And the fun begins...

[Chenango Dave]

I know some of you guys were into my falcony threads last year, here's the beginning of a new season.

Saturday September 1'st was the opening day of falconers trapping season. I had my heart set on a big ole fat footed female this year. The very first hawk we trapped was just that. A good size female with huge feet. This ones feet are at least half the size bigger than the last 2 birds I've had. This will be the first year I've kept one this early in the season.

So far she has been just amazing. She started eating off the glove the first night. She just started hopping to the glove in the house on Monday. She started starts flying across the room on Tuesday,now it's time to take her outside and start flying her on a creance line. I hope to have her all trained and hunting with her the first week of October.

Meet Lamoka - or Moka for short.

Her back side

This is right after trapping her.

And here she was Sunday morning.

You don't want to be on the wrong end of these things...

Training pics to follow..

Take care

Dave

[oneidacountyhunter]

Beautiful bird. I don't know much about falcony. Do you keep them for life or do you trap them, and keep them for a year until next season. When they hunt are they hunting game for themselves like in the wild. Seems very interesting. Maybe I should read up on it some more.

By the way I love your pics

[fasteddie]

She sure is a beauty !

[Chenango Dave]

They already know how to hunt - I just train them to let me help them hunt. I'll beat the brush to get rabbits to flush and the hawk will crash after them. They have some amazing flights after game. When they do catch game it's as simple as trading off the game to the birds the lure if you would like the game for yourself.

There is a lot of work and paper work you have to go thru to get to the point where you can trap and train a hawk or falcon. It's federally lisenced and state lisenced. You can only keep a passage bird, meaning one that was born that year. They are very intelligent creatues, it only takes 3 to 4 weeks to train one.

I could keep this bird if I wanted to but it's just as easy to let it go and train a new one the following year. That way you don't have to feed it all year long and if you go on vacation, someone has to feed it that knows how to. There's a lot of work involved in training and keeping a bird. That's why it is so regulated. You have to go thru a 2 year apprenticeship under the supervision of a General or Master falconer. But hunting with them absoltuely amazing and is something few people ever get to see up close and personal.

Here's a few pics from previous years outings..

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Dave...what kind is she? Cooper?

[Cabin Fever]

That is amazing!! Great pics BTW!!

So you trap a wild hawk and it's that easy to get them accustomed to you, hunt with you, return to you after the hunt, and live in a cage/pen? Then you release them at the end of the season and they can go right back to being a wild bird? Do I understand you right? That is amazing!

[Chenango Dave]

That is amazing!! Great pics BTW!!

So you trap a wild hawk and it's that easy to get them accustomed to you, hunt with you, return to you after the hunt, and live in a cage/pen? Then you release them at the end of the season and they can go right back to being a wild bird? Do I understand you right? That is amazing!

Yeah that's kinda how it is.

It's actually all weight management. The are like a fighter, you want to get them at their fighting weight (hunting weight). When they are too heavy they are fat and lazy and would just assume sit there and watch a rabbit go by. You get them to light and they are weak, you get the same results. Get them to their hunting wieght and it's game on. It does take a little time to determine what their hunting weight is. Just a matter of 20-40 grams can make all the difference in the world in how they react to you.

In the spring time before letting them go - you feed them as much as they can eat for a couple weeks. When they get fattend up like that they turn wild just like the day you caught them. You could walk in the mews and their hackels will go up and wings stretch right out. That's when you can tell they are ready to be cut loose. You could try and call them back to you but they wouldn't even give you a second look. The whole process is actually quite a learning experience.

[joe12]

this really is amazing!!! So cool

[Chenango Dave]

Dave...what kind is she? Cooper?

It's a female Redtail, she was just born this year. They don't get their red tail until their first moult.

[Chenango Dave]

I have a whole falconry gallery on my pbase website in my signature if anyone would like to see more photos.

[biggamefish]

That last pic of the dog baying and the hawk is hilarious and so cool.

[PWGUNNY]

Great pics. What a cool and interesting hobby. Thanks for sharing.

[Felonious_Monk]

Beautiful bird. I'm amazed by skilled falconry hunters.

[greybeard]

Great photos... I went to your site after seeing these... You have spectacular photos on the site...Both my wife and I are very impressed.. Thanx for sharing them.. you have a gift !!

[martin]

Your site is totally awesome. Great pictures.

[SteveNY]

I remember your thread last year and I love these photos

[Chenango Dave]

Well it's been almost two weeks and so far she has been a real sweetheart to work with. Started working her on the lure this morning. If things go good we should be free flying in another week or so.

And a vid from this morning

[ryanrobb52]

What a great hobby! Im thouroughly impressed.

[SteveNY]

That's one of the coolest things ever.

[WNYBuckHunter]

So friggin cool. Please, keep the pics and vids coming!

[Rick Howard]

I need more! This is awesome stuff. Do you ever get the same bird back for the following year? What is the success rate of training the birds? Do you ever have to go a year without hunting because the bird just did not work out?