Crows and Rooks

[Gary.B]

Just reading an old post somewhere else on the forum about a male Harris taking crows, does anyone else's Harris take crows, how do you train for it, will they still take bunnies, can they be trained to take both? I was wanting a female Harris for rabbits, but if a male will take both I'll get a male, as we're plagued with crows and rooks up here.

[RabbitHawker]

I've tried with my males, but with little success, but I think a lot had been done out of car windows here and in the states. You'll need to get in there pretty quick the frist couple of times to stop yuor bird being put off. I'd start with a falconry lure with crow wings, and drag a few dead crows for them.

[Shaun Byrne]

Just reading an old post somewhere else on the forum about a male Harris taking crows, does anyone else's Harris take crows, how do you train for it, will they still take bunnies, can they be trained to take both? I was wanting a female Harris for rabbits, but if a male will take both I'll get a male, as we're plagued with crows and rooks up here.

A male will take anything a female will but if you want to take corvids or any smaller birds the males agility comes into its own.

[Falconry Equipment International]

Hi Gary, could have been my posting, How I got the harris going at the balck stuff, waas more by luck/mistake than anything( it was my harris I posted about that he regularly woulf fly down a rook/ carrioncrow 3-4 miles, until it puy in when he then nailed it) as a youngster he caught a moorhen , then at his bow a blackbird decided to bathe in his bath( nice breakfast for harris! :rolleyes: then he had an easy flight at a jackdaw & after that you could not stop him. having said that all later flights we had to use different vehicles as the rooks especially became very wary of us & it became difficult even getting a set up where you could get flights. also wioth rooks they will mob ina big way so beware!

[Sean]

Are the flights exciting though with harrises and crows? in street hawking dvd it looks boring and all the kills where on the ground. while in the urban goshawk dvd the flights were very exciting and most where caught in the air. would a harris be capable of catching up with a rook and magpies in the air, or would it just be good at ambushing them? Also could you also hunt them from the fist or just out of cars?

[OutFlying]

Sean, you've answered most of the question yourself.

[Sean]

lol but i was just wondering if the fellas from street hawking were after kills and not flights, would it be possible for a harris to catch a crow(or even a magpie) in fair flight?

[OutFlying]

A crow once on the wing is a very difficult opponent for any hawk. Just look how far they can take a falcon in a direct pursuit flight. You'll need an element of surprise and a fast sprinting hawk to catch one. The crows know the difference between a hawk out hunting and a hawk hunting crows (if you know what I mean). To get the hawk wedded into them you'll need plenty of easy slips and this can be achieved from the car. Once they've had a few they then will take them on in the field as well.

Rooks and magpies are the easier option, a small male gos would be ideal - don't think a harris wouldn't have the speed to take them often from the fist.

[Sean]

ok thanks :)

[Falconry Equipment International]

Are the flights exciting though with harrises and crows? in street hawking dvd it looks boring and all the kills where on the ground. while in the urban goshawk dvd the flights were very exciting and most where caught in the air. would a harris be capable of catching up with a rook and magpies in the air, or would it just be good at ambushing them? Also could you also hunt them from the fist or just out of cars? With even the fittest harris I dont think so, after all even with low profile tyres, body 7 engine kits your not going to turn a ford focus into a ferrari!! :roll: always on the ground & whilst it can be fun, is nothing compared to a fit gos flight or falcon flight
hope this makes sense

[OhMyGod]

I never really took crows with a harris but have taken numerous rooks with both sexes. For me I found slipping at rooks I got similar results with both male and females and I wouldn't favour either sex on this species.

[ColdZero]

i am going to try at rooks this year. There are so many different areas i can go to catch them, so i hope it will take longer for them to learn. Also, if i 'over hawk' an area will they not come back? If so the farmer will be very happy.

[Falconry Equipment International]

i am going to try at rooks this year. There are so many different areas i can go to catch them, so i hope it will take longer for them to learn. Also, if i 'over hawk' an area will they not come back? If so the farmer will be very happy.
well if you have a FAC and have .22 rook rifle they won't :!: :!: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[ColdZero]

i don't have FAC, and these rooks are ******s. I have only mamged to get close enough with my 12ft/lb rifle to nail 4. I was thinking about FAC, but as i spend all my money on falconry already its a bad idea.

[Gary.B]

The crows around here are so bold I'm definitely have a crack them next season, better get the air rifle out and get me some wings, so its a big male, small female?

[ColdZero]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

walking past a rook is totally different to trying to shoot a rook. They are so crafty, you won't get close carrying a gun. I am getting a big male, around the 1lb 12oz+ range. If it was just for crows maybe smaller, but i still want to kill some bunnies.

[Falconry Equipment International]

Oh yes you will!!! why do you think rook rifles are/ where manufactured? touy shoot out the nests :twisted: :rolleyes: :lol: 8) :yawinkle:

[ColdZero]

:lol:

[Sean]

if u only hunt the same area once then carry on to other areas, then go back to the original area after a month,would they still reconise u?

[Gary.B]

I could lean out the kitchen window and shoot the crows nests in the trees, I kept finding tin cans, bits of plastic, all sorts of rubbish on the lawn under the pine tree, I was thinking I was the kids messing about, so I watched tree for a while and discovered crows nesting at the top, they must armour plating the nest! :minigun:

[Falconry Equipment International]

if u only hunt the same area once then carry on to other areas, then go back to the original area after a month,would they still reconise u?
sounds like you want to cherish your corvids, not wipe em out :roll: :rolleyes: :yawinkle:

[ColdZero]

sounds like hes thinking the same as me. I would think they would take longer to recognise you, but i don't want to underestimate their intelligence.

[Falconry Equipment International]

good idea CZ :yawinkle:

[Sean]

if u only hunt the same area once then carry on to other areas, then go back to the original area after a month,would they still reconise u?
sounds like you want to cherish your corvids, not wipe em out :roll: :rolleyes: :yawinkle:

sounds liek i wanna hunt em then move on to rabbits then move back to them, without having a major fuel bill lol :P

[Falconry Equipment International]

[sounds liek i wanna hunt em then move on to rabbits then move back to them, without having a major fuel bill lol :P
youd be amazed, once you start hunting feather instead of fur I'd be surprised if you went backwards again to fur ( no disrespect to the ground game flyers on the list :roll: :rolleyes:

[Sean]

lol

[Falconry Equipment International]

I'm serious :!: :twisted: 8) :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :yawinkle:

[Sean]

i wouldnt be surprised lol, if crows didnt get to reconsie me i will hutn em all year lol

[Falconry Equipment International]

do it in the next couple of months !

[Kevin Massey]

sean,

have you seen northumberland crow falcons? that shows you just how crafty crows can be.....even hiding under a tractor to avoid the falcon

kev

[OutFlying]

Maxi - When flying magpies this season - the amount of times they hid under sheep was the norm if they thought it would save their skins, unfortunately it didn't the gos still made the kill. :P

[Kevin Massey]

i aint sure but i think the done the same with horses on the film......snidey little ******s !!!

[Kevin Massey]

pmsl......i bet it looked like the gos was going to take a sheep at one point.

kev

[Sean]

yup i have seen it maxi :)

[Falconry Equipment International]

Maxi - When flying magpies this season - the amount of times they hid under sheep was the norm if they thought it would save their skins, unfortunately it didn't the gos still made the kill. :P
yup seen it with most corvids :?

[Kevin Massey]

any one fly spars @ them?

kev

[OutFlying]

pmsl......i bet it looked like the gos was going to take a sheep at one point.

kev

a few sheep got whacked by the gos but soon moved

[SW3AN29]

i seen street hawking as well and ithink it looks boring as well