Owl Or Hawk Hunt Or Not

[UKJay74]

i have decided to start this thread to take the topic away frrom a introductions post.

the general gist is should you bother to get an owl that wont hunt or a hawk that will and if it dont hunt dont have it :S

whats everyone think??

[Varmint]

I'd agree Jay, but not for the same reasons.

Most Owls in captivity have to be imprinted to some degree if they are to be flown, worse still are the ones that arent and live out their days in a wire pen barely big enough to open their wings in (i've seen dozens)

I have seen some wonderfull Owl Pens, but usually their design prohibits many peoples idea of keeping an Owl, cause they cant see in to it!

The imprinted birds do ok, until the novelty wares off (2-3YRS) and then suddenly "Plop" a parcel arrives on your doorstep with some bewildered Owl?? (again ask any commercial centre how many they take a year)

A large justification for what we do in Falconry, is that our birds get to free fly, most days of the hunting season, we are able to sustane the numbers we use by captive breeding and we are able to further the study of their species.

But to keep a mainly nocturnal species in diurnal life style is ?????

Please understand that these are only my personal beliefs and are in no way intended to offend anybody.

[UKJay74]

andy i know what you are saying and personally i would love to hunt with all my birds.

okay at the moment i have a begal eagle owl but in the near future i am hoping to get either a harris and ferruginous or a pair of harris and will hunt till i drop :D nothing like a nice bit of pheasant :D

[KenHawker1970]

Good idea for a thread Jay.
I to have seen owls in pens that small you couldnt swing a cat in. Then larger owls live for quite a long time, some beginners neglect to look into this. And as for hunting well forget about anything other than an european or a greathorned catching anything worth wile. So the some beginners do tend lose interest. These people should take up trainspotting or some thing else.
I personally would stick to my hawks. As I like to see birds, ferrets, dogs whatever, earn there keep. Besides you cant beat a good flight on quarry.
Regards Ken.

[IAmTheWeasel]

i like the fact that more and more people are keeping and flying owls rather than hunting

firstly more land and quarry for me

secondly all the more people on our side when the goverment are after banning it

pesonaly id rather hunt with a hawk but hey each to there own

Andy..........You say that more people will be for it? how about looking at it this way. Some of the "pet keepers" on here are showing off their new toy around town when it foots the old lady next door...all because they said it's safe to pet a raptor. Do you think that that person will or will not advocate the practice of this sport? If I where you I would try to keep out of the publics eye as much as possible unless it is in the best example of education of the public.....Look what happened to Fox hunting and it had one heck of a group backing it....Do you really think that a few owl pet keepers with help? I just don't see the logic that ya'll have on this subject. Will someone here please tell me what they think the definition of falconry is?
And just to point out, I don't sit high and mighty for falconry, but I do look out for the health and well being of the birds...THAT is why I don't like pet keepers. It's like keeping a lion in a cage......It's just not right. A domesticated animal is one thing, a Raptor is always a wild animal inside and should be treated that way....with respect.

[Gaz]

FALCONRY:The art of flying a trained bird of prey at quarry in its natural state & habitat.
International Falconry Forum...... :?:
:mrgreen:

[UKJay74]

i cant wait til i get a hawk and ggo after quarry and the lil guy or gal brings home the dinner :D

it is a shame that people lose interest so easily i see it in ther reptiles so often with burmesepythons and the likes but have to say my owl isnt going anywheres i hope he will be good following on so i can take him out walking but the hawks will be hunting unless i can persuade my owl to go for a small bunny once in a while :D

[IAmTheWeasel]

i cant wait til i get a hawk and ggo after quarry and the lil guy or gal brings home the dinner :D

it is a shame that people lose interest so easily i see it in ther reptiles so often with burmesepythons and the likes but have to say my owl isnt going anywheres i hope he will be good following on so i can take him out walking but the hawks will be hunting unless i can persuade my owl to go for a small bunny once in a while :DAhh, don't worry, You can get that owl hunting...It' just takes time and patience.......alot of it :wink: A guy over here hunts with his GHO and catches quite a few head of game with it too! He hunts squirrels. His biggest problem is the bird can carry almost anything it catches. :roll:

[IAmTheWeasel]

FALCONRY:The art of flying a trained bird of prey at quarry in its natural state & habitat.
International Falconry Forum...... :?:
:mrgreen:DING DING DING!!!! Gaz you just won the toaster over deluxe edition!!!!!!!!(crowd cheers!)yeaaaaahhhhhh...go Gaz, go Gaz, go Gaz.....(fades away).........

[The Late Lord Lucan]

Varmint wrote (snip)......

A large justification for what we do in Falconry...........

I sometimes wonder wether 'justification' is a major stumbling block. Personally I don't bother trying to justify my 'passion', and I wouldn't bother trying to justify wether I hunt or not with a bird.......
As the saying goes......'whatever floats yer boat'.

But as far as I'm concerned, If all the tree-hugging, do-gooding bell-ends out there, put as much effort into fighting against crime & smackheads as they put into fighting foxhunting, we'd be living in a much better place.


Please understand that these are only my personal beliefs and are in no way intended to offend anybody.

You are entitled to them, and you haven't offended me.......

Regards,
LLL.

[Colohen]

I have a GHO one mean bird on the kill!
As for flying , they take more time in every aera of training ! When I started with owls I was told " look at it lake a dog (hawk) and cat (owl) the dog allways willing and the cat will get around to it !" this as so far mroven to be true !
As a rehab , besides my own GHO, I had 2 GHO 1 bard and 6 barn still in down last spring

[Colohen]

TLLL
I totally agree

[Bill]

Will someone here please tell me what they think the definition of falconry is?

Recognise this:-

Falconry/hawking is the sporting art of flying trained birds of prey at quarry in its natural state and habitat.

This forum covers something for the novice falconer to the profesional, the basics through to advanced falconry, topics covered so far include, whether falconry is for you, legal aspects, choosing a suitable bird, aviary construction, links to equipment and food suppliers, tips on making your own equipment, basic training, fitness training, entering your bird right though to cooking your quarry. Other factors such as breeding are looked into as well as other non falconry related topics such as 4wd cars, cooking on barbeques and the likes!

A great site for falconers the world over

From the home page of this forum - nothing about about owls.

I know nothing about them and have no real interest in them. You probably find pet raptor keepers with owls and others with hawks. And good and bad on both.

Actually there is an exception - European Eagle Owl they look mean and cool and if I thought they were good for hunting and I had the time . . . .

[Colohen]

It does not matter what it is , if you dont fly it , its not falconry and if your only reason to have is to look then your not a falconer ! With exception to the education of others, then I seggest a flightless rehab bird whos life would atlest serve some meaning.
Birds have wings and wings are ment to fly !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BarrySommers]

I am flying a 1425 gram eyas Great Horned Owl at Eastern Gray Squirrels in eastern Pennsylvania and there are a huge number of posts about how we are doing here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hootowlfalconry/ Admission to that group is open to only falconers with more than 2 years experience and who are seriously considering taking a GHO eyas.

Barry

[Mr. Twinkie]

I agree with most of what has been said.
Owls will hunt in captivity if the falconer actually knows what he/or she is doing. Personally i m not an owl fan....but its live an let live. There are just as many hawks and falcons in the uk that sit around all day with nothing 2 do with their lives but look at their feet.

Well done 2 anybody that has their owl hunting, its alot harder to do than getting a hawk or falcon to hunt.......does that make you better falconers than the rest of us.......? :shock: lol.

[Jester]

From the home page of this forum - nothing about about owls.

.


http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/images/logo_square.gif



ooohhhhhhhhhh look there is a picture of an owl :shock:

[Jay]

If you do not fly your birds at WILD GAME you are not a faloner, you are a pet keeper. I don't care how many years you have kept, trained, done what ever with birds of prey if you do not activly persue wild game with your trained raptor(s) you are not a faloner. I have nothing against anyone flying owls as long as they are taking game, granted this is not an easy thing to do but it can be done. Starting off it is hard enough to learn to hunt wild game, but how do you expect to ever take anything with a owl that is hard to hunt with, combinded with your hunting inexperience. If you can not get your bird of prey to hunt then give it to somone who has more experience hunting with these birds. If you give up and keep this bird it has been reduced to a mere parakeet and you to a lowly pet keeper.

Colohen I would have to disagree with your statement about rehabers, they still are not falconers because they do not hunt with their rehab birds. But I do not consider this a bad thing, they are using these birds to educate the public and add to the wild stock. This does not mean that if you rehab and have other birds that are flown at game you are not a faloner..... just covering my ass from weasel.

Mr. Twinkie, I do not feel that people who sucessfuly fly owls on wild game are better faloners. It just means they have more experience training owls. Owls are not that great at hunting because of their natural hunting style, they hunt almost totaly by stealth. When out with an owl and somone puts up a rabbit the birds reaction is somwhere along the lines of "hey buddy I would have gone and grabbed that thing if you hadn't flushed it". But with proper weight control, lots of experience, and help from others owls can be turned into quite sucessful hunters as a handful of faloners have shown.

[KenHawker1970]

Just had a looksy in your gallery (Jester) Alan. Your flying him free now I see, good man. You will soon be taking them bunnys then mate. Keep up the good work Alan.
All the best mate.
Reguards Ken

[Wightwings]

From the home page of this forum - nothing about about owls.

.


http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/images/logo_square.gif



ooohhhhhhhhhh look there is a picture of an owl :shock:

its there to look pretty?????????lol

owls = pets
hawks = SPORT.

personally they do nothing for me apart from the OOOOOh and AAAAarrrr factor at displays etc.

[KenHawker1970]

I like owls and I have nothing against any body who flyes owls. And I have nothing but addmeration for any one that hunts with them. As for keeping them locked in an avery and not flying them well. I think these people should be locked away, fined or shot. People like this make me sick. They should never be allowed to keep a bird in the first place.

