HARRIS HAWK'S

[Falconer]

Hi
As some of you have already read i had some bad look with harrises,
And have been talking about it in the red tail section as i was thinking of getting one.
After talking to some of you who think i would be better sticking with the Harris,i thought i might as well start this topic .
As you can see I'm an egg,(NEW) to the forum and don't know a lot about falconry.
I have been scanning the pages for bits of info (as ya do)
It seems there is a lot of mixed feelings about the way a Harris should be manned and trained.
What i am trying to do here is devise a manning and training routine, the best way possible to minimize stress, and also try to combat a possibility of screaming as i had a screamer last time.
She was a young female straight from the Avery,and the routine i adopted then was instant manning and weight dropping.
I don't know what her Avery weight was as i couldn't get her to sit on the scales and she didn't eat for about a week.
but anyway everything was going fine till one day i went to get her out and she screamed at me .
Even when out hunting she was screaming,the only time she stopped was when i put her down to moult out and was as top weight.
So as i said I'm looking for a different routine this time
Has anybody got any tried and tested routines PLEASE.
KEV.

[Sparrow Hawker]

Hi Falconer,

Was your Harris a fully parent reared bird?

Everyone has there own ways in manning and training a bird, I tend to do what I'm confident in. I'll outline the basics I tend to follow.

I'm certainly no expert but In my opinion I think a Harris can be over manned and I believe this may increase the likelihood of bad habits such as screaming etc. Being as the Harris is a social and very intelligent bird I don't see the need to constantly man the bird especially at home unless however manning at top weight, which I know a few members follow. It’s an interesting method, which is worth bearing in mind although it will take longer as you have to spend a lot of time with the bird as the bird is at top weight.

Boredom and becoming dependant on the falconer seeing him/her as the sole food provider will help contribute to the chances of a Harris screaming.

My aim is to get the bird hunting and killing as quickly as possible, that way the bird becomes independent and doesn’t see the falconer as the sole food provider. I bring the weight down quickly then push the weight up when I achieve a response, that way the bird isn’t constantly hungry. Weighing wise if it’s becoming difficult to weigh the bird I tend to use the hood.

I also never feed around the mews all of the feeding is done via a food chute. I do not do any training in or around the garden (maybe the odd step-up) as my aim is not to associate the bird seeing me as the main food provider in other words I try to keep my distance feeding and training wise at home.

I went through a settling in period with my Harris some people start straight away and that works fine for them, but the main reason I decided to do it was that the bird becomes accustomed to the restraints of the jesses and leash etc and you'll find that when it comes to manning the bird will instantly jump back up onto the fist instead of hanging upside down like a chicken. Also the settling in approach may help the bird to start to become independent as the bird would have been kept in with it's parents up until this period.

For a Harris I would look to get one at approximately 16 weeks old and fully parent reared bird preferably reared in a seclusion aviary.

Lee William Harris’s book on Harris Hawks outlines his approach to manning, training and hunting with his female Harris Ami I really like the book as its extremely easy to read and his techniques makes sense.

It’s always interesting to find out what other methods and approaches people tend to follow and their beliefs behind them. I find the best way is to choose one method, follow it and then evaluate it.

Hope this is some help to you.

All The Best,

HH

[Gaz]

Top post :mrgreen:

[Falconer]

HH
thanks for the feed back, although i was expecting a few more from people .
YES she was fully p/r however when i went to view her, i did notice she didn't get the food herself the farther took it to her,and was not at any time on her own (secluded,hard penned).
also a lot of stuff you have said you don't do (I DID)
i.e feed in and around mews and put food next to the bow on lawn if i was busy, also feeding of the glove for jumps or short flights.
funny you saying about a food shoot i fitted one not long ago to help this season .
kev

[Shaun Byrne]

Sorry Falconer, I think the reason not many replied is because the subject has been hammered. Your best bet is to start from scratch with loads of reading and attention to detail.

[Falconer]

Thanks H4wka m8
:wink: