Gull Hawking

[Sparkes]

Am considering flying a Finnish tiercel Gos at Gulls this year, apart from the obvious licensing to take certain species, has anyone had a pop at them with hawks as oppose to falcons ? ?

[OutFlying]

Took a black headed gull with a finnish male this season, if you flew the bigger gulls I think it would be risky with a gos.

outflying

[Hawkmaster]

Welcome OutFlying good to see you here. Hope the forum entertains you and would love to hear more from you.

Paul

PS What do you think the Herring Gulls would pose more of a problem for a Gos?

[OutFlying]

Hello Paul,
When taking gulls with a gos it will usually bind from below and at a low height. When they both land on the floor together the herring gull's head will be free to do plenty of damage. A herring gull puts up a good fight compared to a black headed gull. Crows are bad enough and need a quick response to help out, wouldn't like to flew big gulls regularly myself - too much risk - not only from the one you catch but the others that come to mob your gos on the kill. Only my opinion though.

outflying

[Shaun Byrne]

I had a MHH that tried to tackle a Greater Black Backed last year. He decided to let go when the gull reached about 100ft. Big powerful birds!!

[Hawkmaster]

I would like to get my Female Gos on them but she is not interested even out the car window, but fancies the pants off them on a drag line at any distance.

Jim all opinions always welcome and I am just interested because I would like to fly the gos at them. I have a small male Gyr/prairie that handles them OK, but it is a different flying style.

I would still try, it if she would go for it, we will see next season, as she finished up on a couple of really well instilled and repeated good feeds on ones that the falcon had killed.

[OutFlying]

I was going to say a falcon will take them in different style and most likely the gull will be a lot more worse for wear when it hits the ground than if a gos had taken it. If your gos took it on the ground it would have a better chance but would you want to mug it on the ground or take it down from 30 - 40 feet ? I know which I'd prefer. Last season the aerial flights obtained flying the gos at crows and magpies was a quality spectacle - flying style completely different than flying game birds. If it wasn't for the dog work (enjoy as much as flying) involved when game hawking I'd fly corvids more often. The gull was taken whilst flying at crows from the car but he decided the sea gulls looked more appealing.

Yours Outflying

[Bird_Dog]

Gulls seem like a really tough flight! The way they fly is deceptive... gliding about without much flapping. I watched my tiercel peregrine ring up and chase one. They went about 5 mile away from the pond where I was trying to catch a duck. After that experience he never looked at them again. I've never had luck with nongame birds, though I want to try cattle egrets.

-- BIRD_DOG

[Hawkmaster]

He sounds cracking. What is your best quarry to catch?

[Bird_Dog]

I just placed him in breeding project. Take a look at the breeders webpage http://www.hollisterlongwings.com/

In North Texas we duck hawk mostly. He took several mallards which I think is a big deal for a tiercel. Pheasants and prairie chickens are too far away to fly on a regular basis, but I'm working toward becoming a grouse hawker.

-- BIRD_DOG

[Goran]

Last year my imprint male gos knocked down moulting Canada goose for me to catch with my hands.When car hawking he bounced off one goose chest and I help him just in time not to be attacked by several more around.My luck with inexperienced bird or what?Passage bird will never try this.