As The Falcon Her Bells
27-11-2005, 07:29 PM
This is a thread I been wanting to start for a while, I have a feeling this will be a long start, but bear with me please, I do have a point somewhere...
It is a lot on here about new commers and how they should ore should not be keeping/training/flying etc. their birds.
One quite importent point but that I never come across before is their/our attitude.
Its been a general fear in the air for a while expecially since the "hunting with dogs" bann, is falconry next?
The people who at the end of the day will decide that, is the generall public, if it would come to a vote, then it is not the falconers (as we are such a miniority) ore the activists/antis (as they are also a miniority) but the "rest of the UK" who will decide.
Now, one of the problems is; there is little ore no information out there for the generall public. What they think about falconry will probably be decided first time they ever come in conntact with a person who for what ever reason has a bird on his hand.
If this is at a falconry centre ore out in a field it does not matter, first impression will be formed there and then and you will have a person who will vote either for ore against falconry.
We sort of tuched similar topics on for example "what we wear out hawking".
I said it earlier and I say it again, a lot of falconers (unfortenatly often older and more experianced ones) is suffering from a serious attitude problem. If I got a pound everytime I meet an arrogant basterd with a bird in a box ore on the hand ore at home I would be better off then I am breeding birds.
Now, if a falconer is arrogant to another falconer well, thats not a big deal, but how do we behave towards people when we are out hunting ore doing a bird of prey display?
Clothes is not more importent then attitude, wearing a happy and friendly face is more importent then wearing clean trousers. I do not think we should run around in ties and moleskinns and look overly posh as it is to close to the real reason why the "normal people" (not the antis) voted agains fox hunting, class difference.
How many of you have not been out hunting, crossing a public foot path and crashing in to ramblers oohing and ahhing about your bird wanting to stroke it and ask questions?
What should our response be? To many times have I been out with hunting partners who abruptly brush them aside and leave them feeling quite stamped up on.
Also what do displaycentres talk about in their "informative displays"?? And does a "display falconer" know when its time to wrap the job in?
I have done too many bloody displays in my life and can honestly say I could not do it as a living again.
I have lost the good attitude about it.
I think that when I want too beat up the OAP with his own walking stick when he ask me why the birds are thetered around their legs, then its time to leave the job...
If you do not have what it takes to explain and make sure every single person walk out of your centre/display with a GOOD impression and a friendly attitude towards birds of prey AND falconry, dont do it!
I have visited serval BOP displays at country fairs and showes and watched from the outside how the display guy/girl deal with the public and the publics questions AFTER the display, and the arrogance from the "falconer" sometime make me cringe!! If you do not want to do it, DO NOT DO IT!
The same with hunters; poaching, not a good idea, if your bird kill on someone elses land ore kills a domestic duck/chicken in someones garden, how do you deal with it?
I had the experience myself, the farmer seriously wanted to ripp my throat out when my hh was sat in his tree in his garden bobbing her head at his ducks. He had given speciall orders that WE ARE NOT ALOUD ON HIS LAND!!!!
I was trying to apologise and explain I been hunting further up the road and lost her going downhill after a rabbit....towards his farm.
He did not listen, not at first, but after a while he calmed down and started to take notice of what I said. I ended up having a cup of coffe with him and his wife and walked out of the farm with some more hunting lad, but also with a sad story on why he was so anti falconry....
A few years earlier he caught two guys with birds on their hands ferreting without promission on his land. It was not what they where doing but their attitude who made him take an instant disslike to falconers. They had been very arrogant, threatening and abusiv towards him....and they where poaching on his land???!!!
So, all you beginners (and experianced ones) please try to remember, the futere for this sport is in our hands, and how we meet the generall public is very, very importent.......
;)
It is a lot on here about new commers and how they should ore should not be keeping/training/flying etc. their birds.
One quite importent point but that I never come across before is their/our attitude.
Its been a general fear in the air for a while expecially since the "hunting with dogs" bann, is falconry next?
The people who at the end of the day will decide that, is the generall public, if it would come to a vote, then it is not the falconers (as we are such a miniority) ore the activists/antis (as they are also a miniority) but the "rest of the UK" who will decide.
Now, one of the problems is; there is little ore no information out there for the generall public. What they think about falconry will probably be decided first time they ever come in conntact with a person who for what ever reason has a bird on his hand.
If this is at a falconry centre ore out in a field it does not matter, first impression will be formed there and then and you will have a person who will vote either for ore against falconry.
We sort of tuched similar topics on for example "what we wear out hawking".
I said it earlier and I say it again, a lot of falconers (unfortenatly often older and more experianced ones) is suffering from a serious attitude problem. If I got a pound everytime I meet an arrogant basterd with a bird in a box ore on the hand ore at home I would be better off then I am breeding birds.
Now, if a falconer is arrogant to another falconer well, thats not a big deal, but how do we behave towards people when we are out hunting ore doing a bird of prey display?
Clothes is not more importent then attitude, wearing a happy and friendly face is more importent then wearing clean trousers. I do not think we should run around in ties and moleskinns and look overly posh as it is to close to the real reason why the "normal people" (not the antis) voted agains fox hunting, class difference.
How many of you have not been out hunting, crossing a public foot path and crashing in to ramblers oohing and ahhing about your bird wanting to stroke it and ask questions?
What should our response be? To many times have I been out with hunting partners who abruptly brush them aside and leave them feeling quite stamped up on.
Also what do displaycentres talk about in their "informative displays"?? And does a "display falconer" know when its time to wrap the job in?
I have done too many bloody displays in my life and can honestly say I could not do it as a living again.
I have lost the good attitude about it.
I think that when I want too beat up the OAP with his own walking stick when he ask me why the birds are thetered around their legs, then its time to leave the job...
If you do not have what it takes to explain and make sure every single person walk out of your centre/display with a GOOD impression and a friendly attitude towards birds of prey AND falconry, dont do it!
I have visited serval BOP displays at country fairs and showes and watched from the outside how the display guy/girl deal with the public and the publics questions AFTER the display, and the arrogance from the "falconer" sometime make me cringe!! If you do not want to do it, DO NOT DO IT!
The same with hunters; poaching, not a good idea, if your bird kill on someone elses land ore kills a domestic duck/chicken in someones garden, how do you deal with it?
I had the experience myself, the farmer seriously wanted to ripp my throat out when my hh was sat in his tree in his garden bobbing her head at his ducks. He had given speciall orders that WE ARE NOT ALOUD ON HIS LAND!!!!
I was trying to apologise and explain I been hunting further up the road and lost her going downhill after a rabbit....towards his farm.
He did not listen, not at first, but after a while he calmed down and started to take notice of what I said. I ended up having a cup of coffe with him and his wife and walked out of the farm with some more hunting lad, but also with a sad story on why he was so anti falconry....
A few years earlier he caught two guys with birds on their hands ferreting without promission on his land. It was not what they where doing but their attitude who made him take an instant disslike to falconers. They had been very arrogant, threatening and abusiv towards him....and they where poaching on his land???!!!
So, all you beginners (and experianced ones) please try to remember, the futere for this sport is in our hands, and how we meet the generall public is very, very importent.......
;)