Grouse

[ScarletFever]

A fella I know has offered me 1000 acres of moorland where he's got sole shooting rights. He pays a certain amount per year and takes mates up there with him for a smallish charge.

Apparently, one of the fellas he takes up, uses a Gos and a Harris to have a crack at the Grouse and took a quite few last season.

He's also got about a pheasant shoot on his land (60 acres) which also borders another 250 - 300 acres. He's also offered me access there for a charge.

Although I've agreed initially that as long as I'm not having to content with shooters on the days I go up, (or the Gos!!!) I would like to hear from anyone whether it would be worth my while spending any money on the whole thing. I don't get my MH until next August and obviously won't be anywhere by the time the season starts with regards to fitness etc.

Being a young bird, I wouldn't want to have him chase and chase with no result and thereby get p###ed off. Would I be better getting him as fit as poss on the rabbits before even thinking down these lines?

Any help guys, would be great
Dan

[Mary Quite Contrary]

Start on the rabbits first.

Your Harris will only take the grouse on the rise or when they are on the ground and that only will happen if she is in a good position up a tree or waiting on. Spend her first season flying her on rabbit and pheasant to get her fitness and confidence right aswell as yours.

Please tell me more about this 1000 acres of moorland? Are the hunting rights up for sale or will he let it out for a week or so?

[Goldie]

Good advice CC, I notice you don't miss an opportnity :lol:
SF you won't need to worry about the guns if you go on Sundays unless the laws are different in Wales

[OutFlying]

To catch a grouse with a harris hawk no matter how fit it is will be an achievement, the 1000 acres are on moorland and I don't know if your moorland is different to the local grouse moors round here - but there's no trees to have the harris waiting in. Even if your harris was "waiting on" its difficult enough for a falcon to catch a grouse never mind a hawk. I think you would have a bleak time hunting a harris on a grouse moor.

The pheasant permission would be worth the effort and realistic results would be achieved.

[ColdZero]

i thought he had a gos

"(or the Gos!!!)"

[OutFlying]

i thought he had a gos

"(or the Gos!!!)"

CZ, read the post again - he's getting a male hh in August - he doesn't own a gos.

[ColdZero]

oh yeah :oops:

well i'm sure a trully fit MHH can catch a grouse :)

[OutFlying]

and if he had a gos - he would still have a bleak time on the grouse moor.

[OutFlying]

oh yeah :oops:

well i'm sure a trully fit MHH can catch a grouse :)

How ? :shock:

[Falconry Equipment International]

CZ I have ahd many visitis to grouse moors & one year as a bit of fun I took the best) fastest/ fittest Gos I ever had for work on some phezzies lower down the glen 1st thing/ after we came off the hill I was persuaded to take the Gos up on the hill one day after the keeper had seen how quickly as a bit of fun & in six flushes she got nowhere near one , despite the fact that in 2 of these flushes I was actually standing in the middle of the covey. The gos was pretty ****ed off at the end of the day, but we soon sorted that with a relatively eas slip at a phezzie back in the glen. This was in September as well so the grouse werent flying at their fastest. If your going to fly grouse in a ppursuit flight then do it with a GYr/ Gyr hybrid, off the fist , but this is NOT a SPORTING FLIGHT. Only way really to do it is a waiting on flight with Peregrines, Just my humble opinion
SJ

[OutFlying]

SJ and in September you could still get close - what about October onwards, no chance of getting close enough with any hawk. Thanks for posting some sense and bringing the thread back to reality.

[Falconry Equipment International]

Forgot to say this was beginning of Sept!!!

[Shaun Byrne]

oh yeah :oops:

well i'm sure a trully fit MHH can catch a grouse :)

How ? :shock:

With a big Peregrine Falcon waiting on over it :twisted: :D

[OutFlying]

and even better if it was tied to it :lol:

[Sean]

Doesnt dave jones hunt grouse in scotland succesfully with his tame hacked gos?

[OutFlying]

Doesnt dave jones hunt grouse in scotland succesfully with his tame hacked gos?

please stop it, my ribs are aching

[Finnish]

Doesnt dave jones hunt grouse in scotland succesfully with his tame hacked gos?

please stop it, my ribs are aching

I just had to pick myself up the floor. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[M & J Raptors]

like some gos men try to catch a woodcock in fair flight, :lol:
Dont ya just love em,

[OutFlying]

I tried that, got very close but no success off the glove. I consider a grouse a little bit faster though and would pay to see a gos or harris take one in a good flight, not one standing on it though. :?

[M & J Raptors]

once seen Roman, Tommy grahams male [ bred from my stable ] :D he flew a woodcock from a point, which he thought was a hen bird, tell you what it was up its arse for 200 yards before pulling off, and twice the feet came out to take it, but has you know outflying this puts the male from his wingbeat, that's the closest yet in fair flight,
seen loads mugged, but heh :oops:

[OutFlying]

I've been that close - at first I'd thought he'd got it, but he hadn't and since have been as close a few times but the woodcock seems to be able to select another gear and just pulls away when needed. Almost a cock tease, woodcock that is............. :o

[M & J Raptors]

Ray caught one with his HH from a tree, and people were jumping about cheering, Ray was a little embarrassed about it all, it just goes to show what some falconers call sport,
if i though that i would have to put a Gos in a tree just to kill something then forget it,

[ColdZero]

how?? don't ask me, steroid injected harris and a blindfolded grouse?

[Falconry Equipment International]

like some gos men try to catch a woodcock in fair flight, :lol:
Dont ya just love em,
Hi Mick, in my time I have caught plenty, but only one in fair flight& that was more by luck than skill :roll:

[Falconry Equipment International]

how?? don't ask me, steroid injected harris and a blindfolded grouse?
What :!: :!: :?: :?: :?

[Hawkmaster]

some gos men try to catch a woodcock in fair flight,
I got two with my female, both at night, one squatted and the other was at least 60 yards off the fist, takening in the air.

Personally I will keep trying to get the FAIR FLIGHT part right, as the best flights were not catching them, but trying to.

[Ben C]

I've had three this season, two of them were 'sun bathing' and the third although from a tree was reasonably fair. Got it 6ft off the ground and had flown up and away from my feet by about 30 feet. Knowing their accelleration I would say it was just about at speed.....well maybe......well ok perhaps not at full tilt then. I am completely sure that this wasn't entirely a fair flight but it was goddamn fun too watch.

From my limited experience there is no way on earth I could get a woody from the glove. However I could do a lot with a woody and a glove :lol: :lol: :lol:

I don't purposely hunt them but if one turns up then I'll give it a go, if I was to select the most beautiful piece of quarry then this would rate in the top three. Snipe, pheasant and maybe moorhen. Yes I know moorhen is an odd choice but up close and personal their markings are something to behold. (Never seen Ptarmigan or Grouse so can't offer opinion).

[Ben C]

Gosh my spelling is awful!