Falconry Help

[Tony]

Hi, I would like to take up falconry, are there any types of birds you dont need a licence for? Just to get started. If you have to get a licence how much are they?
I live in kent on the romney marsh area so flying is not a problem :).
Thanks for any help

[Mary Quite Contrary]

Romney marsh have you asked permission to fly a bird there?

Go to a local centre and do a course and you will found out.

I went everywhere to do courses and read loads of books for five years before my buying my first bird.

[Renton]

Wise words Chas!

Tony. There are an awful lot of things to take into account before you even think about getting a bird.

For example: time, commitment, permission, mews, cost and vet. That is just the start of it!

[BrianM]

yes tony bankruptcy comes with time , lol.. welcome mate...a good indicator is how much time can you fly your bird over the season ( winter) if its dark when you go to work and when you get back ,, then its not for you......... what renton says is also true once you have all that in place THEN think of getting a bird

[Ben C]

Tony,
Be under no illusions it is probably the best thing you will ever do! :) :) :) Better even than sex!!!! However the cost is high and it is hard work.

YOU NEED A MENTOR OR A CERTIFICATED COURSE. Get reading hard and fast and then ask yourself DO I REALLY WANT a hawk for the next 20 years?

good luck :) :) :)

[Moritz]

Well said, esp the one with the sex!

[GDN]

Tony what everyone is saying is true.

If you really want to go ahead with it then you need to ask yourself a few questions. Be honest with yourself. Think with your head not your heart because in the long run it is for the birds benefit not yours. If the answer is no or maybe to any of the following question then falconry is not for you i am afraid.

Do you have time to fly it and i mean more than twice a week
Do you have somewhere to keep it. ie a aviary and NOT a box because you live in a flat or don't have a garden or it isn't big enough.
Do you have permission to fly it somewhere. NOT the local park or playing fields but you have spoken to local land owners who have said yes.
Can you afford it. If you are not prepared to give or use the best equipment / housing for your bird then you will only save money in the short term. If you buy cheap equipment then all will happen is it will fail and you will loose or injure or kill your bird and you will be ££££ down.

Don't mean to rain on your parade. I am sure other forum members will have other questions / points you will need to think about as well. If the answer is yes then go to centres talk to them but don't just book up to the first 1 you go and see. Some are better than others. Ask questions how long the course lasts what does it cover. Maybe speak to a club and see if they can recommend a centre or someone who will train you

Read books so that when you go on your course you have questions to ask.

If after that you still want to get a bird then it is hugely rewarding but only if you put in the time like all good relationships

[GDN]

Tony 1 other thing. How old are you? If you are still at school then forget it.

Sorry if you are not but it doesn't say in your details.

[Tony]

Hi, Thanks for the reply`s.
I have some of the answers for you questions :)
I have plenty of time on my hands after work I dont do anyting (cheeper to stay at home :) )
I do have a few hobbies on the go I.E R/C aircraft flying (so flying a bird on the same patch as I fly the plane is not a problem), in the process of getting my pilots licence ATM,SCUBA diving. These hobbies are expensive :).

So I would have to ask what is the advrage cost of keeping 1 bird for a year?

Im not going out tommorow to buy a bird so I have time to plan it properly, I do have my name down for next year for a European Eagle Owl if im still intrested, I have a large enough space in my back garden to build an avery, the breeder said he will give me all the know how,tips,Do`s/Dont`s,to get me started.

Please keep any more info comming :)
Tony

[Tony]

Tony 1 other thing. How old are you? If you are still at school then forget it.

Sorry if you are not but it doesn't say in your details.



hehehe sorry 31 :)

[GDN]

Why do you want a bird. Are you wanting something just to fly or are you wanting to hunt with it

[OutFlying]

Is there enough quarry to fly at on this piece of land, have you been involved with any other country sport ? any field craft or suitable mentor ?

Due you want to hunt ? if so why the eagle owl ?

OF.

[Ben C]

Hawk: £350
Equipment: Including glove, bow perch, creance, first aid kit and other sundries; £300.
Superb hunting knife: £75.
Shed/wood/roofing: £400.
Mesh/wood panelling £200.
Rent £ 425 per month plus bills/rates.
Deposit £850. (moved house)
Course Total £640.
Insurance: £70 per year.
Micro-Chipping: £20.
Food: £6/£8 per month. (inc electricity for freezer).
Bottles of Wine/Spirits for Farmers etc: £100 per year
Ferrets: £10
Spaying for 2: £100
Debden box £165

This price is rough and is plucked out of my diary for the first year. I did not cut corners and so I am happy. It could cost you MORE, but definately not LESS.

All of this came after 2 years hard work as well. Have a read and have a think! :) :) :)

Ben

[ColdZero]

Bottles of Wine/Spirits for Farmers etc: £100 per year

wow i must be a tight *******...and don't forget you have to feed the bloody ferrets too :lol: which can be suprisingly expensive if you give them biscuits.

[Ben C]

See tony the young guns remind you of other bits and bobs??? How much is that then CZ?

[Goldie]

All good answers and comments for you to digest tony.
Also, you don't need a licence.
But, you might need telemetry, and thats another £500/£600 :wink:

[ColdZero]

my ferrets get all the bits the hawk leaves, but since i have no hawk recently biscuits cost about the same as cat ones (no idea why you'd want to keep a cat alive personally).

i think £300 is a bargain for all equipment, considering i spent that at the fair when i had nothing to urgent to buy lol.
I thinkj petrol deserves a mentioning, i was lucky enough to fly within walking range (not that i did :lol:) but even a few miles everyday builds up. Some lucky *******s have hawking cars too.