Reguards Ken

[Hawkmaster]

Does that also go for parrot keepers?

[KenHawker1970]

No mate just wannabe falconers.

[Wightwings]

Does that also go for parrot keepers?

i have a parrot ( well a Conure :roll: ) if the cage i kept him in ( when hes not out and about the house like now ) was scaled up to the same size for an Owl like for like i'd need a spac 60ft square!!! so the comparison isnt there really.

dont get me wrong i have kept and flown varying types of owls but the original question was about hunting i believe?

I have Nothing but respect for ALL raptor owners just hopeing to keep the debate in context.
horses for courses..................we have a saying in my industry....................FIT FOR PURPOSE :D :wink:

[Superfly]

The imprinted birds do ok, until the novelty wares off (2-3YRS) and then suddenly "Plop" a parcel arrives on your doorstep with some bewildered Owl?? (again ask any commercial centre how many they take a year)

You're not wrong Varmint, too many people think of BOPs as a short-term thing, I always say, if you don't think you can handle the responsibilities of a dog, you got NO chance with a BOP, be it owl or hawk. I've lost count of the number of times people have said "I'd love to own an owl - they are so cute" - I go out of my way to describe why they *shouldn't* own one then.

Of course, if you get someone who only flies them to hunt, there is a danger you end up with the "retired" or injured ones that no longer suit the macho-guy image some people foist upon themselves at the idea of owning a hawk. Ya know, the tattoo / pitbull / 5lb of gold chain / BMW type. :roll:

If they are lucky, such birds end up at places like Gentleshaw, but the pressure facing sanctuaries never eases up. We've had birds in where peole got them "to hunt" and then find they can't handle the agression as they haven't trained them properly.

[Hawkmaster]

BMW? What do you drive?

[Superfly]

Heh - me, don't laugh - a Skoda :P cheap and cheerful A to B ta very much ;)

Edit: - And before y'all start - I've heard just about every Skoda joke goin hehe, I've had it 8 years and 117,000 miles on the clock from new.

[KenHawker1970]

Theres a clown near me who has a Red. Its just left in an avery all day, day in day out. The avery measures; 25f x 15f x 10f high.
It a crying shame. This bird has been freelofted for about 12 months know and has had no training as far as I know well appart from the training I and the owner gave it when he first had the Redtail. All of which has gone down the bogpan.
I explaned what taking on a bop means how much time the bird needs care and attention, food etc etc. But still this has fallen on deaf ears.
Now the Female Red wont have anything to do with him. She attacks the glove and trys to rip his face off at any change she gets wile on the glove.
Pitty it doesnt kill him lol.

Ken

[Mr. Fong]

I know someone who has a redtail but all he does is weather her out
on a bowperch, then puts her in nightquarters. I asked him when he would drop the weight and fly her but he says when her weight drops, she gets real aggressive :twisted: . DUH! It's a redtail!!!! I thought he was a falconer but I think he's a bird keeper. A m8 of mine lived with him and he had to be encouraged to hunt.

[Colohen]

Mr Fong
Mybe he does not fully understand how to handel a raptor , have you or his sponser tride to show him ? It is posiable he has had no or poor sponsorship , or has a fear of the bird and needs help to overcome it !

[Mr. Twinkie]

I know the guy in question, he's a professional falconer who's teaching others!!! Its one of those things, anybody can buy a bird in the uk and declare themselves a falconer without any real experiance.

[Mr. Fong]

colohen, I am in the UK and they don't have a "sponsor" this dude will happily fly a harris but not the others!

[Mr. Twinkie]

I think you should offer to sponsor him Mr F. :shock: :lol:

[Mr. Fong]

Sorry dude, only over my dead, beer filled carcass.........
Id rather stab myself in the eye with a #2 pencil
You can't teach old dogs new tricks
if you say you know him wy dont you offer to help him you may live a bit closer than me

[Mr. Twinkie]

no i'm going to be kind and leave this 1 to you, i know you like a challenge.....pretty sure u live closer 2 him than i do....i'll get you a few pencils for xmas. :lol:

[Mr. Fong]

Guys I have this guy let's call him "captian harris" he has a 2 snowy owls, one of which has been ill for a while. (Note- no A10) He was the first falconer I met and he told me last July that he lamps his Eurpoean Eagle owl on foxes??!!! His buddy, I'll call him "capt. longwing" told me that he is a longwing expert despite the fact that I have NEVER seen him fly one!! He said that you can get a male european eagle owl (CPT Harris' bird) to hunt foxes quite easily. I find this a wee bit of BS, but I figure you will have a good laugh at this.....

[Mr. Twinkie]

and then you met????? .......the silver jerkin....... :shock:
Think we ve moved away from the topic of this thread Mr.F :lol:

[Mr. Fong]

No I was asking about lamping a fox with a Male European eagle owl and if this is BS (B#ll S##t) or not

[Hawkmaster]

It could be possible, two of my French students confirm them catching small deer or whatever they are and large cats too!

[Mr. Twinkie]

oooo eeee oooo eeeee :shock: yeah u know its possible.....its captain harris.....he's the bestest ever. :?
I'm sure i read sumwhere they take foxes in the wild.....

[Mr. Fong]

Thanks HM but this dynamic duo tell a few too many stories EXAMPLE: Did you know a harris hawk comes in to your fist at 70 mph??? He is telling kids in the local park (his training ground) these stories. The wife says if he swallows a fly he's got more brains in his stomach than in his head....lol

[Mr. Twinkie]

telling stories is easy.....a certain person(who's on this forum) claimed he had a bengal that would catch pheasants in full flight!!! Makes me wonder why i would have a gos. :roll:

[UKJay74]

telling stories is easy.....a certain person(who's on this forum) claimed he had a bengal that would catch pheasants in full flight!!! Makes me wonder why i would have a gos. :roll:

well i have to say that if thats the case i need to train my bo (bengal) after feather and dont need to bother with getting a harris lolol

[KenHawker1970]

Well Mr Twinkle, I was going to say some thing about the EEO that drops foxes.
But tell you the truth after laughing my ass off about the Bengle that has the rocket up its ass so it can catch the phesants in full flight. Ive seened to have forgotten what I was going to say.

Ken

[IAmTheWeasel]

A Bengal CAN catch a pheasant.......Just got to pluck all the primaries out of the wing first :roll:

[Mr. Twinkie]

mmmm.....is that the primaries in just one wing, doesnt that mean that it would fly in circles? Lucky owls can turn their heads so far round.......i'd like 2 c that :roll:

[IAmTheWeasel]

LOL!

[Wightwings]

pmsl just catching up and p1ss1ng myself laughing with this thread....................captain longwing lmao...." heeeeeere i come to save the day!!!!!!!" pmsl :lol:

[Shaun Byrne]

mmmm.....is that the primaries in just one wing, doesnt that mean that it would fly in circles? Lucky owls can turn their heads so far round.......i'd like 2 c that :roll:

Owls would be quite good at hunting Haggis then, they have one leg longer than the other so they can run round mountains easier!!

[Jester]

Owls would be quite good at hunting Haggis then, they have one leg longer than the other so they can run round mountains easier!!



yeah but its really hard to make a realistic dummy haggis and to catch one to use as a baggie would be naughty :mrgreen:

[KenHawker1970]

A Bengle that catches phesants. Thats nothing. When I use to fly my Dragon (Draiko) we used Cows as baggies. But we had to put the bag over its head. We used cows cause its ded hard to make a dummy cow.

Reguards Sir Kenalot Of Yea Old Stoke.(carrier pigeon no: XII)
Feed them hounds wench.

[Colohen]

Then I dont gess there is any hope for that one ! Like I'm right in the middle if teaching my jack russel to fly...lol
I take my birds serously and hate poor treatment and poor sponsership
as I was the victum of the later .

[Mr. Fong]

Dude I got a video clip of "Captiain Harris" getting his MHH out of a tree- he has successfuly combined fishing and falconry (hint: swing lure into tree, then pull, out comes the bird from the tree.)

[Jester]

i read somewhere that EEOs in the wild catch deer so i thought i would give it a go. mind you it was murder trying to run with a dummy deer :shock:


the following pics are not photoshop specials honest :roll:

now all i need to know is how to i stop him from carrying off :P

[Wightwings]

pmsl like them Jester they are very funny thanks

[Mr. Twinkie]

lmao....excellent :lol: ....i feel like watching bambi....wheres tht dvd???

[IAmTheWeasel]

HAHAHAHA!!!!LMAO Those where too good!

[Jester]

this morning my mrs looked out the kitchen window and spotted a small sparrow/robin/little bird in the aviary this morning. By the time i got showered and dressed and outside the little birdie had gone so i thought it must have found its way back out again.

went to weigh him 10 mins ago and he seems to have put on 1 3/4oz. He only had 2 chicks and 3 mice yesterday so should have stayed at roughly the same weight so i guess the little birdie didnt find its way out of the aviary after all :shock:

hmmmmmmm its not the first time i have noticed weight discrepancy so its maybe not the first time

must admit it kinda surprised me he would be able to catch it even in the aviary cos it was a fast little sod and owls are not noted for their agility or speed (or so i thought)

dont suppose i can take credit for hunting with him quite yet though :roll:
(unless of course you count the deer he had :lol: )

[Geffaz]

i have decided to start this thread to take the topic away frrom a introductions post.

the general gist is should you bother to get an owl that wont hunt or a hawk that will and if it dont hunt dont have it :S

whats everyone think?? i think i have inadvertantly kicked off this debate , hunting with a hawk having a PET owl thing! iv seen some of the post and i asure u ive no intention of locking away an owl in a avery the sive of a cupbourd and then loosing intrest! i have a lot of training and study and sole searching to do before i even get close to owning a raptor! im fully aware that ther are some *****s that go out and buy say a barn owl for 6o quid get bored and forget about it! but im not one, ive kept birds most of my life and feel i should move on becoz i feel keeping a bird in a avery is unfare and have trouble justifying the ethics of it. i feel that if i have an owl or hawk im able to fly it freely in a natural,ish state , please not all of us new guys are pikey idots that just wana look macho down the pub, and neither do i feel the need to kill with the bird hence the possibility of an owl, for me the flying is every thing and if i dont feel the need to have an air born killing machine duz that make it some how a lesser angle on the sport , well i hope not. ive worked for both peta and friends of thailands wild life over the years for **** money, and for nothing else but to ensure the welfare of animals under pressur including indo chinease tigers,asiatic black bear ,gibbon ,horn bills, blah blah blah!
all im saying please not all of us are twats :wink:

[Geffaz]

sorry to go on but remember u started somwhere once!

