How to train your hawk to a whistle...

[Yarak_Eric]

I'm curious about what methods and when to train to a whistle. I'm wanting to work a redtail to the whistle, but my mentor doesn't utilize the method, he uses more verbal command and the books that I've read don't talk much about the whistle either.

Do you use the whistle at every time you're rewarding your bird? Beginning stages of manning, latter stages, anytime you're calling them to the glove (would obviously make since if you're red-tails following on) How does one integrate this with the variable reward schedule? I'm assuming it would work pretty well, just bring them in with the signal of the whistle and then vary it whether there were a reward or not.

Anyone feel free to share your methods and educate the n00blet?

[Turumti]

Start with whistling before you approach her at feeding time, make sure she can hear you before she sees you, pretty soon she will associate the whistle with you, and in a month or so come to you, when you cant see her but you want to call her.

[Berkut]

I always blow an acme thunderer when calling my birds to me. Within a short space of time they soon realise what it's all about. That goes for gos,falcon, eagle or whatever. Wouldn't do without it.

Neil.

[Yarak_Eric]

I have the ACME Thunderer as well, I'm just wandering, do you use them with food rewards?

[Berkut]

I have the ACME Thunderer as well, I'm just wandering, do you use them with food rewards?


Yes. It works well.

[Yarak_Eric]

Anyone have a detailed (or cliff-noted) version of when and how they get their hawks working with the whistle? I get the jist of the situation, but I'm unclear on exactly when, where and the psychology behind how the raptor thinks about it.

[Bullet]

i use a whistle on my harris hawk, she'll come no problem if she cant see me, 9 out of 10 if i call her in with the whistle and have no reward on the glove she'll land in the nearst tree or by my feet, thats my method

[Damo]

I use a whistle everytime i call her in for a reward, even whistle when im calling her to the fist without a reward. But i never give her a reward if she sets off to the fist before i whistle. I also whistle before i raise my fist now so that its the sound that lets her know i want her to come in so that if shes out of view she will know to come back. Sorry if i havent explained this well.

[Yarak_Eric]

i use a whistle on my harris hawk, she'll come no problem if she cant see me, 9 out of 10 if i call her in with the whistle and have no reward on the glove she'll land in the nearst tree or by my feet, thats my method

But how did you get her to that point? I'm assuming you didn't take her out, throw her in a tree and blow a metal whistle at her and she came back? (Sorry that kinda sounds brash, and I don't mean it to) But I'm trying to figure out how you work up TO that point. That sounds like the end result to me. Thanks everyone for the responses however! :supz::box:

[FalconGriff]

I always blow an acme thunderer when calling my birds to me. Within a short space of time they soon realise what it's all about. That goes for gos,falcon, eagle or whatever. Wouldn't do without it.

Neil.

Thats for me as well! Try whistling when you are out of breath after a run after your bird and you will soon see the sense of it!!

[Berkut]

Anyone have a detailed (or cliff-noted) version of when and how they get their hawks working with the whistle? I get the jist of the situation, but I'm unclear on exactly when, where and the psychology behind how the raptor thinks about it.

Eric,
Initially when a hawk feeds from the glove , I blow the whistle every time it takes a beakful. I carry on with this throughout initial training. As the training progresses , every time I lift my gloved hand with food on it, I blow the whistle. After that it is really a progression from then on.
With a falcon I do the same and then continue this everytime I produce the lure.

Hope this helps

Neil.

[Yarak_Eric]

Eric,
Initially when a hawk feeds from the glove , I blow the whistle every time it takes a beakful. I carry on with this throughout initial training. As the training progresses , every time I lift my gloved hand with food on it, I blow the whistle. After that it is really a progression from then on.
With a falcon I do the same and then continue this everytime I produce the lure.

Hope this helps

Neil.


Thanks Neil. I figured it was something similar but was not 100% certain. So after you get them flying the creance or free flying, they respond to the whistle as a positive reinforcement (i.e. food reward) and could potentially use the random reward system from there, but they're mentally associating postive reward (food) with whistle correct?

[LiamBaber]

i used a whistle for the kessie before i fed him i always shouted oi and then the whistle came he knew oi was always before the whistle so when he was sat on a perch and i shouted oi hed look at me and be ready for when i blow the whistle all i did was blow the whistle when i put a bit of food on my gloove , if he didn;t come and get it id hide it shout somthing else and then re shout oi and the whistle i nabout 2 weaks he knew that oi followed by a whistle ment food

[Berkut]

Thanks Neil. I figured it was something similar but was not 100% certain. So after you get them flying the creance or free flying, they respond to the whistle as a positive reinforcement (i.e. food reward) and could potentially use the random reward system from there, but they're mentally associating postive reward (food) with whistle correct?

Spot on Eric.

[Anstey]

i do pritty much the same as every1 else..i use a high pitch achme whistle,
as soon as my FHH started to feed i blow the whistle at every beakfull...obviously not loud! ul only defen them! lol jus gentle...il do this all through the manning and feeding untill the bird is jumping the lesh length...then glove (with reward) out n short blast on whistle....if you dnt gt reaction drop the glove n try again! n when the bird is coming to the fist i still gently blow the whistle.
il keep doing this untill flying free.... then i genrally only blow the whistle at the end of the day or if for any reason you want her back quick eg a dog/horse/power line etc! i ALWAYS reward when called on the whistle and it works for me..iv managed to call my FHH off a mallard as they went over the other side of the river while chasing!with a long blast n tit bit in glove!
other than that i do alot of following on so just put glove out n shell b there! hope that helps,:supz:

[Gil]

Thats for me as well! Try whistling when you are out of breath after a run after your bird and you will soon see the sense of it!!
or try to get in shape :wink: