Male HH and rabbits!!

[Harris.Hawk]

I have just been given a 9year old male HH flying weight approx 1lb 8oz. This is an ex-demo bird and the guy that used to take him around the local schools is giving up. I was thinking of flying this bird through the summer months while waiting for my female to moult. My question is this:
Do you think he is too old to train on rabbits? The previouse males I have taken rabbit with have all been entered at a fairly young age and have watched females doing the business before a suitable slip is found, also they were bigger. I am confident he will take moorehen and other feather, but what about rabbits? Do you think its worth trying or am I wasting my time, what do you guys think?

[Saker-Clive]

Most definately; if he was a display bird, he should have been used to the dummy-bunny. There's your first starting point. If you have access to freshly rifle shot rabbits, give him the whole carcase to feed on and get used to the feel of the fur.
When out with him, again, use a real rabbit as your lure/training aid and take it from there.
You may need to drop his weight to get him really keen but it shouldn't take long to convert him back to his natural hunting ways.

ps. PM me if you want a hand or rabbits or just want to come out and fly a couple of falcons.

[Wightwings]

Hi..........seems a strange question from one so wordly wise :wink: simple answer as you prob know is why not???? instinct is instinct. SS 's offer of the carcasses is a good one, its always easy to see the diff attitude a bird has to a lure and a carcass.......they seem to know and just click up a gear.

[Harris.Hawk]

Hi..........seems a strange question from one so wordly wise :wink: simple answer as you prob know is why not???? instinct is instinct. SS 's offer of the carcasses is a good one, its always easy to see the diff attitude a bird has to a lure and a carcass.......they seem to know and just click up a gear.

Hi WW
The reason I ask is the male HH is not a bird I would normally choose to fly at quarry, normally l fly females or goshawks using male HH mainly for bird control and demmo work and insight days (when I used to do that). Also if I had flown a male at rabbit it wouldnt have been a 9yrs old bird but a fresh one pulled from the breeding pens. However the few males I have trained on rabbit have all been young birds that dont know any better and therefore dont know what kind of a kicking a rabbit can give them. My question was really intended for those who have, or know of people who have tried succesfully or unsuccesfully for one reason or another to fly an adult male at a tough quarry species it has never seen before, so not such a strange question after all. :wink:

[Wightwings]

:D :rolleyes: :D lol never trained a bird that old myself but still feel the instinct is there to be awoken :axe:

interesting tosee if anyone on here has :?:

[Harris.Hawk]

WW Yes I think you are right about the instinct he is showing pormise, had him just over a week now and late stage hooding is progressing very well. Apparantly he has not been flown or handled for about 18 months so will have my work cut out getting him fit. :lol:

[ColdZero]

i bet he would be excited to be doing something other than the same routine display everyday. I'm sure he will learn very fast.

[Artemis]

I fly a male harris which was previously used for displays. He was two years old when he started and although he only caught one rabbit last season, he chased loads. I'm sure yours will be great!

[Varmint]

I cant see there being a prob mate, i have a 7 yr old Male who i can i switch on and off like a light switch toward game and he only entered on Rabbit last year (he's mainly a display bird) but his weight differs greatly from hunting mode to display mode ( 2 oz's?)

All the advise offered so far seems to be valid, just appreciate how motivated he's gonna need to be to achieve your goal?

[North East Harris Hawker]

i think rather than to fly him throught the moult, you ight be better to put him in woith your female (lets see if he can perform elsewhere) then consider flying the two as a cast next season? a couple of early trips out on carcasses will give him the idea and watching your female do the job will have him hunting in no time! :wink:
funny how brave the little males get with the larger quarry when big backup is only a wingbeat away :wink: