne]

Sorry lads got to disagree, A HH Male or Female, fit or not has, in my humble opinion, got no chance of catching starlings unless by absolute luck. I've flown small superfit longwings at them for a full season and only managed a handfull. The only way I think you have a chance is in and around farm buildings, preferably with an outside water source, catching them by surprise as they stop for water.

[Debbie]

Sean - you can come hawk in my garden anytime I get loads of the little darlings :lol: :oops: that should be starlings :lol:

If you could take out the odd nasty wood peigeon for me also whilst your there that would be a bonus there's two I don't like as they bully my others :lol:

Debbs

[Milsbon]

is that an open invite for anyone debs :wink:
or do i have to get in your good books somehow first .. 8)

[Wightwings]

Sorry lads got to disagree, A HH Male or Female, fit or not has, in my humble opinion, got no chance of catching starlings unless by absolute luck. I've flown small superfit longwings at them for a full season and only managed a handfull. The only way I think you have a chance is in and around farm buildings, preferably with an outside water source, catching them by surprise as they stop for water.

well its possible then???? :roll: :wink:
i know they are nippy little sods and not your normal hunting quarry for the HH, just saying of the two really only the male would have the agility in the right conditions etc :D

[Shaun Byrne]

Totally agree WW, if I had to I would fly the Male but I think you would end up with a bored bird that would eventually start to give up on starlings due to lack of kills. Can you imagine going out everyday or even 2/3 days a week knowing that you were only going to fly at starlings and the chances of catching one was minimal? Spar yes, HH not for me!

[Wightwings]

like going to the pub knowing you always get the fat bird :lol:

only joking any fat birds reading :D

[Sean]

ohh no i wont be hunting just starlings, i wanna just let the hawk hunt whatever it sees lol but most of what it will see is these lil ******s :(

[Sean]

I wouldnt wanna come by this one :(

[Wightwings]

RLMAO, Sean you would need more than a HH for that :shock:
would keep the squirrels off the bird table to :lol:

[Debbie]

is that an open invite for anyone debs :wink:
or do i have to get in your good books somehow first .. 8)

Your always in my good books hunny :wink:

very few get into my bad :D

Debbs

[Artyruss]

Hi Sean
I've never flow a Harris, but I agree with some of the above it would need to be super, super fit. The only thing I have ever caught starlings regularly with was a female Spar, but some of them could even give her a run for her money.

Russ

[North East Harris Hawker]

my FHH has caught one off the white horse in wesbury wilts

[Sean]

so it is possible :D

[Grand Master Falconer]

Sean,
I see you have been looking in my 'new species i'm thinking of creating' book.
I think you should have hours of fun doing starlings with a male HH you will need plenty of laddering work though and you are taking the risk of turning the hawk off feather if you do not find success quickly.
Shame on you H4WKA for putting him down with your tales of woe with your superfit falcon! I have over 15 witnesses who will testify that day in day out I was catching starlings with a female imprint Kestrel when I was a kid, maybe your superfit falcon isn't quite as superfit as you think it is.

Best wishes

God

[Sean]

thanks for the advive GMF :D, what do you mean by laddering work? training?
and h4wka is just trying to help, he gave me some good advice on msn last night about it

[Falcon]

Hi sean,
I used to fly my spar at starlings, I would of thought a male HH would be a better bet at flying these fast little fellows. Just a tip for you see if you can find a farmer who has Maize clamp silage, if you do he will probably kiss you if you hunted/firghtened/killed some of the starlings off! My two immediate farming neighbours have done whole crop and maize silage, and you just see clouds of starlings roung the silage pits! Starlings love maize silage! Hope that helps you!

[Sean]

great thanks :D

[Sean]

oh another think falcon, in my brother in laws barn where they bag the feed, theres sparrows all INSIDE it living round the edges lol, maybe i could enter it on these?

[Falcon]

Possibly but you can also get the hawk into thinking that it can only take on prey the size of a sparrow! and starlings are bigger, and you don't want it to refuse taking them. Prehaps somebody else will pass comment on this one?

[Grand Master Falconer]

Sean,
Laddering work is simply where you make the hawk fly vertically, typically by placing food one rung apart on old timber ladders encouraging the hawk to fly greater and greater distances almost vertically, Hence the term 'Laddering' now-adays of course you can weather your bird on a high hawk which encourages vertical flight or use a kite which I can not advise on since I have never used this method.
Flying a bird in this manner builds muscles like you wouldn't believe.
Sorry H4wka just winding you up!
And training wise just fly the hawk to a swung lure with either starling wings or better still a starling you have rifle shot earlier!! as they say on blue peter.
It does work I flew a male Harris on display in 1986 to a swung lure at first he would just buzz it and land on the floor next me dive into the hawking bag and help himself to the hidden lure (typical smart ar*e Harris) but after a few weeks he got the hang of it.

Hope this helps
best wishes

God

[Sean]

ohh now i know what you mean about laddering, well i suppose i could always hang out of the atic window and make the bird fly to the fist, would get me fit too lol

[Mr. Fong]

Another way to help get your HH fit was to fist jump him. I would attatch weights to his swivel ( I used a creance just in case) the weights were old wrench sockets. Believe me, he got fit fast!!! If you do that and increase the weight, you will have one fit bird. The weights also work his leg muscles because he has to lift them up to land on your fist.

