Minty
21-11-2005, 01:19 PM
We recently had a Thread on How we can help Newbies so i thought that as one myself i would tell you the story of a Newbie so far in his first season without bird
So, I have been out with 5 falconers all of which like i said have a approach to there sport in different ways not just in falconry but in their way of the 'Spirit' of Falconry. I recently went to a Club meeting and Knew Nobody! . Not just that i Knew Nothing about what they where all there for! . So it was even worse but they made me feel welcome
Right, 5 falconers.
1. A very experienced Falconer who showed me the basic layout and opened my eyes to Falconry. I owe him my gratitude for that.Oh we had one Rabbit but he was entering so a tad unfair on figures.
2.A falconer who was local a bit of a hike away like the previous one and again the frustration of the travel and not quite knowing if the weather would change after an hours drive i was canceled twice of no fault of the Falconer.We did eventually get out and he was very experienced and had a heavy northern accent which i found hard to understand but then he found my 'SARF LONDON' hard to work out and in the end we where in fits taking the **** out of each other.Some great humor.
But on a Perfect crisp day and i could tell an experienced falconer we spent the whole day in the Woods with his dog. Again new to me was working with a dog he must of flushed up a dozen and apart from two which one was a fox and one a pheasant the rest where 6 bunnies and two squirrels all slipped of the fist with only one kill, but it was a good one and this harris was quick and fit. But on many occasions i thought he has no chance in here as by the time the bunny got speed up he had reached safety as the harris was just to far back on the fist. I felt un-easy about asking the question but just as the previous falconer had mentioned 'I like to fly from the fist' so who was i to judge and to be honest at the time i was so wet behind the ears i though 'Well how else can it hunt' until i got home and thought why not leave it up a tree..Anyway the though went and on with the dealings of everyday life
3. Another Falconer through my wifes friend at work but a Falconer who at first'Talked the Talk' but never 'Walked the Walk' (is that right if not somebody can use it as a Signature:lol: ).
It was his first year but his or our conversation on the way to his grounds where i thought 'Experienced' but when the moment he got his bird out and i compared to the previous 2 falconers this was no experienced Falconer but then why make out he is? because it would not have bothered me. Another great guy but his Field craft was in the very least.......Hopeless!.
Perhaps on this one i am being personal the guy had a ferret that totally refused to go down any hole and yet in the car the words where.........My Tommy is the ******** he will flush em out mate'.
Enough said..........
4. Is a member on here who looked a bit like Andy Capp and had Goldie Hair . But never the less i could not believe it that he had only been doing it a few years this guy was a natural and we Flew his mates Goshawk which we tried to enter 'Goldie' tried everything with his very experienced mate and had some great slips but was just so unlucky but what a fantastic Bird and the Outing and the Laid back approach but serious if you see what i mean totally re-kindled my Faith in the Sport . It was just a shame we did not get to enter him but it was an enjoyable day with Experienced Falconers with a great sense of Humor.
I owe 'Goldie' massive respect as he has now led me on to further Falconers who no what they are doing and so i get to see the Field craft as well as great flying. Again you know who you are and Do not tell me you Did not fall for it as for a split second you did but i think you heard the falconer cracking up and so worked it out.
Cheers mate and talk to you soon.
5. This led me on to a Falconer who took me out . This guy knew the lot and with respect to the others had more experience than the rest put together.
I am not going to butter him up and will leave it there as my second sentence says it all about his experience.
We flew his Harris with help from the Farmers Kids who Ferreted .
Results
1. Ferrets down the hole First slip and success with a huge 4 pound cracking bunny . This was the only time that his bird was flown off the fist as it was a open field but a cracking flight and she nailed it in the head before it could sneak through a fence.
2.We then entered the Forest and very thick undergrowth She was released up into the trees. Is she just having a break i said .......No he said she is going to hunt This way which was new to me as it was the first Falconer who was going to hunt Free with his bird in the tree tops as all the forest work mainly apart from the odd occasion had been of the fist even in the forest that i had seen. I must admit this made sense to me as surely the Bird had a better view. The second was a kicked up kill (i think thats the right phrase) and it bolted like lightning and number 2 was in the bag so 2 slips 2 kills.
3. This was the best yet, I looked up as she bolted from a tree top.
What had she seen? We where way behind her as we stopped for a break we then ran and she had nailed one which she had just spotted on her own..Brilliant. She then had two more slips one on a ferret bolt holed Bunny which she missed by Millimeters.
4. Again one kicked up after i beat the **** out of this undergrowth and she stooped across 3 tree tops and at first i thought she is not going for it but oh know the best one yet she moved across the top and in Peregrine Style came down like Lightning and nailed it right on the head. Brilliant and i sat there and thought compared with the other outings this was like going from a Reliant Robin to a Rolls Royce!
5. I spotted a great Warren , Only 4 bolt holes and very close together but it looked Deep but our trusty ferret went in he was down there for ages and i was told to grab him but i put my ear to one of the holes and could hear there was a scrap on so i signled to wait. Whooooosh! up one bolted and with a great chase spinning one way then other through branches she nailed it again right in the head
I was then asked to pick up the Ferret but i had noticed when the first bunny sprung that this brilliant Ferret was a Master at His Job. I noticed that he did not hang around after it bolted , It did not slowly turn around and go back in the hole but it Bolted as quick as it could back down and i signaled that i think it had been pushing 2 or 3 to the top and there could be one more.
I then could hear a scrap but it was loud and i had a feeling that although i could not see the bunnies head i felt that the trusted ferret had its back end.
I went up to the hole i thought where the action could be happening and sure enough although i could not see what was exactly happening. But this bunny was stubborn being chomped up the arse he still did not bolt so i lightly banged the side of the hole and up it came like Linford Christie and from a branch she hunted him but just on her tail this brave rabbit turned into the growth and was gone.That had to be the Toughest bunny i had seen .
6. The last kill of the day and Nothing to do with us. We thought that was enough as she was getting tired but with no beating or ferreting we made our way back along a footpath with harris just hopping in the trees behind us and then 'Bang' we looked around and right from a top of a tree she disappeared but was obviously in chase with a ton of rabbits in my sack mud up to my knees thanks to stepping in a bog i tried to keep up but the falconer was there right at the end and with a 90 degree turn which i last saw it nailed it and again right on the Nose!
That was it, What a Day! He teached me a few things on the way back one of which was how to totally gut the insides of a Rabbit without even cutting it which i did first attempt no cutting just 20seconds and the lot came out . I enjoyed that one.
We then went on to fly a Peregrine and what a bird ..The fighter plane of the sky. We now where really restricted as the sun had almost disappeared but up she went and at first she ignored crows so we made her way back and flying high we beat the sides of this massive hedgerow and up pops a Pigeon she swooped right down on it but right at the last the pigeon turned but the Peregrine anticipated the move and literally upside down out flanked it. But the pigeon by then was close in on the forest and my inches escaped with its life.That was one bloody lucky pigeon but what a joy to watch and i was buzzing on the way back and i sit here typing this thinking what for a beginner but probably for a expert too was a Fantastic day.
With a chinese takeaway and mince pies we rounded off the day with chat , humor and **** taking and it totally re-kindled my faith
A great day which i thank him for
Until up to the last session with the best falconer yet i had in total 5 sessions with 4 Falconers and the Tally was 2 bunnies All flown from the Fist!
But all slips where from the Fist too. Everything from the fist whether successful or not.
The last session apart from the very first rabbit it was in free flight.What a difference which produced 6 bunnies. This just made common sense to me as surely the Bird has a better all round Vision and on occasions will see Prey that we have not ferreted or Dogged or beat. It just makes sense and the Figures speak for themselves
Free Flight or Fist?........