[Jay]

PETA!!! Wow somone who wants to work with birds and a PETA suporter, can this be? Maybe having somone on the inside will keep them from cutting leashes or breaking into mews, but hell probly not, these are the people that say they wouldnt sacrifice one rat to cure AIDS. Geffaz I know you probly mean well, but I have an extream hatred for PETA.

www.peta-sucks.com

Also if you don't feel the need to have an airborn killing machine why get any bird of prey? That is exatly what all birds of prey are, Airborn Killing Machines. If you dont like the idea of killing don't get into somthing that involves killing. Anyone who keeps birds of prey and doesnt make a determined effort to hunt with them is a pet keeper, the keeping of birds of prey as pets in my book makes you the skum on the bottom of my hawking boots.

[IAmTheWeasel]

Heeeere we go again! :roll: ....Jay, I love that site too!

[Geffaz]

please im no bleeding hart liberal, my first job was as a game keeper! for 5 years! were i asisted in the cull of deer and fox,and other pests.i joined the royal marines at 21 again no bleeding hart liberal,
i worked for peta on a project in asia were i lived for a few years , working against the elegal trade in indangered animals, for pets fur ,skin,etc alot of which was being imported to the US funnily enuff,
and then went to work on a more intence side of things as training the thai army on anty poaching technics, patrols and ambushes, and nipping things in the bud! becoze id had enuff of peta and felt some of ther technics and politics, philospys were counter productive to the welfare of animals, and only succeded to stur the emotions of the ignorant! say apluading the relies of 1000s of mink from farms wich went on to decimate wildlife,this was not my scene! as for being the scum on the bottom of your budgy tray, i realy dont think u would stand toe to toe and say that mate 8) just go and look macho with that wild animal u undoubtedly trapped,and spends the best part of its life tetherd to a block of wood,real tuff guy :D what im saying is my bird watever it will be will be captive bred live in a very large incloser and be flown regulaly,for pray or not! ALL THE BEST GEFF! :wink:

[UKJay74]

geffaz i tthink peeps have the isue with PETA not you. i as a herp keeper am so annoyed with PETA and their holier than thou attitude that they know best and are better than all

i get agro cos they seem to think the simple hobbyist /breeder doesnt know anything despite they may be aiming to the same goal of supporting a breed of animal

the PETA issue is nothing to do with you geffaz it is just an alienation to PETA

[BrianM]

geffaz wrote.. just go look macho with that wild animal that you undoubtedly trapped and spends the best part of its life teathered to a block of wood,real tuff guy...........mmmmm didnt like that line geffaz are you sure your still not a member of peta

[Geffaz]

no mate thats cool! just dont like being slaged by a spotty 16 yo lol.
your totaly right about peta,s hollier than thou aproach! they are constantly failing to do propper research and charge into things blindy, wich alot of proves to be counter productive, for ther couse and more importantly for the welfare of animals, which is a great shame as ther very powerful, and rich! and perhaps dangerous ,thats why i moved on to somthing more productive, dont get me wrong ther have been a few projects that have worked out! say the removel of elephants from Bangkok city centre, to be moved up north were they are imployed in jungle treks! not ideal but a lot better than being stuck in a hot city were they are indanger of being hit by cars etc and have a misserable life in sweltering heat and smog! im shaw u cant nock that! but the thing is i think they attack anything and spred them selves to finly, and alot of the time they are way to clumbsy, when they should be yousing softer tactics to change atitudes,as apose to charging in and getting everybodys back up! perhaps a little more harts and minds,And for that now im no way a surporter of peta! im maybe more anti peta than most on here having seen first hand ther f*** ups , i only brought up the work i have been involved in to make a point that the animals welfare will be paramount for me! ,p,s i still hunt when i have the chance,fish at every opertunity. not a bleeding hart liberal.but still very conservation minded as are most peaple that persue field sports! cheers sorry think i rambled then lol

[Geffaz]

LOL NO I WAS JUST HAVING A POP BACK (JUST WANTED TO HACK HIM OFF)! IF I WAS U DO THINK ID BE ADVERTISING IT ON HERE! LOL HMMMM! IM SECRET SQUIRREL!

[BrianM]

???????????????????????

[Geffaz]

dont u get paranoid on me brian lol, so what do u think anyway can an owl be trained to hunt! consensus seems to be brits say no yanks say yes!

[BrianM]

some of the larger eagle owls can on a limited scale but in general id say no as well

[Geffaz]

like i say im totaly new to all of this! well i had an emporer horn bill fly to my wrist to take bits of mango and the odd locust but hardly the same thing lol, bloody big bird tho weighed a tone!
the yanks seem to think the great horned owl is capable! but who nos! but if i wre to say get a rt or a hh then hunting would be at the to of the agenda and id activly seek pray,but if it was an owl id just fly it

[Geffaz]

and if it got lucky then thats only a good thing ! at the moment im just looking at having a bird fly to the hand!wether its full on falconry or keeping a PET (hate that phrase) owl watever that maybe??????
its all a bit ambiguous at the mo so sorry for that! but i have miles to go before im ready for a bird watever it maybe

[Coedhirion]

you sure hav got a lot to learn Geffaz. Cant believe if u don all that you say you havnt picked up a bit more. People keep birds 'tied to a block of wood' for a reason its called weathering. A bird with a full crop wont flie too well, it has no reason. bit like a person taking a run after Xmas lunch!! :) there are a few out there who keep birds like that for a long time.. may be we should bring back sum kinda licence. But most leave them to weather (look up why) then fly them. A bird moults !!! a captive bird dose this in a different way to a wild one. when it moults you feed it up with good diet. you dont fly some kinds during moult cos they dont fly too well an they dont want to when they aren't hungry !! they get put in a moult chamber for this so they come out feather perfect an ready for next season... Sorry to ramble.... Also its not nice to hunt during spring an quarry breeding season !!!! if you want a bird that will live free all the time an come to your hand when you call, plus give spectacular airial displays keep PIGEONS i have some an they are great fun. I hunt with a Harris & luckily he has learnt pigeon is not on his menu cos they dive thro the 'sputnick' back into the BIG loft the moment they hear his bell!!!

[Geffaz]

yeah your absolutly right i do have a hell of alot to learn thats why im here!? it was ment as a pop back! and to tell u the truith i feel a little iffy about a adult bird being taken from the wild! maybe im wrong!
what sort of training process is the adult wild bird put through to be maid a tool! as he surgested to hunt with! ive read a few books on the medievel way of braking a bird! do they still yous thes methods on wilds?

[Geffaz]

if not then cool! it wasnt a stab at tethering a bird it was more a shot at the trapping of a wild one! if ive got it all wrong and the whole process is painless for the ADULT WILD bird then forgive me! IF NOT THEN SCREW IT! fortunatly we have laws that stop us doing it over here, i personaly i feel if the birds captive bred,parent reared watever! then the process of training would be alot less stressful! as ther yoused to human contact!

[Geffaz]

and as far as u cant believe blah blah arfter all ive said ive done!
i really dont remember mentioning any thing about experience with falconry! i will have a reread of what ive wrote but im shaw i didnt!
??????????? tell me if i have given that impression anyone! im shaw far from it lol

[Geffaz]

yup reread and nope thers nothing ther about experince with falconry! or hunting in the spring! COED i surgest u read post correctly befor charging in with meaningless coments! im mean that in the nicest possible way as its really not very fruitful Thanks! and to anyone else if i have the wrong end of the stick about wild cought birds please tell me! im very open minded and open to data on the subject! peace out ;-]

[Gaz]

captive bred,parent reared watever! then the process of training would be alot less stressful! as ther yoused to human contact!
There is no human contact ,ideally,i personally would rather do a trapped bird if it was possible,seen more,done more etc. :mrgreen: and dont worry,we all have something to learn...nobody,but nobody,can know it all,even though its surprising the amount who "know" they do :!: :mrgreen:

[Mr. Twinkie]

ooo....geffaz(aka peta??) thats the impression your giving. You have no experiance with falconry...right? yet you made an earlier comment about a bird being tied 2 a block of wood....to some1 who is a falconer? then u suggest that sum1 else who made a post dosent go in with meaningless comments....yet i think you ve done that several times??
Birds bred in captivity normally dont c humans until they ve been picked up2 be trained.....personally i dont think its gonna be very different from a wild trapped bird.
As for your inital question....yes owls can be taught 2 hunt...but its gonna take more time.......and more experiance than your average beginner would have....so bear that in mind....if your thinking of hunting an owl.....
I know your not getting a bird till late summer, so you have plenty of time to decide wot you want your bird for......then you can choose a suitable species.

[Geffaz]

aka peta F**K OFF :wink:
LIKE I SAID BEFORE I MADE THAT COMMENT TO **** HIM OFF!
anyway gaz cheers thats cleared that up! good to see not every body on here gets all twitchy and cliky!

[Jay]

Hey I don't take any issue to you at the moment just PETA. And if you are on this board you will need to get usto getting slaged by a spotty 16 yo. This 16year old happens to be a licesnced faloner in the US for the past 3 season and flying a bird for the last two, comes down to a matter of experience not age.