[MickeyDredd]

Tony,
Better even than sex!!!! However the cost is high and it is hard work.
:) :) :)

Ben

Sex or falconry, or both :?: :) :) :)

[Ben C]

The choice captain, :mrgreen: :minigun: is your own

[Tony]

Hawk: £350
Equipment: Including glove, bow perch, creance, first aid kit and other sundries; £300.
Superb hunting knife: £75.
Shed/wood/roofing: £400.
Mesh/wood panelling £200.
Rent £ 425 per month plus bills/rates.
Deposit £850. (moved house)
Course Total £640.
Insurance: £70 per year.
Micro-Chipping: £20.
Food: £6/£8 per month. (inc electricity for freezer).
Bottles of Wine/Spirits for Farmers etc: £100 per year
Ferrets: £10
Spaying for 2: £100
Debden box £165

This price is rough and is plucked out of my diary for the first year. I did not cut corners and so I am happy. It could cost you MORE, but definately not LESS.

All of this came after 2 years hard work as well. Have a read and have a think! :) :) :)

Ben


Thanks for that its very helpfull :)
Tony

[Tony]

Why do you want a bird. Are you wanting something just to fly or are you wanting to hunt with it

I would have to say both, as to hunting the best bet is to find out from the local farmers where they have a pest problem :), im sure they would be more than willing to let me fly there.

[Tony]

Is there enough quarry to fly at on this piece of land, have you been involved with any other country sport ? any field craft or suitable mentor ?

Due you want to hunt ? if so why the eagle owl ?

OF.


Where I live there is more than 10 miles of open fields, tracks part wooded areas in a 360 deg radious of my house, so where to fly and what to hunt isnt a problem.

ok, the problem ATM is where to get a bird. With the eagle owl the breeder is virtually down the road from my house, he has said he would bend over backwards to help me get started if im still intrested. So ATM its the best place to go for help if/when I need it.

If I wanted anoter type of BOP Im not sure where to get one il have to look around.

[IAmTheWeasel]

If you want to hunt, I would suggest not getting an owl. They are difficult to train for falconry and do little in the way of filling up the hawking bag. Go with a Red tail or a Harris's hawk if you want to experience the true nature of what falconry is all about....catching game with a bird of prey.
Cheers,
Weasel

[Ben C]

Tony,

Do not be sure they will let you fly there, you must ask them if it ok. What would happen if they said no AFTER you had got a bird.

DO NOT BUY AN OWL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE MATE :) :) :)

The deal is this:

1) Go on a hawk walk, ask questions and KILL A RABBIT.

2) Read a loads of books: Find out these authors: Emma Ford, Adrian Hallgarth, Martin Hollinshead and Join a club (although that is not always needed)

3) Ask for permission on at least 1000 acres of suitable land.

4) Go on a course

5) Research breeders and the type of hawk you want.

6) Then maybe buy a hawk

All of this should take at least 2 years. But like anything it takes TIME. Use your head and follow your own logic, the owning of the hawk is about 4000th on the right list.

:) :) :)

[Tony]

Tony,

Do not be sure they will let you fly there, you must ask them if it ok. What would happen if they said no AFTER you had got a bird.

DO NOT BUY AN OWL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE MATE :) :) :)

The deal is this:

1) Go on a hawk walk, ask questions and KILL A RABBIT.

2) Read a loads of books: Find out these authors: Emma Ford, Adrian Hallgarth, Martin Hollinshead and Join a club (although that is not always needed)

3) Ask for permission on at least 1000 acres of suitable land.

4) Go on a course

5) Research breeders and the type of hawk you want.

6) Then maybe buy a hawk

All of this should take at least 2 years. But like anything it takes TIME. Use your head and follow your own logic, the owning of the hawk is about 4000th on the right list.

:) :) :)

Thanks for the info, yea il have to get permisison first before getting a bird :D


Just to ask, why not get an owl?

[OutFlying]

If your asking why an owl isn't suitable, then further ground work is required. You are not ready for a hawk and where to get one isn't your first problem "at the moment". Learn the basics, read books (plenty of), meet a falconer or do a course or join a club. Obtain permission (written permission) for the land with suitable quarry on it (enough quarry to keep the hawk going for a season at least). Why not try to go out hunting with a hawk with someone and see if it is for you ?

Do you have the fieldcraft to hunt with a hawk ?

Yours Of.

[GDN]

Tony. What weasel said is right harris hawk or a red tail. I would go with a harris. Forget the owl if you want to hunt. They look nice and that is about it. You may want to join a club before you get a bird. The British falconers Club is the biggest in the country and the best well known. This would allow you to go to meets and start to see what it is all about. They maybe able to recommend where to go for a course and also put you in touch with a reputable breeder. You want a young bird at least 16 weeks old.

The only bird that goes cheap is a budgie no good falconry birds go for cheap so don't just buy the cheapest bird you can find.

[Tony]

Hi all, thank you very much for the reply`s, as you all say theres a lot of ground work to do ;). Il be booking a course in the next few weeks to get a prooper taster what it realy is like.

Tony

[BlueHawk]

Tony,
Be under no illusions it is probably the best thing you will ever do! :) :) :) Better even than sex!!!! However the cost is high and it is hard work.

YOU NEED A MENTOR OR A CERTIFICATED COURSE. Get reading hard and fast and then ask yourself DO I REALLY WANT a hawk for the next 20 years?

good luck :) :) :)

Sorry BenC,
But you can't be doing it right if its better than sex!!