[Shaun Byrne]

GMF, it worked!!
Sean, get a MHH and see how many starlings you catch mate, just being a realist. Must admit it will be fun trying though.
Would anyone advise a newcomer to the sport to buy a kestrel?
And the little falcon in question took over 70 partridge in a season at 1lb 1oz, come on GMF, thats not too bad is it?

[Sean]

id love to get a sparowhawk,maybe a kestral. but ill kill the poor things

[Sean]

p.s h4wka, on your siggy add below that
'for everything else theres master card' :D

[Wightwings]

some great posts on here Sean good thread.
Hi H4wka, no a Kessy is NOT a good bird for an unsupported starter, to easy to kill on weight control.

and GMF, you mean YOU flew a HH? :shock:

[Grand Master Falconer]

H4WKA
The kestrel is a beginers bird and always has been until 10 years ago when hh became more readily availabe, not sure what your getting at with that one.
I am glad you are having a good season with your little falcon (interested to know what species he is) are they grey partridge or frogs.

God

[Shaun Byrne]

Sean, that just went straight over my head mate???

[Shaun Byrne]

My first bird was a Kestrel when I was 15, no help and no scales, not a good idea!! Let her go wild and released her after 2 years. Wasn't trying to get at anything, just asking. Dont have the falcon any more he died of a heart problem and so did his brother (one for the hybrid thread) he was a Pere/Lanner.

[Shaun Byrne]

Oh and most of the partridge were Red Legged (frogs).

[Sean]

Sean, that just went straight over my head mate???
i dunno wot u mean mate?

[Parahawker]

I didnt see any reference to suggestion that GMF was pointing in the direction of using a Kestrel, but more on the point that a kestrel can take them!

Harris hawks are used on Quail & sparrows by Mexican falconers
Entering a Harris hawk on sparrows would be a great advantage before moving on to Starlings!
Sparrows will more frequently hit cover & allow for a reflush.
Where as starlings tend to try out fly first.
I used to hunt collared doves with a Harris of mine round a farm after many years trying with a Merlin!
Each bird has different plus factors & the harris has one.
Flight after flight with out sucess & hes still keen on having a laugh.

Back on the kestrel subject, i had a male here that came in wild injured.
He was covered in Anti vandal paint from a building also
So a full moult was needed.
I flew him to get him back in to condition for a few months & terrorised the local sparrows down the stables.
This bird is not deemed to live life in an aviary because he now takes crows!
Anything possble.
just something dont match. Crows do nothing for your kestrels health or tail! before anyone asks!

Fly your New harris at anything & everything
& just because he catches 3 sparrows & 1 dead starling in his first year, does not mean he will not take 40 sparrows 30 starlings & 10 rabbits in his second!

A mates redtail was a serious late starter,
took one rabbit in its first season
Takes hares like moles in its 2nd!

[Shaun Byrne]

p.s h4wka, on your siggy add below that
'for everything else theres master card' :D

That one mate. Probably me just being a bit slow! LOL!!

[Parahawker]

Dont do this at home kids..
Its just meant as giggle

[Sean]

h4wka on your siggy it says
'The sight of a Hawk in flight-Priceless'
and i mean you should make it say below it
'for everything else theres mastercard'

p.s h4wka get ur @$$ on msn :P

[Shaun Byrne]

AH HA!! Told you I was slow lol!!!

[Sean]

hey guys, i was cycycling up this road on sunday morning, there was a varley big bank along side the road,sloping down to a field. when i cycled past it a bunch of maybe 20-30 starlings flew off really close to me, about 30 yards on down the same happened. do yous think this would be a good abush point for a lil male harris? or will it still be very hard

[Ben C]

Depends whats in the other fields and what traffic is on the roads. It can't hurt to give it a go so long as its safe for the hawk.

[OutFlying]

According to the DEFRA web site, starling are now protected and have been taken off the quarry list ? So not sure if its legal to take them anymore.

[OhMyGod]

I've taken many starlings in the open with a male peregrine off the fist, and a male lanner would also take them well for you, but obviously from a pitch.

If you are going to fly at starlings alone I would recomend a male lanner, not a broadwing, but like parahawker said, anythings possible. I just think better to get a bird for your land and quarry. and believe me a male lanner will be ideal on starlings for a begginer or experienced falconer, just get it up a bit.

[Ben C]

Depends whats in the other fields and what traffic is on the roads. It can't hurt to give it a go so long as its safe for the hawk.

AND OF COURSE IF THEY ARE LEGAL!!!!! OOPS SILLY ME :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

[OutFlying]

http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050210a.htm

[Sean]

does that cover everywhere or just england and wales?or maybe scotland? or maybe northern ireland?i cant see it

[PeregrinesUK]

Starling was removed from the general licence 'WLF10088' this year after consultation, it cover the whole of the UK I do believe but have a look at the defra website through jims link

[Sean]

i also heard that pere, but wasnt sure, thanks