[Gaz]

good to see not every body on here gets all twitchy and cliky!
:butthead: :mrgreen:

[Geffaz]

i do see what your saying! and yes thats true of most forums! as for the issue of experience! i would of reacted the same if he had been flying since he was 2! if someone basicaly says that im not worth the **** on the bottom of ther hawking boots! lol gota laff, then im going to react the same! and its basicaly an imature comment wich could only be expected from a spotty kid licence or not!
anyway im here to learn so now i think ill concentrate on the other threads as this is getting no were! fortunatly alot of the replys have been very helpful, and had offers to go to club meetings, and meets next month so not so bad! and has given me a bit of faith that this is not the eletist and cliky sport some would have u believe!
cheers! :D

[Geffaz]

p,s what are u proposing gaz gota say im really not like that bruv! LOL

[Jay]

Hey, I said those who do not make a effort to hunt with birds are the skum on the bottom of my boots. You being birdless at the moment how can you be the skum on the bottom of my boots? I dont know the opinons of many UK faloners about keeping birds of prey as pets, but I speak for the majority of US falconer when I say you are the skum at the bottom of my boots for keeping birds as pets.
Experience plays a big part in this, when I first started looking into the sport I didnt want to hunt at all. Also the more experience you have the more you learn about the needs of the birds. When I first started I would have seen no problem with a bird of prey kept as a pet, just look at my opinon now that I practice the sport.

[Geffaz]

ok i see were your coming from!
say hyperthetical question? if say i owned an owl (that is not a defo) and i flew it very regularly in an area rich in prey say bunnys and squirrels! and knowing the chances of it nailing somthing were close to zero! ,would it be a pet? or say if i had a red tail or a harris,that i hunted with successfuly would that just be a tool to get the od dinner its a tricky one!
p,s i thought u were calling me the skum of the earth or watever becoz i worked for a short period of time years ago on the other side of the world for peta which at the time seemed like a good cours! just thought that was a little extreme lol
with most sports the social side i,e clubs meets etc ar a big part! id hate to get into this and find as soon as the other members found i had an owl! i would be sneered at! maybe id just join a club for fluffy owl pet keepers :(

[Geffaz]

p,s from what it sounds like its a real challenge to get an owl hunting!
even tho id be a total novice id make ever effort to get it doing so! (luv a challenge) aslong as it wasnt detremental to the welfar of the owl obviously!

[Gaz]

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[Geffaz]

ITS SO CRAZY IT JUST MITE WORK! LOL

[Jay]

About going into the feild with an owl and knowing you are not going to get somthing. If you are actualy trying to get game you are a falconer and I dont mean going out there doing the same thing everytime and wondering why the hell you didnt get anything. If one thing doesnt work every resouce at your desposal should be used, unless you are doing everything in your power to get this the bird to hunt it is pet keeping.

I read over some earlier post about adult birds. Actualy over here we can not trap adults, only passage birds as they are not part of the wild breeding population. Many of thoes early meathods have been done away with but many still remain. The thing with a wild trapped bird is that it can be released at any time the falconer chooses. 80% of passagers die their first year in the wild, when trapped by a faloner it almost guarantees their survival, also these birds are usualy not kept for very long. Many faloners relese after a few seasons. These birds are scared when you first get them just like parent reared birds that have no human contact, but they tame down very well. As a general rule it is easier to do almost anything with a passage bird then a imprint. The main differeance is going to be their hunting style. A passage bird has already learned what it can and cant do in the wild, where as a captive bred bird will take a shot at anything once. With this in mind if a passage bird is brought into extream fitness it can take game that a passager wouldnt even take a second look at.

[Geffaz]

THATS INTERESTING! :wink:
perhaps a better way of going about it as u can relies the bird!
could u give me the defenition of a passage bird mate

[IAmTheWeasel]

passage means that the bird is a first year bird on it's first migration.

[Colohen]

No matter what type of bird you work with (falcon, hawk, owl or eagle and for some even vultures) no two are ever the same. Like people they all have different personalityes and a mathod that works on one may not work for another . The art of falconry has not changed by much in 2000 years plus. If anything the modern world has made thangs better for the falconer and the bird!
The only evil method , which is still practiced, is sealing. Any good falconer would never use such a crule method . out side of that there is not much difference from the NOW and the yester-year.
PET KEEPERS
If you are makeing the effert to be a falconer , then your not a pet keeper , regardless of what others might say, just because a person cant go out every day doe to what ever ie... work hours . does not mean this is not a good falconer , only lacks the opertoinaty to do so . BUT a "I AM A FALCONER" who NEVER takes his/her bird out to work with it and it sets in the cage all year looking pritty, or not in some casses, should not even be allowed a raptor , in my openion! IS A PET KEEPER.......

[Claire]

I think that anyone thinking of getting an owl and is doesn't matter if they plan to hunt it or not needs to learn as much as anyone else. there was a volenteer at the centre i worked who wants an owl and he has spent the last year at the centre learning. when he gets his owl it will be flown free daily and kept immaculatly, he wont be a falconer but whats the problem. the bird will be happy and well cared for and if he's spent a year learning before he gets a bird I'd say he wont get bored. The problems come when people get an owl on a whim like the kids want one cos of harry potterthey go out and buy one and have no idea how to look after it. I hate to see aivery owls but have no problem with owls that are trained and flown. just my opinion

[Geffaz]

yeah totaly clair! i have got a hell of alot of study and training to do before i even consider getting a bird! thes are just the first ginger steps on a very long road im aware of that!
but its intresting alot of peaple say if u fly an owl your not a falconer!
why is the pictuer for this site have the face of a owl on it?
why are u a falconer if u fly a hawk and not a hawker?
i read a qouit that said hawking is a skill falconry is an art!
is anybody that flys an owl a pet keeper and the scum on whoevers walking boots like it has been mentioned here?
id think it would be ok for tru falconers to sneer but they would also have to sneer at peaple with a hawk! becoz ther not falconers th hawkers!

[Hawkmaster]

Ok as long as everyone is playing nicely we will keep this thread going.....

I would like to mention I think to take and owl and succeed in getting it to hunt, you will have to be an experienced falconer first.

Think about it?

[Colohen]

Claire
If he/she is going to fly an owl the owl has to be at weight to do so and a raptor at flight weight will give chase if the opertunity comes weather they catch it or not ! This in turn rules out pet keeper. Inter the falconer , hawker , austringer or what ever you wish to call or be called .
I like austringer my self . for this is one who flys broad-wings and short wings , of which includes OWLs.

One mans rose bush , another mans thorn bush !

[Mr. Fong]

Yo jeffaz, a person who flies hawks is called an austringer, not a hawker.

[Jester]

apart from "optimist" is there a name for people who hunt with owls????

[Shaun Byrne]

Yes Jester, Gifted, Lucky, rare or maybe just strange lol!!!

[Superfly]

Given what I've seen of an owls attention span - I'd have to say - incredibly patient and commited ;)

[Gaz]

:twisted: Love to...cant..... :evil:

[Jester]

Yes Jester, Gifted, Lucky, rare or maybe just strange lol!!!


ok i will go with strange then http://www.yelims.com/Jetirelalangue/langue43.gif

[IAmTheWeasel]

Geffaz, Your misconstrueing the original statement. What was said is that folks who own and don't hunt raptors are not falconers. It's not neccisarily owls alone that can get this stigma, it just seems to happen this way as many folks buy owls for companion animals. Owls are hard to hunt with and any who can, I applaude as it is something that takes alot of patience to do.

[Geffaz]

Yo jeffaz, a person who flies hawks is called an austringer, not a hawker. austringer watever! do you think thats splitting hairs mate!
so thats sorted then anyone who dose not fly a falcon is a austringer! and has absolutly no right to call them selves a falconer! DONE AND DUSTED THEN! :D

[Mr. Fong]

WRONG! When you actively hunt with a bird of prey (owl, hawk, buzzard, eagle, or falcon) you are a FALCONER... Period. I was just trying to enlighten you, so no need to get all huffy. So can we get back on thread now?? I promise to play nice....

[Geffaz]

i realy wasnt getting huffy mate! and u have just said wot ive been trying to say all along! so cheers thats a deffenate two fingers to some that have posted on her lol
not all before everbody dives on me!
(play nice) u can be as ruff and tumble as u like pal im not easily offended!

[IAmTheWeasel]

Do you have a falconry bird?

[Geffaz]

Do you have a falconry bird?nope not yet like i say its been a long time obsession and now im in a position!time etc to do somthing about it!
im just playing the devils advocate here to see your views!
when it comes down to learning the art! then ill be hanging on the coat tails of sombody that does! so no problem i wouldnt make a move without a long time under the wings of a experienced falconer!
im littraly just checking attitudes etc! theas are my first ginger steps and im researching! just checking it out!
and the best way is to play the devil that way u get more intel! on some things not all! obviously.
so please bear with me :D
all the time im learning little clichs , and politics that go along with it!
so i can truely ***** wether ive got the staying power to make it a success!

[Wightwings]

mmmmmmmmmm :roll:

[KenHawker1970]

These are the kind of people who give this sport a bad name. There is a prat not far from where I live who has a Red Tail Buzzard. This poor bird never leaves the avery, there for its a pet and yes the guy does need a good hideing. He brought the bird to fly and hunt with but I guess the novelty wore off(pr*ck).
I also know a guy who used to hunt a EEO, I lamped for this guy as he has hunted the bird. Now this bird is just sitting in an avery( another pr*ck). What a waist. Now these are the kind of people who we should lable as non Falconers. As for those falconers that are not hunting there owls or falcons. Its not because they havent tried to hunt with them, Ive been there, getting owls like the Barn, Tawny or little owl to hunt well they arnt that easy. Dont get me wrong the barn and tawny owls are brilliant mousers. And if you like worms and beetles the little owl is great. But can any of us say that we like mouse pie lol. And i supose the worms would be good for fishing, but its not all that practical. The european kestral, these little birds are brilliant on the swinging lure. But try and get one of these little falcons to take sparrows or starlings, again it can be done. Now the Common Buzzard. Most of the falconers ive met wouldnt touch one of these birds with a sh!ty stick, cause they say they are bone idle........they are lol. But that doesnt mean you carnt get one to hunt, it just takes time all of these birds do. But...Not all of them will hunt. As it is a lot easyer to fly to the bod who has the free food. I would say, these people who own these birds are Falconers even if thier bird does not want to get off its @rse and catch its own food.