I will take no further part in the Debate as i am not i feel qualified to but have just stated what has happened so far . But it does seem to fall into fist or Free?
So, I have been out with 5 falconers all of which like i said have a approach to there sport in different ways not just in falconry but in their way of the 'Spirit' of Falconry. I recently went to a Club meeting and Knew Nobody! . Not just that i Knew Nothing about what they where all there for! . So it was even worse but they made me feel welcome
Right, 5 falconers.
1. A very experienced Falconer who showed me the basic layout and opened my eyes to Falconry. I owe him my gratitude for that.Oh we had one Rabbit but he was entering so a tad unfair on figures.
2.A falconer who was local a bit of a hike away like the previous one and again the frustration of the travel and not quite knowing if the weather would change after an hours drive i was canceled twice of no fault of the Falconer.We did eventually get out and he was very experienced and had a heavy northern accent which i found hard to understand but then he found my 'SARF LONDON' hard to work out and in the end we where in fits taking the **** out of each other.Some great humor.
But on a Perfect crisp day and i could tell an experienced falconer we spent the whole day in the Woods with his dog. Again new to me was working with a dog he must of flushed up a dozen and apart from two which one was a fox and one a pheasant the rest where 6 bunnies and two squirrels all slipped of the fist with only one kill, but it was a good one and this harris was quick and fit. But on many occasions i thought he has no chance in here as by the time the bunny got speed up he had reached safety as the harris was just to far back on the fist. I felt un-easy about asking the question but just as the previous falconer had mentioned 'I like to fly from the fist' so who was i to judge and to be honest at the time i was so wet behind the ears i though 'Well how else can it hunt' until i got home and thought why not leave it up a tree..Anyway the though went and on with the dealings of everyday life
3. Another Falconer through my wifes friend at work but a Falconer who at first'Talked the Talk' but never 'Walked the Walk' (is that right if not somebody can use it as a Signature:lol: ).
It was his first year but his or our conversation on the way to his grounds where i thought 'Experienced' but when the moment he got his bird out and i compared to the previous 2 falconers this was no experienced Falconer but then why make out he is? because it would not have bothered me. Another great guy but his Field craft was in the very least.......Hopeless!.
Perhaps on this one i am being personal the guy had a ferret that totally refused to go down any hole and yet in the car the words where.........My Tommy is the ******** he will flush em out mate'.
Enough said..........
4. Is a member on here who looked a bit like Andy Capp and had Goldie Hair . But never the less i could not believe it that he had only been doing it a few years this guy was a natural and we Flew his mates Goshawk which we tried to enter 'Goldie' tried everything with his very experienced mate and had some great slips but was just so unlucky but what a fantastic Bird and the Outing and the Laid back approach but serious if you see what i mean totally re-kindled my Faith in the Sport . It was just a shame we did not get to enter him but it was an enjoyable day with Experienced Falconers with a great sense of Humor.
I owe 'Goldie' massive respect as he has now led me on to further Falconers who no what they are doing and so i get to see the Field craft as well as great flying. Again you know who you are and Do not tell me you Did not fall for it as for a split second you did but i think you heard the falconer cracking up and so worked it out.
Cheers mate and talk to you soon.
5. This led me on to a Falconer who took me out . This guy knew the lot and with respect to the others had more experience than the rest put together.
I am not going to butter him up and will leave it there as my second sentence says it all about his experience.
We flew his Harris with help from the Farmers Kids who Ferreted .
Results
1. Ferrets down the hole First slip and success with a huge 4 pound cracking bunny . This was the only time that his bird was flown off the fist as it was a open field but a cracking flight and she nailed it in the head before it could sneak through a fence.
2.We then entered the Forest and very thick undergrowth She was released up into the trees. Is she just having a break i said .......No he said she is going to hunt This way which was new to me as it was the first Falconer who was going to hunt Free with his bird in the tree tops as all the forest work mainly apart from the odd occasion had been of the fist even in the forest that i had seen. I must admit this made sense to me as surely the Bird had a better view. The second was a kicked up kill (i think thats the right phrase) and it bolted like lightning and number 2 was in the bag so 2 slips 2 kills.
