Training

[Jazz1]

Hi was just wondering i any1 can HELP.I have a 6/7 year old FH/H had her for this is her 3rd season but each year she is getting more and more useless. She has her days were she has a go at most Rabbits but 9times out of 10 she will let them run past her feet.Has for following on that is a joke+Last season she picked up sitting by the holes and waiting on rabbits coming to her.Her flying weight was 2lb 2 but i think will have 2 bring her down to 2lb or less.Can any1 help Cheers Gary

[Wightwings]

a few more details on the bird and your flying style etc would be of use........but it would seem she is basically over weight and not keen enough at first view...........ps welcome to the forum :mrgreen:

[Finnish]

Welcome to the forum. :D

How offden do you fly the bird :?: Is it a few times a week or just weekends. A friend of mine has the same problem every year he has to cut the bird down a little bit before she is interested.


Finnish

[Jazz1]

Hi Guys thanks for the welcome to the forum.
I have 2M/HH to 1 which is just 18weeks but the other is 1year.Last season if Fern is out with him she is alittle better not a lot but alittle.If you fly her from the glove and a rabbit bolts she will just look at it sometimes she might fly at it but will just head for a tree or if you cast her up a tree as i said fern as picked up this thing of sitting by holes and waiting on rabbits coming to her so she comes down from the tree.This sounds funny for a bird but fern would rather be on ground level and not up flying.In Jan of this year i was of work and was able

[Jazz1]

Not sure what happened there.As i was saying at the start of the year i had fern out 4times a week and yes she was coming on better then but when i got back to work it went back to a couple of times on my days of and she went back to her old ways to.So this season going to get her out more often.I'm not having another 6months of me pulling my hair out. Cheers for the help.

[Takajo]

This sounds funny for a bird but fern would rather be on ground level and not up flying.
That definitely sounds like a weight problem. I haven't seen any weight figures in your posts yet, but the staying near the ground thing sounds very weighty to me...

[Jazz1]

Hi Takajo
In my 1st post her weight is there it is 2lb 2 but as i have said she is know good at that so think will hane to drop her to 2lb or less??? Thanks for your help

[Hawkmaster]

Welcome to the forum Jazz!

I would say be careful not to just drop the weight and hope it works.

First of all when she is on a creance what is her response like at 50m when called? What is that weight? Will she come that distance in down or side winds? How long and how have you been flying her to get her fit these seasons before hunting?

But for what it is worth I think you may have to take her down in weight, BUT I suggest you do it a 1/4 oz at a time and then keep her there a day or two before moving her again, to gage her performance.

HTH?

[Jazz1]

Thanks for the welcome Hawkmaster
When my female is on the creance she comes to the glove at 2lb 2 on the first call most of the time at any length.As for getting her fit is is what i have been trying to do as i say you could fly her back and fourth all day just about on the creance but take it of and she start's acting up. it like she knows. Help
Thanks for you help Gary

[Hawkmaster]

If I was to come to help you I would want to see the hawk fly 50 METRES to the fist instantly, or want to go to you before you even get that far. How much manning do you give her each day and more important how much did she get during training and re-training?

More crucial though is I would want to feel her breast and thighs?

[Osiris]

If she's flying at 2lb 2oz on the craence, and doesn't come instantly to you on the fist then i would also suggest that the weight is part of your problem.
I just flew my female harris at lunch time, she was 2lb 2oz and before i even got approx. 20metres away she was off in front of me, in a tree high up, looking down at me. I think she's a little keen so i'm bringer her up 1/4oz each day.
But as HM said, DONOT bring her wieght down drastically, bring her weight down about 1/4oz each day, record her weight and see how she flies at those weights and see what response you get out of her. Try and spend a bit more time with her.
Whats her keel like?
Jamie :D

(p.s. Must add, that i flew my lanneret at 1lb 2oz today and he was cracking! :D)

[HarrisHawk.1.]

welcome to the forum im new aswell

ill let the more experienced tell ya

[North East Harris Hawker]

jazz, how long have you been involved in falconry and how many birds do you have at the moment?

[Kanati]

If shes started to not bother to catch stuff, then bringing her weight down should get her going again, but that doesnt explain why she wont hunt this year at the weight she hunted last year! If she has started refusing to hunt its because shes not motivated enough... this could be because shes too fat (but if shes the same weight as last year...this should not be the case) she could have eaten too recently and is not hungry enough. Be cairful not to confuse hunger with weight and body fat! You can be fat and still feel starving hungry! You can be thin and not want to eat at that moment in time. she could be reluctant to catch because she doesnt get what she catches??? Do you reward her enough???

All I'm saying is Dont just reduce her weight. Reduce her weight to get her going again and then take a look at how you are working her... Feeding times, rewards everything. Just get her motivated and she will hunt at much higher weights then you though she would.