Reguards Ken.

P.S. Please can I just say this to the new comers to this sport. If you are having a BOP because you now some one who flys and hunts with BOPs for god sake PLEASE make sure its what you want to do. Thes birds arnt just throw away items. They are a life time comitment. If you have any uncertances please dont buy one.

[UKJay74]

very well put ken :D i currently fly (well am training) my bengal eagle owl which is I.M.O bl**dy hard work as he has the attention span of a dead nat. have managed to get him 100 meters on the creance and he was doing well took his first freeflight and scared the bejeezus outta me my taking hi A**E up a tree for a couple of hours and wouldnt budge i am still working on him and once i have him free i want to try him to a bunny lure and hopefully get the lil sod lamping :D . I am also lucky enough to be sorting out a couple of buzzrds which i hope to get hunting with the assistance of my fiancee who may well take over with bo as he seems to have a thing for her. The idea of this thread was to feel out peoples opinions as i would hate to assume i am a falconer when it started as my owl had never been flown free properly let alone hunted but i have all the intentions of doing so with all the birds and will persavere till it happens :D

[KenHawker1970]

Keep up the hard work Jay. And good luck with them buzzards, not as if you will need it. Get them fit and keep them fit mate, they just might suprise you.

Ken

[UKJay74]

they probably will at that ken well d day is not this weekend but next :D i am starting to feel like a kid waiting for xmas to arrive :D :D i think my other half is gonna get sick of me by then :D but hey ho all will be good

[Geffaz]

These are the kind of people who give this sport a bad name. There is a prat not far from where I live who has a Red Tail Buzzard. This poor bird never leaves the avery, there for its a pet and yes the guy does need a good hideing. He brought the bird to fly and hunt with but I guess the novelty wore off(pr*ck).
I also know a guy who used to hunt a EEO, I lamped for this guy as he has hunted the bird. Now this bird is just sitting in an avery( another pr*ck). What a waist. Now these are the kind of people who we should lable as non Falconers. As for those falconers that are not hunting there owls or falcons. Its not because they havent tried to hunt with them, Ive been there, getting owls like the Barn, Tawny or little owl to hunt well they arnt that easy. Dont get me wrong the barn and tawny owls are brilliant mousers. And if you like worms and beetles the little owl is great. But can any of us say that we like mouse pie lol. And i supose the worms would be good for fishing, but its not all that practical. The european kestral, these little birds are brilliant on the swinging lure. But try and get one of these little falcons to take sparrows or starlings, again it can be done. Now the Common Buzzard. Most of the falconers ive met wouldnt touch one of these birds with a sh!ty stick, cause they say they are bone idle........they are lol. But that doesnt mean you carnt get one to hunt, it just takes time all of these birds do. But...Not all of them will hunt. As it is a lot easyer to fly to the bod who has the free food. I would say, these people who own these birds are Falconers even if thier bird does not want to get off its @rse and catch its own food.

Reguards Ken.

P.S. Please can I just say this to the new comers to this sport. If you are having a BOP because you now some one who flys and hunts with BOPs for god sake PLEASE make sure its what you want to do. Thes birds arnt just throw away items. They are a life time comitment. If you have any uncertances please dont buy one. DIDNT I SAY THAT I HAD A LOT OF SOLE SEARCHING TO DO BEFORE I CONSIDERD IT! DIDNT I SAY I WAS RESEARCHING!
I WOULD SURGEST YOUR THE SORT OF PRAT THAT GIVES THE SPORT A BAD NAME!
ITS SO ALEATIST AND U HAVE TO BE PART OF A CLIKY LITTLE CIRCLE!
IS THAT WHAT YOUR SAYING!
WOULD YOU PREFER IF I DIDNT DO ANY RESEARCH OR SOLE SEARCHING, PERHAPS THATS WY THER ARE SO MANY PEAPLE OUT THER WITH BADLY LOOKED ARFTER BIRDS! BECOZ THER TO SCARED TO ASK QUESTIONS IN CASE THEY JUST GET LARFED AT IN THE FACE!
AND A BIG DEAR OH DEAR YOUR THE SORT OF IDIOT THAT GIVES AR SPORT A BAD NAME DEAR BOY!
THIS FORUM COULD BE A GOOD INSIGHT FOR THE NOVICE IF IT WASNT FOR SNOTTY PLEBS LIKE YOUR SELF!
I WOULD SAY THAT IF YOU WERE TRYING TO GIVE THE SPORT TO THE MASSES AND PRETECT YOUR SELF FROM A POSSIBLE BAN YOU ARE NOT GOING THE RIGHT WAY ABOUT IT!
I CAN SEE HOW U MITE BE WORRIED I MEIN IF LOTS MORE PEAPLE WERE INTO IT WERE WOULD YOUR SNOTTY ATTITUDE GET YOU?

[Geffaz]

THER YOU GO NOW SOME OF YOU HAVE THE OPERTUNITY TO CLOSE RANKS! AND DO SOM BUT KISSY AND BACK SLAPPING BEFORE YOU LOUNCH YOUR CONDESENDING ATTACK! ;-]

[UKJay74]

geffaz mate this thread was started by myself with the intention to clear up an impression i had about the sport of falconry and what it takes to class yourself as a falconer.. Basically IMO from reading through this thread and many others a falconer is someone who hunts with their birds not just keep themin aviaries.. thats answered my question in a nutshell basically..

I dont class this sport/ hobby as elitest in the slightest it just contains many people from many different walks of life that care greatly about there sport as much as anglers, herp keepers, bikers the lot.

in every area of life you come accross cliques it is common human nature that like minded people band together and support each other.. and alas you cant avoid that

Going back to kens post i think the point he was trying to get accross was that too many people get into the sport without fully appreciating what is involved i dont in any way was a personal attack at you cos as you have stated you are weighing things up and researching the sport..

PLEASE CAN WE KEEP THIS THREAD ON TOPIC

if people wish to have battles can you take it to PM

[Jester]

These are the kind of people who give this sport a bad name. There is a prat not far from where I live who has a Red Tail Buzzard. This poor bird never leaves the avery, there for its a pet and yes the guy does need a good hideing. He brought the bird to fly and hunt with but I guess the novelty wore off(pr*ck).
I also know a guy who used to hunt a EEO, I lamped for this guy as he has hunted the bird. Now this bird is just sitting in an avery( another pr*ck). What a waist. Now these are the kind of people who we should lable as non Falconers. As for those falconers that are not hunting there owls or falcons. Its not because they havent tried to hunt with them, Ive been there, getting owls like the Barn, Tawny or little owl to hunt well they arnt that easy. Dont get me wrong the barn and tawny owls are brilliant mousers. And if you like worms and beetles the little owl is great. But can any of us say that we like mouse pie lol. And i supose the worms would be good for fishing, but its not all that practical. The european kestral, these little birds are brilliant on the swinging lure. But try and get one of these little falcons to take sparrows or starlings, again it can be done. Now the Common Buzzard. Most of the falconers ive met wouldnt touch one of these birds with a sh!ty stick, cause they say they are bone idle........they are lol. But that doesnt mean you carnt get one to hunt, it just takes time all of these birds do. But...Not all of them will hunt. As it is a lot easyer to fly to the bod who has the free food. I would say, these people who own these birds are Falconers even if thier bird does not want to get off its @rse and catch its own food.

Reguards Ken.

P.S. Please can I just say this to the new comers to this sport. If you are having a BOP because you now some one who flys and hunts with BOPs for god sake PLEASE make sure its what you want to do. Thes birds arnt just throw away items. They are a life time comitment. If you have any uncertances please dont buy one. DIDNT I SAY THAT I HAD A LOT OF SOLE SEARCHING TO DO BEFORE I CONSIDERD IT! DIDNT I SAY I WAS RESEARCHING!
I WOULD SURGEST YOUR THE SORT OF PRAT THAT GIVES THE SPORT A BAD NAME!
ITS SO ALEATIST AND U HAVE TO BE PART OF A CLIKY LITTLE CIRCLE!
IS THAT WHAT YOUR SAYING!
WOULD YOU PREFER IF I DIDNT DO ANY RESEARCH OR SOLE SEARCHING, PERHAPS THATS WY THER ARE SO MANY PEAPLE OUT THER WITH BADLY LOOKED ARFTER BIRDS! BECOZ THER TO SCARED TO ASK QUESTIONS IN CASE THEY JUST GET LARFED AT IN THE FACE!
AND A BIG DEAR OH DEAR YOUR THE SORT OF IDIOT THAT GIVES AR SPORT A BAD NAME DEAR BOY!
THIS FORUM COULD BE A GOOD INSIGHT FOR THE NOVICE IF IT WASNT FOR SNOTTY PLEBS LIKE YOUR SELF!
I WOULD SAY THAT IF YOU WERE TRYING TO GIVE THE SPORT TO THE MASSES AND PRETECT YOUR SELF FROM A POSSIBLE BAN YOU ARE NOT GOING THE RIGHT WAY ABOUT IT!
I CAN SEE HOW U MITE BE WORRIED I MEIN IF LOTS MORE PEAPLE WERE INTO IT WERE WOULD YOUR SNOTTY ATTITUDE GET YOU?


seems like you are getting a bit touchy there geffaz i have read this a few times and am not sure where you are picking up your idea from.
as far as i can see ken has a problem with people who keep their birds in an aviary and dont even fly them let alone hunt them and to be honest so do i.
i can accept the fact that Jester may never hunt as i may not be good enough to train him but with the help of some members here i might manage it. either way he will be flown several times a week either to a lure/bunny or at quarry.
i have an interest in falconry but i dont call myself a falconer and probably still wont even if i am successful with hunting jester as he isnt a falcon (or a hawk) ......... and he isnt even a kestrel even though i have finally been asked the million dollar question last night "is that a kestrel mister???" :roll:

ummmmmmm was gonna say some other stuff in EVERYBODYS defence but got distracted by work :(

but im not gonna be a "pet keeper" if i cant fly him i will give him up to someone who can

[Geffaz]

nope thats fine jay no worrys!
but i hope you can sort of see were im coming from! i havnt got a bird and have even started the long road of training etc! and im all ready being acused of giving the sport a bad name :?
whats all that about! and as for the thread i can see were your coming from, as thers nothing more anoying than it going off at a tangent,
so for my part ill keep it on track mate!

