Taking Rabbits with common Buzzards

[Slechtvalk]

Dear Friends,

In the Netherlands we are not legally able to fly Common Buzzards on prey. Who has experience with flying them on Rabbits in the UK ??

With kind regards,

Robert

[Iamtheweasel]

Kinda like taking deer with a red tail isn't it......? :lol:

[Shaun Byrne]

Dear Friends,

In the Netherlands we are not legally able to fly Common Buzzards on prey. Who has experience with flying them on Rabbits in the UK ??

With kind regards,

Robert

Forget it, waste of time and energy.

[Lanner_Man]

i agree just look at the size of the feet and talons compared to a harris, redtail etc. although i ahve seen a CB taking a small (younge) rabbit in the wild.

[ColdZero]

boring for falconry, but wild ones take old, lame and young bunnies quite regularly.

[Iamtheweasel]

I talked with a gal in Russia who flew a CB and I do believe that she had taken a few bunnies with it. It's about par with hawking jacks with a small tiercel Harris

[Hawkmaster]

Ok guys, you can catch rabbits with a CB and they are very capable to do it, but there are some critical factors to take in consideration. Firstly fitness and this is where most people fall down with them and also engineeering the flights and this is where the people that mainly fly them, newbies tend to fall down, because of their lack of experience.

I will invite anyone here to Devon and show them CBs that not only take rabbits with ease but are masters on partridge and even pheasant.

One thing to bare in mind, our falconry bird succeed in many cases where wild ones do not because we are there to assist in the dispatch of the quarry so feet size means very little.

[OutFlying]

please expand on the methods employed to take partridge / pheasant with a CB.

[Hawkmaster]

They are wild ones Jim and it has to be seen to be believed, they do it mostly from waiting on flights too, so rather spectacular. The gamekeeper does not think so though and want me to bring around Kevin Pekins CB eating Goshawk, but I can't stomach it, she is mental!

The point I was hopefully tried to make was they can and do catch rabbit and are under estimated, not that I want one though, it is only one step up for and owl. :lol:

[GDN]

Don't be so quick to right off the CB guys. We are all spoilt by HH.

I have heard of a 1 or 2 people who have flown CBs that have taken rabbits on a regular basis. It sound's like real hard work to get them to do it though.

Also don't right them off about the size of their feet. They might be smaller than a HH but they still have a good grip. I know because i have been on the receiving end a few times.

[GDN]

Talking of BCs taking feather.

Watched a wild CB take a flight at lap wings (it did miss though) and i spoke to a farmer up in Inverness that said he has a CB on his land that followed his tractor when ploughing his fields and took sea gulls when they came into look for worms.

[ColdZero]

a few exceptions don't mean a huge amount though...

[Darren]

I watched 1 CB a few week back chashing after a Pheasent it stooped around 4 times before it hit it & ate it.

[Harris.Hawk]

Ok guys, you can catch rabbits with a CB and they are very capable to do it, but there are some critical factors to take in consideration. Firstly fitness and this is where most people fall down with them and also engineeering the flights and this is where the people that mainly fly them, newbies tend to fall down, because of their lack of experience.

I will invite anyone here to Devon and show them CBs that not only take rabbits with ease but are masters on partridge and even pheasant.

One thing to bare in mind, our falconry bird succeed in many cases where wild ones do not because we are there to assist in the dispatch of the quarry so feet size means very little.

Spot on HM I have taken rabbits with CB and so have one or two of my old students!!

[North East Harris Hawker]

fitness is the key :wink:

[Slechtvalk]

Thanks for all the replies on this subject. I have spoken to some guys
from Belgium, with similar experiences on fitness exercise etc.

I have been observing a wild CB catching many Rabbits in her own territory. She did it in a kind of Goshawk way, with lacking lathers speed.

Robert

[ScarletFever]

The CB we used a couple of years ago used to take rabbits. Not many, granted, but 1 or 2 every month or so.

[OutFlying]

what did it do in between these kills ?

[MickeyDredd]

WENT TO THE KEBAB SHOP :)

[ScarletFever]

Used to chase them a lot, but he was only used when we had finished with the harris's and the gos to wind up the day. He had a great temperament and didn't seem to loose heart when he chased and didn't get a result.

[OutFlying]

not many hawks would put up with that amount of success, but fair play if it didn't bother him.

[Wightwings]

The CB prefers to sit at the road side and wait for a car to "catch" a rabbit for it........great starting bird for experience but NOT a hunting bird im afraid.........but hey we are here to learn and be proved wrong

(ps my first bird was a CB and he was great but hunt!......NEVER)

[HawkMan69UK]

about 14 years ago when i had a cb she reguarly took rabbitts and the odd pheasnt it is all about fitness and before hh came on the scene cb were the main/only broad wings most people could fly.. :lol: too many newbies to this sport are spoilt by the harris thinking that its too easy to catch stuff whith them..... british bird british quarry try it if you have the patiance/abilty :lol: not knock a bird till you have actually tried it and hunted and kept a bird alive ... before you judge :lol:

[Gaz]

it is all about fitness

[BrianM]

i like a fit bird myself.........ooh matron ...lol

[GDN]

Brian M we would all like a fit bird. I will stop there before i get myself into trouble.

As for the CB they can be as hard as nails. I got 1 once . The damn thing wouldn't eat for 12 days when i first got it. I would sit with it for anything from 1 to 3 hours at a time either trying to gey it to eat or just ignoring it and watching TV with it on the glove. On the 12th day it ate. I was stressed to hell as i thought it was going to starve it's self to death. They are 1 stubborn bird. Respect to it though. I felt like s*** after 12 days it seemed ok. 3 years on he is still going well and still a stubborn Ba****d.

Ever wandered why buzzard and bas**rd have the same number of letters and begin with a B and end with a D. Coincidence? NOT

[Wightwings]

pmsl...........nice one

[Sparrie]

The best post here is by hawkman69uk. Brirish bird british quarry. I have a Common Buzzard which has chased rabbits but never caught them. I do not use ferrets because I believe that is cheating slightly. I would rather fly my Buzzard in real hunting conditions rather than putting a Harris hawk on a fence post above a rabbit hole and chuck a ferret down. It's like shooting fish in a barrel. Don't get me wrong, I have been out when this is done, I am not saying people are doing the wrong thing but It's not the way I like to do it.

p. s. It will catch a rabbit this year. But if it catches a pheasant I will be over the moon but I'm not holding my breath.

Gary

[Ben C]

Shooting fish in a bloody large barrell then, in my experience the bloody harris will miss more than he catches. Record 25 rabbits, 1 caught.....one very large barrel, one very small gun. However I love Buzzards as well. A great british tradition seeing the Buzzard circling on a warm spring day waiting to eat dead lambs!!

[EddieT]

A great british tradition seeing the Buzzard circling on a warm spring day waiting to eat dead lambs!!

Not quite what we witnessed the when flying our birds in Scotland back in Feb. We were on a snow covered hill when from high above the crest of the hill came a wild buzzard in a full stoop. As it got further down the hill it wasn't half shifting. It levelled out the stoop and, still with its wings tucked up, rocketed across the valley. When it reached the other side of the valley it winged over and pummelled into a small copse from where a flock of pigeons exploded. We're sure it caught one as we didn't see it re-emerge. A truly awsome experience, it made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. A stooping flight flight of well over half a mile, and all from a good old common as muck buzzard!

[MickeyDredd]

I have a Common Buzzard which has chased rabbits but never caught them. I do not use ferrets because I believe that is cheating slightly. I would rather fly my Buzzard in real hunting conditions rather than putting a Harris hawk on a fence post above a rabbit hole and chuck a ferret down.

Gary, how do you set up the real hunting conditions you mention.

e.g. does it soar above you whilst you flush rabbits from cover or do you fly it off the fist at "walked-up" bunnies or what other method do you use?

