FALCONRY: LUGGER FALCONS

Join me as I reflect on the lugger falcon as a species within falconry; once a poor man’s choice , then almost lost as a uk species to fly, now championed as a wild raptor by project lugger .
Is there any point in working with this species ? Can they fly with any style ?…let’s find out .
SINCE AIRING THIS VIDEO it has come to my attention that some have misinterpreted what I’m trying to get across; let me be clear I’m an not snubbing this species as a viable hunting companion or belittling its flying prowess . This is a bird we love here at icarus falconry as a fast and dynamic falcon and of course it has been flown and hunted with great success for a very long time indeed in India let alone the U.K.
my point is really that the once commonly available lugger not only has fallen by the way-side as a captive bred bird, but also that most other large falcons have been bred to excess of recent years and many such as tiercel peregrines are given away, pushing the lugger further down the scale of falcons most folk would hunt with in the the U.K. as mentioned to choose one to hunt with would be a choice to hunt with a lugger; not a choice due to the lugger being the poor man’s option as of old.
As a lure falcon they surely can excel with a loyalty to beat any Peregrine !
When it comes to thinking and loyalty and working out that hunting is the fools choice , this species is more like a buzzard to a gos ( or a lugger to a Peregrine ) and that’s not a derogatory comment .

[@freebirdofreason1994]

Always a good informative watch .

[@darrenstoodley5980]

Hi Dave another great video

[@falconry.davesharpenatureboy]

Thankyou

[@kilakila992kilakila2]

Nice one Dave.

[@falconry.davesharpenatureboy]

Thanks for that

[@alfiewhippet.]

First large falcon I ever flew was a Saker, that i swapped for a lugger. I have a bit of a soft spot for luggers ever since. I had a really old female at tame hack for about 18months. Used to pop her on a fence post on the field behind the house, at 6am, then go to work, and if i hadnt been back on the field with a lure by 3pm, she'd come and sit on the mews waiting, almost tapping her toes in frustration. Wish GPS had been a thing back then, as i have absolutly no idea what she got upto during the day. She'd never appear from the same direction to days on the trot.

[@alfiewhippet.]

*two days.

[@falconry.davesharpenatureboy]

I think thyre quite clever things , and deffo seem to observe and think! I bet it never went anywhere and just waited for tea time hehe , just watching … hehe

[@ryanevans-gy1zi]

Have you seen/got any experiences with Prairie Falcons Dave?

[@falconry.davesharpenatureboy]

No not first hand experience only the generic stuff I’ve heard I’m afraid