Trusting your hawk.

[Roo]

I'm curious as to how much trust falconers have in their chosen bird when flown free. Do you always get nervous that they won't come back to the fist or do you have complete confidence? (although I guess there is always a possibility of flying away) Do you always carry some sort of lure whenever you go out in case the bird is reluctant? :?

Also on the same note, do virtually all falconers use some kind of electronic tracking equipment or only a few?

[IAmTheWeasel]

A lure is an intergral part of ones falconry gear. There can always come a time when the given situation is not condusive to getting the bird back and a lure or telemetry will aid you greatly. When I fly my RT's, I do get nervous if they make a long flight out of my field of vision and I have learned that panicing is only going to make the situation worse. Stay calm and use your head.

[Ben C]

Roo: I have now turned the fear into adrenaline. Every time you slip the jesses and let the hawk fly from your fist its BETTER THEN SEX :) :) Even though I know I shouldn't be scared I am................its ACE :)

[Roo]

lol, so it's always a worry but you just have to live with it?

So the use of telemetry equipment is widespread? Given the cost of a bird and the price of the equipment it makes sense.

[Goldie]

Roo: I have now turned the fear into adrenaline. Every time you slip the jesses and let the hawk fly from your fist its BETTER THEN SEX :) :) Even though I know I shouldn't be scared I am................its ACE :)

:? can only say you must be doing it wrong Ben, what must Lucy be thinking :lol:

I really must try and stop slagging you but you make it so easy :oops:
:lol: :lol:

[Ben C]

Mate as I write these things all I can hear is you lot thinking what to say........Its not a problem, I am away to slash me wrists now :) :) :)

[Goldie]

Mate as I write these things all I can hear is you lot thinking what to say........Its not a problem, I am away to slash me wrists now :) :) :)

PMSL can i get your hood

[MickeyDredd]

Mate as I write these things all I can hear is you lot thinking what to say........Its not a problem, I am away to slash me wrists now :) :) :)

PMSL can i get your hood

If you can find it :lol: :lol:

ps Damn, just noticed he found it :twisted:

[Ben C]

Roo never trust a scottish hawk, they always do the dirty :) :)

[Roo]

lol, I'll keep that in mind :wink:

[MickeyDredd]

All hawks do the dirty Ben, its just the Scottish ones that do it on your head :lol:

[MickeyDredd]

I'm curious as to how much trust falconers have in their chosen bird when flown free.

Total trust Roo, if your bird is well trained and conditioned there is no reason why it would "fly away".

Mike

[Ben C]

Seriously Roo: I trust Cody completely but it takes a load of time. Its less about trusting the hawk because it will do whatever it wants, its an animal. I think (and this is a personal thing) it's more along the lines of trusting your own interpretation and the significance of a hawks actions. If you see what I mean. :) :)

[Roo]

Thanks for the replies, I think I understand what you mean Ben, as MickeyDredd said, if it's kept well then it shouldn't have a reason to fly away.

Do different species differ out of interest?

[Mr_Colin]

Roo: I have now turned the fear into adrenaline. Every time you slip the jesses and let the hawk fly from your fist its BETTER THEN SEX :) :) Even though I know I shouldn't be scared I am................its ACE :)

Does Loopy share that sentiment Ben? :lol: :wink:

[Mr_Colin]

Roo

Like Ben, I am a first time Hawker and I can totally trust Willow when out in the field. How-ever when I first slipped off the jesses and put her on a fence post I was sh'itting myself, but to be fair if I didn't think she was ready then I don't think I would have flown her free. It's still brown trouser time no matter how you look at it.

I never fly without Telemetry as you never know what's over the next hedgerow. Some of my hunting ground is next to the air base where I work and we got Big yellow seaking helocopters here, one flew over us at about 200 ft and then came back at 50 ft and did a slow hover over us. Willow bogged off two fields away, and I later found out that the seaking crew say someone walking the fields with a rifle on their back, which of course is my telemetry receiver. One the seaking flew off I stood on the hedge row and blew a whistle till my cheeks went read. Then there on the horizon I saw Willow coming back to me. No better feeling than that really and she had been flying free for 4 months by this point. Total trust. I have only ever had to use my telemetry in anger once in a whole season and that was to find the transmitter that fell off :lol:

[Ben C]

Can't fault that advice one iota Mr_C :)

[Roo]

Must have been a scary moment, glad it all ended well, with Willow coming back to you rather than the other way around too! :D That's certainly persueded me to invest in Telemetry when the time comes.

Cheers for the replies, think thats my questions answered.