Training 'Games'

[Sean]

Heres an american site that talks about triaining games,
http://www.themodernapprentice.com/games.htm
theres a few videos also, one of which is a hawk contastly jumping from a high to low high to low perch, how do that get it to do that without food lol? heres anyone of the games, what do yous think?
Corkscrews
Corkscrews are jump-ups where the bird starts on the perch facing away from the falconer. As the bird jumps she has to turn around as well making them more difficult. It's not so much a different game as an exercise in shaping the jump-ups into a slightly different movement.

[Varmint]

These games are a great way of breaking up boredom, but dont really ever take the place of excersise in the field.

The one benefit to flying a HH is following on at top weights which is in my opinion the most beneficial way to stave off boredom and keep fitness and routine.

[RabbitHawker]

I disagree a bit, I use high jumps if I cannot get the birds out for 2 days in a row, and expect my HH's to do 120-140 with me on a step ladder when they are fit, I find this an essential tool to maintain top fitness, this is more taxing than many quarry flights, and makes rabbits look easy.

[Moritz]

how are the Corkscrews suppost to work? My bird would turn around first and then jump, she is not stupid.

Moritz

[Goran]

No games but at hunting time I keep my HHs on 10' high block perches.1 1/2" diametar 12' long top rail for a chain-link fence set in the ground with a ring and wood stump set on top.Birds have nice view and for tid bits they have to come down on 3' leash.

[Moritz]

Post some pics of that, please.

Mo

[Sean]

did any of u watch the clips? :o

[Finnish]

Thats a good site Sean. :wink:

[Goran]

Moritz, sorry I do not have any pics about this set up.

[Wightwings]

interesting web site thanks Sean. couldnt open the clips but enjoyed browsing the site.

[Bird_Dog]

I tried to build a automated perch jumping apparatus. Instead of requirinng the falconers presence to exercise the bird, I built a tall perch with a switch that connected to a cumuative recorder and a meat grinder that despensed a glob of raw meat for reward. I was surprised to find that the baseline activity (before food reward) there were over 200 jumps to the perch. The project failed becasue the food delivery was pleaged with problems. But this begs the question are we interested in maintaining a physically fit bird or do we want to teach a bird that flying to the fist is the purpose of falconry??
I felt the former was the goal, but I have hear that fist jumping can reduce screeming. One might expect that the more food is associated with the falconer, the more it might screem. Perhaps the increase in fitness reduces screeming???

-- BIRD_DOG

[OutFlying]

A kill from a wild hunt with moderate energy expended will benefit the hawk 10 times the amount of benefit achieved with physical exercise alone. Mental preparation with success in the field combined with physical fitness is the key - 1000's of jump with a few kills just doesn't compare.

OF.

[Sprout]

I think high jumping initially has some use for wedding a bird to the fist but not much use for field fitness. Nick Foxes book explains why this is the case quite well in that sprint training requires different muscle fibres than distance training.

[Sean]

so what does yous think is the best way to get a hawk fit before entering?

[OutFlying]

what type of hawk, and at what quarry ?

[Finnish]

so what does yous think is the best way to get a hawk fit before entering?

I take it your talking about a HH yes.

[Sean]

yea a male hh, on rabbit

[Moritz]

I thin ka good combination of the different ways is a good methode. Fly my bird every day but I do not do the same exercise. Kite training, lure work with the pole lure, hill flying with two falconers, high jumps, following on.

I used the pole lure in different ways, it is very good to teach the bird to go a big distance for its prey, but also for sprinting training the pole lure is very good, what I do is the HH sits on the ground or perch and I holed the lure in front of her/him and move it abit, when the bird flies after the lure I run with it. After some distance the bird will sit down on the ground, I go back to it and palce the lure in front of her and move it again to start the next chase. This way they learn not to give up and start again. The pole lure is also good for teaching them to make hard turns and chase up hill. By my opinion the pole lure is the best way to prepare a HH. Since I use it my HH never gives up even on up hill chases etc.

I use two left hand phasant or crow wings for the lure as Nick Fox discribes them. They can be used for both rabbit and feather training.

Moritz

[Sean]

cheers moritz :D

[OutFlying]

When flying free, try to engineer some very easy flights at young rabbits. After a week or so the fitness will be coming along then try fist jumps long recalls but don't spend lots ot time doing artificial fitness with out entering - the longer you take the bigger and fitter the rabbits are going to be.

OF.

[Sean]

so aim for young rabbits before trying any fitness? :O

[Varmint]

so aim for young rabbits before trying any fitness? :O

No Sean do not do this, do as i suggest in my book! get the bird fit whilst it is ignorant to game and then switch it on with a bit of further education.

Your bird will be flying at a higher weight, it will have relevant skill for success and it will maintain it's naytural manners on kills.

I used to train many birds in the style that OF is suggesting, trust me whan i say that my success almost trebled as did my end of season bag using the method i advocate.

[Sean]

ok cheers :D, did u get ,my pms varmint?