3. This was the best yet, I looked up as she bolted from a tree top.
What had she seen? We where way behind her as we stopped for a break we then ran and she had nailed one which she had just spotted on her own..Brilliant. She then had two more slips one on a ferret bolt holed Bunny which she missed by Millimeters.
4. Again one kicked up after i beat the **** out of this undergrowth and she stooped across 3 tree tops and at first i thought she is not going for it but oh know the best one yet she moved across the top and in Peregrine Style came down like Lightning and nailed it right on the head. Brilliant and i sat there and thought compared with the other outings this was like going from a Reliant Robin to a Rolls Royce!
5. I spotted a great Warren , Only 4 bolt holes and very close together but it looked Deep but our trusty ferret went in he was down there for ages and i was told to grab him but i put my ear to one of the holes and could hear there was a scrap on so i signled to wait. Whooooosh! up one bolted and with a great chase spinning one way then other through branches she nailed it again right in the head
I was then asked to pick up the Ferret but i had noticed when the first bunny sprung that this brilliant Ferret was a Master at His Job. I noticed that he did not hang around after it bolted , It did not slowly turn around and go back in the hole but it Bolted as quick as it could back down and i signaled that i think it had been pushing 2 or 3 to the top and there could be one more.
I then could hear a scrap but it was loud and i had a feeling that although i could not see the bunnies head i felt that the trusted ferret had its back end.
I went up to the hole i thought where the action could be happening and sure enough although i could not see what was exactly happening. But this bunny was stubborn being chomped up the arse he still did not bolt so i lightly banged the side of the hole and up it came like Linford Christie and from a branch she hunted him but just on her tail this brave rabbit turned into the growth and was gone.That had to be the Toughest bunny i had seen .
6. The last kill of the day and Nothing to do with us. We thought that was enough as she was getting tired but with no beating or ferreting we made our way back along a footpath with harris just hopping in the trees behind us and then 'Bang' we looked around and right from a top of a tree she disappeared but was obviously in chase with a ton of rabbits in my sack mud up to my knees thanks to stepping in a bog i tried to keep up but the falconer was there right at the end and with a 90 degree turn which i last saw it nailed it and again right on the Nose!
That was it, What a Day! He teached me a few things on the way back one of which was how to totally gut the insides of a Rabbit without even cutting it which i did first attempt no cutting just 20seconds and the lot came out . I enjoyed that one.
We then went on to fly a Peregrine and what a bird ..The fighter plane of the sky. We now where really restricted as the sun had almost disappeared but up she went and at first she ignored crows so we made her way back and flying high we beat the sides of this massive hedgerow and up pops a Pigeon she swooped right down on it but right at the last the pigeon turned but the Peregrine anticipated the move and literally upside down out flanked it. But the pigeon by then was close in on the forest and my inches escaped with its life.That was one bloody lucky pigeon but what a joy to watch and i was buzzing on the way back and i sit here typing this thinking what for a beginner but probably for a expert too was a Fantastic day.
With a chinese takeaway and mince pies we rounded off the day with chat , humor and **** taking and it totally re-kindled my faith
A great day which i thank him for
Until up to the last session with the best falconer yet i had in total 5 sessions with 4 Falconers and the Tally was 2 bunnies All flown from the Fist!
But all slips where from the Fist too. Everything from the fist whether successful or not.
The last session apart from the very first rabbit it was in free flight.What a difference which produced 6 bunnies. This just made common sense to me as surely the Bird has a better all round Vision and on occasions will see Prey that we have not ferreted or Dogged or beat. It just makes sense and the Figures speak for themselves
Free Flight or Fist?........
I will take no further part in the Debate as i am not i feel qualified to but have just stated what has happened so far . But it does seem to fall into fist or Free?