Male Harris!

[Minty]

I have recently seen a Male Harris in a lot of action and i know they are more difficult to enter than a Female and more difficult on weight control but what stunnung Displays they give.

I will be getting a Female in june only because it will be easier to enter and for a First timer its weight easier to keep.My wife the following season plans to get a male once i have had a season and then then fly them together as they will be from the same blood line.
But i often hear in Circles that the Male is nowhere near as good as hunting than the Female but believe me this Male caught many many bunnies that day and Pheasant and a few moorhens etc

I know the owner gets ****ed of about the comments about the Male V Female but this Male can and has tackled anything a female can tackle of what i have seen and in some cases its quicker and gets there faster.

Don't chuck your toys out of your prams here its just an observation. Male V Female i know has been discussed many a time but this Male is a 'Cracker':supz:

[Claire]

I have recently seen a Male Harris in a lot of action and i know they are more difficult to enter than a Female and more difficult on weight control but what stunnung Displays they give.

I will be getting a Female in june only because it will be easier to enter and for a First timer its weight easier to keep.My wife the following season plans to get a male once i have had a season and then then fly them together as they will be from the same blood line.
But i often hear in Circles that the Male is nowhere near as good as hunting than the Female but believe me this Male caught many many bunnies that day and Pheasant and a few moorhens etc

I know the owner gets ****ed of about the comments about the Male V Female but this Male can and has tackled anything a female can tackle of what i have seen and in some cases its quicker and gets there faster.

Don't chuck your toys out of your prams here its just an observation. Male V Female i know has been discussed many a time but this Male is a 'Cracker':supz:


If I ever get a harris It will be a male, the ones I've flown and seen fly have all been excellent, size isn't everything males are usually quicker than females due to being smaller. I've not known them to be hard to enter either.

[Osiris]

I have recently seen a Male Harris in a lot of action and i know they are more difficult to enter than a Female and more difficult on weight control but what stunnung Displays they give.

I will be getting a Female in june only because it will be easier to enter and for a First timer its weight easier to keep.My wife the following season plans to get a male once i have had a season and then then fly them together as they will be from the same blood line.
But i often hear in Circles that the Male is nowhere near as good as hunting than the Female but believe me this Male caught many many bunnies that day and Pheasant and a few moorhens etc

I know the owner gets ****ed of about the comments about the Male V Female but this Male can and has tackled anything a female can tackle of what i have seen and in some cases its quicker and gets there faster.

Don't chuck your toys out of your prams here its just an observation. Male V Female i know has been discussed many a time but this Male is a 'Cracker':supz:

Dont know who told you that males are harder to enter than females but this is not always this case. if you train the male good then you will have a superb hunter on your side. males are in most cases faster and more agile than the female, in most cases easier to train and respond to you better. as for weight control, thats boll*cks in my case. if you know what you are doing then weight control shouldnt be a problem. as i have said in many posts, its the individual bird that is different. males can when spot on take the same quarry as the female, the may have a slightly harder time on say hare, but it is possible.

[GM090158]

Minty,
I have never found a male anymore difficult to enter than a female. The prey is basicly the same as a female as well, with the male being generally faster.

[Sean]

Although im only a novice, i wouldnt recomend a male to another novice. They are alot harder to enter, and due to this they can be more vocal. They do seem to have a bit more of a personality if u know what i mean. And seem easier to train.

[Blaze]

Although im only a novice, i wouldnt recomend a male to another novice. They are alot harder to enter, and due to this they can be more vocal. They do seem to have a bit more of a personality if u know what i mean. And seem easier to train.
Sean are you finding it difficult to enter becouse you can only fly him at weekends?....And the fact that you are struggling to get the bunnys out of the hedge bottoms for him?

[HunterPaul]

it is whatever suites your land ...why fly a tiny male if the majority of your land is hare yes they can take hare...but by the same token one hard battle can put em off for life so then what do you do.... again get a female to full fitness and it will hammer most other guys males you go out with for everything...as most falconers cant give the time to fitness and hunting as you will. speed great...beleive me get a nice medium sized female to full fitness and you will be holding her back from bolted bunnies...just so they can do further than 6 yards.... this is not slagging the males off in any way.... I just prefer a bit more ground and pound when on a kill...and ive seen so many little males batteling with a decent sized rabbit and riding it around a field trying to put on the tail feather brakes to no avail...when a nice female would have folded it up like a napkin....

[Sean]

Sean are you finding it difficult to enter becouse you can only fly him at weekends?....And the fact that you are struggling to get the bunnys out of the hedge bottoms for him?

blaze he has hit about 4 or 5 rabbits, and they all seemed to kick him off. hes only managed to hold the one so far.

[Blaze]

it is whatever suites your land ...why fly a tiny male if the majority of your land is hare yes they can take hare...but by the same token one hard battle can put em off for life so then what do you do.... again get a female to full fitness and it will hammer most other guys males you go out with for everything...as most falconers cant give the time to fitness and hunting as you will. speed great...beleive me get a nice medium sized female to full fitness and you will be holding her back from bolted bunnies...just so they can do further than 6 yards.... this is not slagging the males off in any way.... I just prefer a bit more ground and pound when on a kill...and ive seen so many little males batteling with a decent sized rabbit and riding it around a field trying to put on the tail feather brakes to no avail...when a nice female would have folded it up like a napkin....
I saw that happen to my mates male.....It hit a rabb on the arse..it was a really entertaining flight..But the bunny which was a decent size dragged it all over the place...until my mate got there n gave it a hand.....Iv also seen the same male bind into a couple of rabbs n then get kicked or dragged off...He hunts at 1lb 7oz...Good little bird to watch though!

[Blaze]

blaze he has hit about 4 or 5 rabbits, and they all seemed to kick him off. hes only managed to hold the one so far.
Aghhh....Just relating to your previous thread thats all mate..I thought that may be the reason....:)

[Sean]

he does seem to attack the head, a few times he has been flying with other harrises, and when another bird comes in he lets go, and the bunny gets away lol. i think hes just a bit nervous.

[FlameHairedFalconer]

I flew a 1lb 4oz male at rabbits and pheasant with success, I had no problems entering him. With males its all down to confidence. Get him flying at some more dead dragged ones to increase that confidence. Also you need to get in there quick when he does bind to to help him out.

Males really need height to hit a rabbit hard enough to stop them. If you are trying flights off the fist you might want to change your method of flying (i.e following on through trees) to give him more of a chance.

I think a female off the fist is a more realistic prospect at rabbits as the have the weight behind them to hold the bunny. I do know of people who have flown females off the fist and then been very disappointed with males lack of success flying in the same manner.

Just my experiences.

FHF

[IAmTheWeasel]

Don't know who told you that. My 1lbs-2oz Male Harris has never had any problems yet with holding a rabbit and he is flown from the fist and low perches. In fact, I can't make in fast or else he will let go of the bunny and fly to a perch . I just slowly make in and grab the bunny to finish it off. He has never been bucked off one yet since I have had him....One bad thing with this little guy is that he will carry anything he can get away with. I have heard this is a common thing with the males....(just what I have heard) He caught two rats yesterday and hauled arse with the both of em'. Lil' *******........

[Tr1gger]

My male is a cracker i think males are brilliant. However he was a little difficult to get entered. He may not catch quite as often as females that i've seen but they are far more experienced. If a harris hits a rabbit on the head its all over no matter if its a huge female or a tiny male. They may take more time to enter but it depends on the slips that the bird can get , after a male has been entered it can be just as good as any female.

[MattSpar]

it is whatever suites your land ...why fly a tiny male if the majority of your land is hare yes they can take hare...but by the same token one hard battle can put em off for life so then what do you do.... again get a female to full fitness and it will hammer most other guys males you go out with for everything...as most falconers cant give the time to fitness and hunting as you will. speed great...beleive me get a nice medium sized female to full fitness and you will be holding her back from bolted bunnies...just so they can do further than 6 yards.... this is not slagging the males off in any way.... I just prefer a bit more ground and pound when on a kill...and ive seen so many little males batteling with a decent sized rabbit and riding it around a field trying to put on the tail feather brakes to no avail...when a nice female would have folded it up like a napkin....

Yes, this is absolutely true.

[Minty]

I can only comment as a spectator. i have seen 3 females and 2 males fly since i have learning falconry one was being entered so we can't count that one.
But i do think the female kills where more of a outright kill however the male kills have looked more spectacular.
I saw one at the weekend that dealt with a very tight forest twisting and turning in the tight vegatation that maybe only a small female could have done and it nailed a bunny . We could not find the kill as the bird had dived through thick undergrowth and we stood there thinking 'How the Hell did he get through that lot!!

I think from an un-biased view that you will get more kills with a female but if you want spectacular dispays in tight spaces then its a male as i am posotive of the 100 odd kills i have seen now that a female just would not have got through that gap.

horses for courses as everyone has stated is fair comment.

[Tr1gger]

I agree males are very good from the "how good was the flight" point of view which i think is just as important as the catching itself, though its allways better when after a good chase the bird catches the prey. If a female nails a rabbit that allmost allways it the rabbit is finished.

[HunterPaul]

I can only comment as a spectator. i have seen 3 females and 2 males fly since i have learning falconry one was being entered so we can't count that one.
But i do think the female kills where more of a outright kill however the male kills have looked more spectacular.
I saw one at the weekend that dealt with a very tight forest twisting and turning in the tight vegatation that maybe only a small female could have done and it nailed a bunny . We could not find the kill as the bird had dived through thick undergrowth and we stood there thinking 'How the Hell did he get through that lot!!

I think from an un-biased view that you will get more kills with a female but if you want spectacular dispays in tight spaces then its a male as i am posotive of the 100 odd kills i have seen now that a female just would not have got through that gap.

horses for courses as everyone has stated is fair comment.
i have seen a 2lb 5 female...not small do the most unbeleivable things where cover is concerned..her legs being either side of branches crashing through cover so thick she has had to be cut out...and on one particular orchard in kent do the most amazing impression of top gun....this was a fhh at the top of her league not to say a mhh with the same of time and effort wouldnt have performed more spectacularly... but i do know that half the situations that she found herself in...holding on to a rabbits foot through a fence as it was trying to shred her...etc the bird would have come away empty handed and worse for wear...please dont think i am down on male hh....im not...i just prefer the bounce a female has...i like bitches to dogs and work jill ferrets ...so just a personal thing i suppose....

[Gary.B]

I got my first bird this season a male harris, I've had no problems with weight control or getting him entered, we are well into double figures and thats without using a dog or ferrets. He weighed 1lb 9oz the day I picked him up, he took his first rabbit at 1lb 4 3/4oz and is now hunting at 1lb 6oz, I maintain his weight on about 75g of rabbit a day. No worries.;)

[BFC 007]

Minty,
I have never found a male anymore difficult to enter than a female.
:shock: hehehehe :shock:

[IAmTheWeasel]

Lol!!!!

[Minty]

:shock: hehehehe :shock:


But i have only watched and viewed i mean i mean.........:lol: :lol: