Look out Fuzzies... HELL is comming!!!

[Chenango Dave]

Caught my hawk for hunting this year just this past week. Got her flying to me in the house in just 5 days or so. Will be starting her training outside on the creance line tomorrow.

So far she has been a great bird to work with- she doesn't even seem to mind my dog at all. Should have her ready for hunting rabbits and squirrels by the time our muzzleloader season closes.

I'll be sure to update our status as the training progresses.

Take care

Dave

Won't be long and well be having shots like this - This was my bird from last year..

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Thats cool right there!!! What is that thing you have it sitting on in the first couple pics!

[Chenango Dave]

Thats cool right there!!! What is that thing you have it sitting on in the first couple pics!

That's the perch on top of the digital scale I use to weigh her on.

[bkln]

Outstanding Dave ! That last pick is awesome it could be a book cover or something. How does one even begin to train a wild bird like that, this is truly fantastic!

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Cool so whats the deal!!! The dog runs the rabbit out into the open where the bird can swoop down and grab lunch!!!

[CAM-O]

Hi Dave,

Awesome work, great pics too, what a great hobby.

What happen to last years bird?

[Chenango Dave]

Thanks guys.

I let my last years hawk go around the end of April. I could have kept her but it's just as easy to let them go and trap and train a new one the following fall. It only takes a couple weeks to train one. That way you don't have to feed them all summer ,and if you go on vacation - you'd have to have someone feed them that knows how. When you tap one to train - you can only keep passage birds (ones that were born that year).

They say that the mortality rate for immature redtails is close to 70% their first year. When falconers take them in - they are guaranteed to get fed weather they catch something or not. You work with them their first winter honing their hunting skills, so when you do turn them loose in the springtime - they are pretty much guaranteed to make it. As soon as they get a kill on their own after being set out - they are pretty much wild again. They wouldn't even come back if you tried to call them..

Of course this is all state and federally regulated - it's an apprenitceship you have to go thru. So not just anyone can go out and trap a hawk and hunt with it.

If you ever do get a chance to hunt with a falconer and his bird - take the opportunity - it's pretty amazing, the determination of these birds.

LAst year my hawk got to learn to hunt with the beagle - as soon as he'd start sounding off - she'd fly and try and get in front of him and wait for the rabbit to flush. They made quite the pair.

Take care

Dave

[wooly]

Awesome Dave! I better go let the cat in..

[growalot]

Dave...that is very cool and Kudos for helping young birds

Not to be a wet blanket by any means just a thought that popped to mind....Do you ever have to worry that...... once released they could be shot by a traditional rabbit /beagle hunter?

[hunterjohn]

hey dave my dad has a his redtail two seasons now she is something else so far we have 10 squirrels or so she is a lot more aggressive this year compare to last year

keep posting your progress

john

[Jennifer]

Do you ever take folks with you to observe? My friend in MN goes hawking quite a bit with a falconer.

[erussell]

Is that a cooper or a red tail? I have one up by my stand that has squirrel killing down to a science. I watched him just about everytime I went out with bow. For some reason he likes to sit and hunt where I hunt. Absolutely amazing how quiet they are sailing through the woods. Squirrels never even get a chance.

[nyslowhand]

Takes a special person to raise & train a hawk and then return it to nature!

Very interesting about the mortality rate of newborns, something I did not know,

Bet you've got some mad rabbit hunters in your area with a hawk swooping in front of the dogs and stealing the rabbit.

[Lawdwaz]

Dave...that is very cool and Kudos for helping young birds

Not to be a wet blanket by any means just a thought that popped to mind....Do you ever have to worry that...... once released they could be shot by a traditional rabbit /beagle hunter?

Why in the Hell would a rabbit hunter shoot a hawk?

[ny hunter]

Dave those are amazing pics,I have a cousin who has a hawk and he is gonna try for an owl now.Very cool to watch.

[ryanrobb52]

Congrats, great pics and truly an amazing way to hunt. I'm jealous

[sg0331]

That is absolutely incredible. Your pics are amazing, and the bird just looks awesome. Good luck. I look forward to your updates and more pics.

[Skillet]

She's beautiful. Does she bring you the game, and you reward her with part of it? How does it work?

Edited December 7, 2011 by Skillet

[Chenango Dave]

You should let them crop up on the first couple kills just so they don't associate you with stealing their food from them. After they are confortable with you - you can trade them off from the kill onto your lure that you use for training them - you put a piece of meat on it, they will jump right off the rabbit onto the lure. Then you just slip the rabbit or squirrell into your game bag. Takes a few times to get the hang of it - but its actually quite simple.

[pistolp71]

Very cool Love that pic with the beagle.