[Ben C]

Ahh mickey we can see where your going mate.....or should I say checkmate!!! :) :) :)

[MickeyDredd]

:wink: :lol: :lol:

[Sparrie]

Mickey.

When I say real hunting I mean I dont use any set ups. I let the bird go. He circles around me, (or sits in high trees) I walk, If there are any rabbits he will chase them, If not I will drag a rabbit lure after he has had a good excersice. I was not trying to sound brilliant because I am not, I am still quite a novice, Just trying to do as close to what they would do in the wild as I possibly can. :)

Oh and what do you mean you know where he is going and check mate. Tell me more. Hope youre not trying to take the ****.

Gary.

[Ben C]

Sparrie mate, no it is not meant to mean that!! Calm down just a bit of fun!! :) :)

The deal is that any situation that involves flushing game, flying from the fist etc etc is by definition not a 'real' hunting condition.

It is difficult to tell when someone is gently messing about. I too am a newbie and would never EVER take the ****. I don't know you and would never be so presumptious as to be rude mate. I apologise if you felt like this was the case.

So sparrie from Fife accept my virtual hand in a handshake.........:) :) :)

[MickeyDredd]

Gary

I wasn't trying to take the p*ss. I merely wanted to know what you meant by real hunting conditions and how you replicated these conditions with your CB.

Remember that harris hawks in the wild who live in family/social groups will use the young and subordinate birds to flush out the prey from scrub so they can catch them from elevated positions, therefore using ferrets to flush bunnies for the birds could be argued to be getting as close to "setting up" what would happen in the wild as you get with harrises!

It may actual be beneficial to your bird to do some ferreting for it as once it has a few under its belt it may encourage it to go that extra mile when chasing from a waiting/following on position.

I use ferrets as my permissions do not have a great deal of cover and the bunnies sitting out see me from a distance away so by the time my hawks get there the bunnies drop down the burrow (does this happen with you, it is frustrating for the bird).

When I ferret I also don't chuck it down the hole and stand above it with my hawk - its a bit more sporting than that hopefully.

Thats the only way I was going with my post really.

[Bones]

Seen a wild buzzard take a young rabbit this morning on the way to work as i got off junc 4 of the m54 not far from where the falconry fair show ground was
Amazing to watch it take the small rabbit and continue to eat it on the verge with all the traffic passing it by as if there was nothing around
Oh do i wish it was the hunting season and id got me a bird it felt good seeing it take the rabbit but depressed me on the other hand cause i just got rid of me FHH and im birdless at the mo :cry:
PAUL

[Sparrie]

Mickey Dredd, Benc

My apoligies, I must have picked you up wrong. I am just sick of people (not on here) telling me that Buzzards cant catch rabbits and they eat road kill, mice & frogs.

Where I fly my bird there is the odd rabbit sitting out, but because my Buzzard is an imprint unless he is at a good height he screams at me, and subsequently the rabbits ****** off.

I have to get him up a tree or following above and he shuts up before I can go walking through bushes for rabbits. When I catch a rabbit from the soar you guys will be the first to know.

Cheers and my apologies again.

Gary.

[Ben C]

No worries mate.......get him up a massive hill and let nature do its thing!!........................................... .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .......................oh and you might have to use a ferret!!! :) :) :)

[Sparrie]

Hi Benc.

If I am struggling I may just have to but I'm not keen on the biting blighters

Gary

[Ben C]

and they smell bloody awful!! I love mine though!!

[Sparrie]

Benc.

They do smell. I volunteer for a falconry centre and they have them. They are fun to watch but rubbish to dig up.

Gary

[MickeyDredd]

Sparrie

I'm about 45 mins away if you want someone to ferret for your bird some time next season to see if we can get him going.

[Sparrie]

Cheers Mickey.

I might just take you up on that. Maybe I could pop over your way and fly him somewhere different. Sounds good to me.

Gary

[Dude]

I also saw wild ones catching pheasants and young hares regulary around a pheasant breeding facility....