[UKJay74]

geffaz i see where your coming from and others i can say i have noticed on some threads that things go off topic and maybe misconstrued by the context they are posted in the main thing i have learnt on many forums is try read the post several times and read a little between the lines so i try and get the temperament the posts are meant in and even then i muck up but hey ho

At the end ofthe day geffaz if you are doig the resaearch and spending the time to see if this is the sport for you then good on ya mate if more people did the same then half the poorly treated raptors in the country wouldnt exist.

Keep up the rooting out of the info you need mate and hopefully this will be your sport :D

[KenHawker1970]

Geffaz I wasnt having a dig at you. As you have said youve taken the time to look into the sport resurch and you asking some good questions, thats brilliant. The people whom I was refuring to were the kind of peopl that just dont bother getting any sort of knollage about the sport. Or they just get a book read a bit of it and think they know every thing. Then they buy a bird and wreck it.

Now as for clicky well you can forget that one mate, and also I kiss now ones @rse so dont think I am. I had my quorrels with the guys on here, like every one else ask Johnny lol. And as for helping the people that I have talked about dontr for one minut think that I havent tried. Thinking about that one of them still has 2 of my books and 1 of my videos, thanks for reminding me. But it seems that the help and advice me and other people have given these two people has fallen on deaf ears. Theres no use knocking when theres no body in, thats what i say.

So Geffaz Keep up the reserch and when you get your bird.Happy hunting.

Ken

[Geffaz]

Well in that case ken my apologies, its seems i had the wrong end of the stick! :roll:
no hard feeling mate! :wink:

[Geffaz]

ok! again forgive my ignorance!
but would as a novice would you be better off getting one of the larger species of owl? on the grounds that weight loss and gain would be more noticable! or indeed any of the larger species of bop!
sorry jay it is a little bit of topic! but i promise ill drag it back round to the original topic asap.

[Claire]

I think it is usually recommended for a novice to get a medium sized owl like a bengal eagle owl. A great grey is about the right size too but very expensive avoid the little ones like scops or little owls untill you have more expirience. I think the best thing to do is help out in a centre for as long as you can or someone who keeps owls and get expirience that way. then get the one you really want not just one that is less delicate if you know what i mean.

[UKJay74]

geffaz mate a bengal is usually a good one for a novice ;) i know this from experiencebasically look at the ones in the eagle owls would be a safe option and not necesarily off topic is still in the realms of owl or hawk hunt or not :D

[KenHawker1970]

Geffaz no worries mate :wink: . What kind of rapter are you thinking of getting?. Owl or hawk.

[Hawkmaster]

Geffaz as Ken has ask which one are you more drawn to?
Do you WANT to hunt?

[KenHawker1970]

Not forgetting that you CAN hunt with an owl it just takes alot more time and patience. Hawks and buzzards are quicker to train and get entred. But dont rule out the eagle owls.

Ken

[Geffaz]

now this is were my head starts to spin! i luv owls more through years of bird watching than harry potter (cant stand harry potter).its somthing about ther powerful silent flight,and thos intence eyes that feel like ther looking straight through you! ther just a uneake and awsome bird!
i think the love afair started when i was a kid at a bird show (used to breed canarys) and this chap brought a barn owl to one of the meets! and that was me hooked! and used to activly seek them out on my bird watching forays with my sarnys and flask of weak tea (getting all glasy eyed now lol) and became prity good at it! recognising calls etc tho the only owls in my neck of the woods were barn owl,tawny,and little owl! tho saw a long eard once and i was well chuffed becoz i got within about 10ft of it up a old oak and it just glared down at me!
but im also drawn to a hawk, for the reason i can make it a truly working bird, and hunt also thers somthing very arogant and aloof about them, and are fantastic to watch hunting and are very graceful in flight wich belies ther raw power and ther efficent killer streak wich very much apeals to me (also a tiger fanatic)!
so this is were the indision lies!
i relise the bird is with me for a long time so the decision has to be the right one as im a bit of a softy as far as animals go and couldnt see myself say trading it off arfter a few years for the other!
so obviously i realy need to get some hands on for a long time before i make the decision!
but this is why im intrested in hunting with an owl becoz this would give me the best of both worlds! its just a thought. i relise owls are hard to get to take prey if not impossible. but me and the bird would be together for a very long time so who nos?
The flying and training and interacting with the bird is the priority with me hunting would be secondery watever it would be!

dam i sound like a pet keeper now :? but the hunting would be more about getting the bird to do what it does in a wild state and its psychological welbeing as apose to filling up the freezer!

lol well that was all a bit ambiguos! :roll:

[UKJay74]

lol geffaz ambiguos to say the least :lol: but credit where credit is due mate you are taking the right route and thinking hard on which way to step :D if you do love the owls as you say you do and wish to hunt i would personally say go for an eagle owl or a great horned owl (i think thats what they are called)

you can have the best of both worlds with the persaverance you could end up with a great owl that lovees lamping and is a pleasure to fly and hunt with :D

as peeps say at the end of the day the choice is yours but as you know being armed with all the info is very helpfull

[Jester]

now this is were my head starts to spin! i luv owls more through years of bird watching than harry potter (cant stand harry potter).its somthing about ther powerful silent flight,and thos intence eyes that feel like ther looking straight through you! ther just a uneake and awsome bird!
i think the love afair started when i was a kid at a bird show (used to breed canarys) and this chap brought a barn owl to one of the meets! and that was me hooked! and used to activly seek them out on my bird watching forays with my sarnys and flask of weak tea (getting all glasy eyed now lol) and became prity good at it! recognising calls etc tho the only owls in my neck of the woods were barn owl,tawny,and little owl! tho saw a long eard once and i was well chuffed becoz i got within about 10ft of it up a old oak and it just glared down at me!
but im also drawn to a hawk, for the reason i can make it a truly working bird, and hunt also thers somthing very arogant and aloof about them, and are fantastic to watch hunting and are very graceful in flight wich belies ther raw power and ther efficent killer streak wich very much apeals to me (also a tiger fanatic)!
so this is were the indision lies!
i relise the bird is with me for a long time so the decision has to be the right one as im a bit of a softy as far as animals go and couldnt see myself say trading it off arfter a few years for the other!
so obviously i realy need to get some hands on for a long time before i make the decision!
but this is why im intrested in hunting with an owl becoz this would give me the best of both worlds! its just a thought. i relise owls are hard to get to take prey if not impossible. but me and the bird would be together for a very long time so who nos?
The flying and training and interacting with the bird is the priority with me hunting would be secondery watever it would be!

dam i sound like a pet keeper now :? but the hunting would be more about getting the bird to do what it does in a wild state and its psychological welbeing as apose to filling up the freezer!

lol well that was all a bit ambiguos! :roll:

pretty much what you said there is the reason i got Jester :supz:

i would love to get Jester catching bunnys but am happy to settle for watching the flights

[Hawkmaster]

If you do not want a tough time stay away from the Great Gray, they can be a major handful.

[Geffaz]

If you do not want a tough time stay away from the Great Gray, they can be a major handful. and i heard pritty pricy to! not that money is to much of a worry really, but say once ive shelled out for the enclosure (not alot) bits and bobs,telemetry,freezer (ther is no way im gana get my girl to let me put d.o.c in the food freezer,she freaks out when i wana put boilies in ther :roll:)
but im shaw thats beside the point, why would a great grey be trouble! sorry devils advocate again :roll:

why?

[Hawkmaster]

Just very stubborn natures and play up a bit too much for a first bird and can put people off. Good question BTW!

[Geffaz]

You know that horrible stage toddlers go through wher its ! put that down! WHY? becoz if u dont u will brake it! HOW? becoz it will fall on the floor and brake! WHY? becoz ist china and its brittle and it will brake! HOWS THAT THEN? arrrrrrrrrrrrgh its gravity now shut up and play with your ball!!

i think im at that stage.

[Claire]

I think most people on here would rather be giving advise to someone who wants to learn and make the right choices before they get a bird than someone who buys a bird and has no idea. You're asking the right questions and you have the right attitude :D

[Bubo]

oooh i was thinking about a great grey, i'll be interested also to know why they are a hand ful.
bubo

[Colohen]

I wouldn not reconmand a owl to any one gust starting out! as every one here agrees , and from my own experance , owls are much harded to work with then hawks in training. I will say this about owls , imprints are more human then some people I know and less problem with general handleing compared to hawks.
As for starting with one of the larger owls remember there power is far greater then a hawk and a accidental footing over a morsel of food could do major damage .

[Bubo]

I wouldn not reconmand a owl to any one gust starting out! as every one here agrees , and from my own experance , owls are much harded to work with then hawks in training. .

Without sounding contredictive owls are not bad for first timers though thought should go into which species and what it is you are expecting your bird to do.

This is my first time training a bird on my own and with a lot of good advice from friends here and on the forum things are going very smoothly. I have never trained a hawk so I cant compare but if you make sure you have the knowledge of training, someone to back you up (cos you can know as much theory as you like, practice is something else :D ), and armed with patience and understanding an owl could be a good choice. But they do take a little longer than hawks i agree but I am not sure they are harder to work with.

bubo

[Geffaz]

yup! thats the first time anybody has said an owl isnt sutible for a beginer!
the oposite in fact!

[Mr. Twinkie]

If its an owl you want, why would you start with something else??? i know plenty of beginners that have started with an owl and their no more difficult 2 get 2 fly from a to b than any other bird, its getting an owl 2 hunt that most beginners couldnt do.

[Will]

So, Geffaz, after ten pages are you any nearer choosing are has your head caved in? I was in the same situation myself and finally settled on a European Eagle Owl. And I wasn't disappointed, he's an absolute star! So, get an owl if you love owls, get a hawk if you love hunting. Can't wait to find out what you choose, best of luck with it!

[Geffaz]

So, Geffaz, after ten pages are you any nearer choosing are has your head caved in? I was in the same situation myself and finally settled on a European Eagle Owl. And I wasn't disappointed, he's an absolute star! So, get an owl if you love owls, get a hawk if you love hunting. Can't wait to find out what you choose, best of luck with it! im very drawn to the eagle owls either bengal or european!
luv the europeans as ther just awsome looks wise and the weight on the wrist wouldnt be to much of a problem as im a fairly big lad my self!
and have heard very positive things about the possibility of arfter a lot of training being able to go lamping bunnys with it!
:D
is ther much of a sive difference between males and females?
how long was the training for you mate? thats if u got that far!

[IAmTheWeasel]

What's the point of getting an owl if your not going to hunt it? That's not falconry.

[Geffaz]

sorry to go on ! what sort of sive avery/meus?
mine is planned to be 10ft across,10ft high , 20ft long with a shed ! but ive lots of space so im flexible!

[Jester]

What's the point of getting an owl if your not going to hunt it? That's not falconry.

I got an owl cos i have been fascinated by them for many many years and to be honest i dont care if it is falconry or not.

I know its hard to get them hunting but i still aim to try and if i turn out to be no use at training him to hunt he will still get to fly and have a long and happy life with me.

call me the scum of the earth or scrapings off the soles of your hawking boots or a pet keeper or whatever you want i really dont care as long as Jester is well looked after and gets out to fly im happy

[Geffaz]

What's the point of getting an owl if your not going to hunt it? That's not falconry.
i think you have just taken the thread/ debat back by a couple of weeks mate
go and look at some of the earlier posts!

[IAmTheWeasel]

Hey Geffaz....If you would look back, it was me who started the whole argument.......No need to remind me. My point was towards Geffaz, not you Jester so settle down...... :D He asks questions about hunting and different methods of training a bird to fly etc with regards to being a falconer.......Why go through all this trouble if you going to get a bird that won't be hunted? THAT is my point.....

[Geffaz]

so your saying you have read the post yet u seem to have missed the all of my post were i aswel as others where talking about the posibility of hunting with an owl! ?
like i say dont u think your just back traking down the thread mate?

[Geffaz]

most of the post ive made have been about my facination with getting an owl to hunt so i realy dont see were your coming !as i realy dont have the time or energy to re right the post ive made about me wanting to hunt with an owl!

[Geffaz]

again if u had read the posts u would see that i intend to do alot of study and training before i concider getting a bird! can u read?
as for being a wise ass well i think perhaps its you thats going down that road! and if your spoiling for an agument i surgest u keep it to pm,s as its just you ya childish (and bored) little fag! thats taking what could be a intresting and informative thread off at a tangent!
yes u heard me childish little faggot :wink: now go away and play with your dollys!
lets keep the thread open for peaple that actualy have somthing to say cheers!
your welcome to pm me
but as for the thread if u havnt got anything to say dont say it!

[IAmTheWeasel]

I see the immaturity still exists to a LARGE extent in you.........All you did was prove my point....... :D

[Geffaz]

oh looks like u have been edited off !
good job the mods< thanks

[IAmTheWeasel]

No, again you have no idea as I removed it before you repied as I was going to PM it instead......

[Geffaz]

anyway thanks hawkmaster,claire,bubo,mr twinkie and will for the info!
ill come back when this twerps come down off of watever hes drinking,smoking etc

[IAmTheWeasel]

Still proving my point.....you are an immature childish individual that can only use foul language to insult people rather than have a debate about a subject.......Others on the list where right about you from the beginning....... :D I appologize to other list members for having to put up with this nonsense.

[Geffaz]

thank u for your post thats very informative thank you!
p,s did u delete your post becoz they were full of fowl language and insults! and perhaps a little hipocritical? the only person u should be apoligising for is your self!
now can we get this back on track please!
weres my pms? ferret boy ;-]

[Hawkmaster]

OK guys enough now you are going to scare the children!

[Geffaz]

AGREED! do you fly an owl hawk master? sorry if you have already said ! just cant be assed to go back through the 11 pages ;-]

[Claire]

geffaz a couple of points for you, the americans say they wouldnt recommend an owl for a begginner but things are very different here an owl learns most in its first couple of years after that time its hard to teach them anything new, therefore a wild trapped owl would be extremely hard to train as you would get it older. over here you will be buying an imprint (this is the easiest way with owls) and the training basicly starts right from the beggining. I see no reason why a begginner (with the right info and preferably getting a bit of expirience with someone in your area) could not train and possibly hunt with an owl. Just a point if you are thinking about a european try to get a bit of expirience handling one first, its not the weight thats a problem its the grip they are extremely powerful and you dont want to be making mistakes with one lol oh and go for a male if you want a european the females are huge and i think too much for a first bird. hope that helps

[Geffaz]

funny thing is ive got the super squirrel targets (weisels advatar) got a stak of them from some air rifle site!
gana have fun plinking tomorrow lol

[IAmTheWeasel]

Again, What did you have to offer the list with your childlike posts geffaz?.....sad....very sad......
My point about an owl is that you folks ARE buying an imprint bird....what on earth will you do with it when you decide that you want something else? It's already been stated that dozens of owls end up on falconry centers doorsteps so don't try to tell me that everyone keeps them forever. Now, I can see this being different with a hunting bird such as a harris, peregrine, RT etc as they have a purpose in the falconry lifestyle.... Promoting folks to buy an owl that will not be much of a pet to many folks is a bad road to travel in my book. Before all you current owlers start jumping down my throat, think about what I am saying....I am not saying that ya'll will be bad caretakers with the birds and may fly them regularly to the day they die of old age....Do you think every tom dick and harry will do the same? This is why we don't allow apprentices to take Captive bred birds. As far as I am concerned, Raptors are about the worst pets you could possibly have and should be discouraged to most people unless they prove a dilligence and full understanding about the animal they are taking into there care. otherwise go buy a parrot. To be honest, I would think it to be interesting to have an owl flying around the house, but it is immpractible and unethical to do so in my book and therefore the birds suffer with a less that glamourous lifestyle of being kept in a mews out back......AGAIN....I state that I don't mean all owl keepers as some WILL take the time to care properly for the bird. I just really don't like the open arm attitude that anyone is capable of being a caregiver of a raptor. ......Just not some souls like one I can think of now, Ol' Krusty, who couldn't count his balls and get the same number twice....

[Claire]

I think someone who is taking the time to ask questions and hopfully will wait quite along time before he gets his bird as geffaz still has a lot to learn and expirience to be gained before he gets an owl should be ready for the committment a bird of prey requires and as he wants an owl not just because he thinks it is easy should mean that it would live a long and happy flying life. Geffaz is not planning to go out and buy a bird now hes just thinking about it. if he is still keen by the time he has looked into it further and done courses and preferably volenteered to help someone with an owl then i think he will be fine. the problems arise because some stupid people think that keeping an owl is easy and dont bother to learn what is involved and i wouldnt recommend anyone buy an owl untill they have thought long and hard about it and learnt all they can. but we shouldnt put people off who want to do it for the right reasons and are prepared to ask questions and learn

[IAmTheWeasel]

Well said Claire,
I agree with your post to an extent but I am still a beleiver in discouraging as many as possible. We here in the US have a very stringent plan in place to try and discourage folks from getting into this sport by putting all kinds of requirements and regulations on them before being able to get a bird. Even after all this, we still end up with alot of folks that are certainly NOT cut out for dealing with a hawk or a falcon. They can quit with no ill effects to the birds as they are simply put back into the wild. I've seem people talk the talk and even walk the walk, only to drop out all of a sudden after all the effort commited to this sport. All in all, I think that some some of regulatory commitee should be set up in the UK to aid in limiting the people that can have birds at the very least.
JMHO and nothing more, I'm just very passionate about the birds I get to watch flying. Speaking of......My bird goes out today for her first hunt....
Cheers,
The Weasel

[Claire]

good luck for today I do agree we should have regulations here for the number of birds people can have. I know a falconer here who is self taught and has 26 birds in cramped dirty conditions and rarely flys them but without regulations its hard to stop him all his birds are fed so nothing can be done but as you said it is usually ignorant owl keepers who are worst and know virtually nothing about the birds usually barn owls.But things are different here and i would rather someone like geffaz is on here asking questins than already brought a bird and doesnt know what to do. we all have to start somewhere and if he goes out and gets some expirience he will be just fine

[Hawkmaster]

No I do not fly an owl.

[UKJay74]

My point about an owl is that you folks ARE buying an imprint bird....what on earth will you do with it when you decide that you want something else? It's already been stated that dozens of owls end up on falconry centers doorsteps so don't try to tell me that everyone keeps them forever.

right this thread has gone all over the place so far but this post mate made me laff a bit to say the least :lol: :lol:

I have a bengal eagle owl at the moment and have a pair of common buzzards turning up on saturday This by no means says that my bengal will end up in a BoP center tthat lil guy is staying right here i still plan to get the sod on bunnies :D

[Geffaz]

[quote="
right this thread has gone all over the place so far but this post mate made me laff a bit to say the least :lol: :lol:

I have a bengal eagle owl at the moment and have a pair of common buzzards turning up on saturday This by no means says that my bengal will end up in a BoP center tthat lil guy is staying right here i still plan to get the sod on bunnies :D yeah with u on that like ive said the bird will be with me for a long time touch wood! and im realy not the tipe to trade it in if i get bored (well i havnt done with anything else) like i say loads of sole searching to do! id just wont to make my first bird the right bird!
as for ferret boy trying to put me off im sorry mate but it takes a little more than a few back handed comments that sound like ther coming from a spoilt kid and not a 2o somthing adult mail :wink:

[Colohen]

CLAIRE
YOUR ADDATUDE IS MORE OF WHAT IS NEED IN FALCONRY EVERYWHERE !
IF weasel AND geffaz WOULD REFRAME FROM THERE ATTACKS MAYBE EVERY ONE COULD GET SOMETHING OUT OF THIS RATHER THEN HAVE TO PUT UP WITH TWO JUVE'S CUTTING EACH OTHER DOWN !!!!!!!
REMINDS ME IF A OWL AND A EAGLE IN THE SAME NEST..

[Claire]

thankyou :D

[Geffaz]

nope agree its getting boring! and id realy like it to get back on track!
its just its hard to swallow sombody implying that im gana treat the bird like **** and just run head long into it! shawly the fact that im asking questions is a good sign lol :roll:
but ther u go was that a little under handed comment of your own i mean the owl and eagle analogy! please explane! is ferret boy the eagle becoze he knows more about falconry than me! (didnt relise it was a competition)or am i the eagle becoz im blatantly smarter?
lol dear oh dear! who cares! even tho its the later! yawn!

so colohen
u hunt with an owl?

[Geffaz]

i hear the long eared! or great horned is very popular! (think its the same thing forgive me if i wrong)

[Geffaz]

sorry in the states that is

[Jester]

great horned is about the only one they hunt with in the states as far as im aware (and pretty good it is too apparently) cos i think EEO are hugely expensive. Someone from the other side of the water might be able to confirm this ........ (or tell me im wrong LOL )

dunno about them though cos they got yellow eyes and not orange (not sure i trust a bird with yellow eyes :lol:



and you are forgiven :P LEO and GHO are different birds the GHO is same as EEO but American

[Claire]

I have heard that lea's and great horned are quite agressive and harder to train than eagle owls also i am sure they would be hard to get hold of over here
are great horned the same as eeo's didnt know that
they are eagle owls but i wouldnt say they are the same as the european, theres size differences and i believe they have differenr temperments

[IAmTheWeasel]

Geffaz, your still proving my point....you keep it up as I have said little on the list about any of the accusations you persist with. If you continue with your flacid taunts I will contact tha admins. Grow up and quit with the childish behavior. You still have not answered my original question as you where too busy with the immature insults. Somehow I doubt that you are thirty and more like thirteen.

Jester, the EEO is a much more calm(if that word is applicable) than the GHO from what I hear from folks that breed them The EEO is bigger than the GHO too by a hair. The GHO is the most aggresive predator in the US right now. It is also the only natural predator to skunks.

[IAmTheWeasel]

i hear the long eared! or great horned is very popular! (think its the same thing forgive me if i wrong)No they are not the same. We have both here in Texas and I recently saw a Long eared owl in the woods while hunting with the wife and her bird. They are quite a bit smaller than GHO's weighting about 300 grams and almost look crosseyed as there eyes are close together and the ear tufts are close together as well. The tufts stick strait up off the top of their heads......and no your not forgiven.....

[Jester]

and almost look crosseyed as there eyes are close together

not sure if i would say they look cross eyed ............ looks more like someone stuck a straw up their butt and blew :rolleyes:

the aggression of a GHO makes them better hunters though doesnt it??

[Bubo]

Hello everyone,

just incase any one is interested LEO ( asio otus) 35 - 40 cm with a weight of 178 - 370g. great horned owl ( bubo virginianus) 43 - 56cm weighing around 1kg. Females of both species are heavier than the males. I have heard that the great horned are extremely aggressive but i have not actually worked with one or even seen one so i stand to be corrected.
bubo
bubo

[Will]

http://www.owls.org/Species/bubo/great_horned_owl.htm

A little more info on the GHO (if the link works!). The pic isn't up to much but take my word for it, being American it isn't nearly as good looking as the EEO! :lol:

[Bubo]

http://owlpages.com/species/bubo/virginianus/Default.htm

http://owlpages.com/species/asio/otus/Default.htm

i know i'm always providing links from owlpages but it is very informative (and i like the piccies).

bubo

[Geffaz]

I SEE WHAT U MEAN ABOUT THE YELLOW EYES WILL!
SPOOKY!

[Bubo]

hi geffaz if you want spooky go in the quizz bit and have a look at the piccy there that is one piccy that gives me nightmares!!!!
bubo

[IAmTheWeasel]

and almost look crosseyed as there eyes are close together

not sure if i would say they look cross eyed ............ looks more like someone stuck a straw up their butt and blew :rolleyes:

the aggression of a GHO makes them better hunters though doesnt it??Well, all I can give you is what I have heard from others and they say that they are difficult to break from a few problems in particular. One is the fact that they are hard to distinguish in age from Immature to adult so if you decided to take one from the wild, you really don't know the age unless it's in the nest still. Another problem is their narrow field of vision. They rely alot on their sense of hearing to allow them to locate where the prey is wich can sometimes cause them to miss quarry that is even obvious to us at times. Another big issue I have heard of its the fact that they can carry almost three times their own weight as compared to about 1/3-1/2 the body weight for an RT, plus they are apparently difficult to trade off as they will NOT let go of the quarry. These are all things I have heard about the GHO and not experienced myself, so maybe someone on here who has flown one can elaborate a bit more than I. I also don't know anyone who has hunted with a EEO so I can't say that one is better than the other :wink:

[IAmTheWeasel]

The bottom picture is one I rehabbed yo use in education shows. It never did get used to the jack russels bouncing around.......

[Geffaz]

hi geffaz if you want spooky go in the quizz bit and have a look at the piccy there that is one piccy that gives me nightmares!!!!
bubo yeah i see what u mean! nothing like thos great big orange soucers looking up adoringly in your advatar! lol
is that your bird mate?

[Jester]

what scary picture in what quuiz?? where where :?:

[Bubo]

not sure if this is gonna give you the picture straight away if not scroll down till you get the red eyed one (just under the leo with yellow eyes). that red eyed ones scares the poop outta me hehehehehe. you lot may think i'm weird but it does.
http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1184&postdays=0&postorder=asc&star t=60
bubo

[Bubo]

why is it i can never manage to get all i have to say in one post :( i always end up posting one just after another sorry guys but i forgot to say that i can see what weasle is getting at, I dont know about GHO but judging by the EEO my mate has there is not taking quarry off of him!! this owl pounced on my son's trainer (sneaker for those on the other side of the pond) fortunately it wasnt on my son's foot and there was just no taking it off of the bird. fortunately we retrieved it two hours later when it was time to take her out to fly!

[Bird_Dog]

Howdy Y'all,

I learned recently that imprinted male GHO are good "hat birds." There once was a rehaber's eductation GHO couldn't control its copulation behavior in public. So my question is... if there's a potential for artificial insemination in owls has anyone tried to hybridize (sp?) them in the way, for example, as in falcons? Just curious if it has been done .... not sure of the utility of such a bird in falconry, tho. How about a GHO x Short-eared owl???

BIRD_DOG

[UKJay74]

i have to vouch for the strength of grip on an eagle owl okies is only a bengal but i definatley know he has hold of me when he comes to fist for food he hates to let go when flying away

[Geffaz]

i have to vouch for the strength of grip on an eagle owl okies is only a bengal but i definatley know he has hold of me when he comes to fist for food he hates to let go when flying away
200lb per sq inch ! im shaw if they really wanted a pop with pressure like that you would be smashed!
sounds like the bolt croppers firemen yous to cut peaple out of wrecks!
mabye an alternative sport :roll:

[UKJay74]

Okay quick question for peeps would a PR owl be better for hunting than say an imprint ??? may sound like a daft question but curious as it seems like my owl may be PR with hs attitude

[Colohen]

Geffaz
I been out a fue days so some catching up here.
The referal to owl and eagle was not to hit on eather of you !
exp; Eagles are of the largest of raptors and do not give up there nest easly . They are large and powerful . GHO's and simeler owls are not as large but almost as powerful in the feet and are known for stealing nest . The advantige with eagles is size and weight , the advantige with owls is streinght and night vision so it becomes a LONG battle to see if the eagle will win by day or the owl by night.

Owl's eyes
Yellow eyed owl hunt as well in the day light as they do by night.
Dark eyed owls a better suited for the night .

Jay
Of the owls I have worked with inprints have allways worked out better.
For the US that might be thinging of a wild cought owl , almost imposable !

[Colohen]

Bubo
Have you taken a look at Khan in the public album?

[Geffaz]

No worrys colohen! i didnt take the owl,eagle thing as a stab at me!
my reply was ment to be tongue in cheek and was more a bit of taking the p*ss outa my self and the other dude for bikering :D

[Bubo]

hi there,

no i havent seen khan and as soon as the forum is back to normal then i most certainly will!
cheers
bubo

[Colohen]

Still looking for every thing to get back to normal my self Bubo , still cant find the pic's !

[FilipinoFalconer]

ive had an eastern grass owl once.. who i thought was a she.. but eventually when i donated her to the local wildlife center (because of lifestyle reasons; and she was released back to the wild after rehab) i found out that it was a he!!! lol..
i took him out on afternoons and tried to hunt rats with him in my yard.. and he did.. lol.. XD so tahts my story XD
BTW i live in the phil's thus the name