My Male Harris is yet to catch anything so far this season except for a few voles and one or two near misses on the odd thing atm. It was a lackluster season for him last year too despite our efforts. He is quite fit now and behaving well but hopefully he gets something before the self-hunting starts...
Unless your permissions are stocked with pheasant or partridge, it seems like the only available quarry for most (in west central Scotland) is grey squirrel. Rabbits have vanished from many, if not most, areas.
Thought provoking stuff, be interesting to hear Dan Mercers thoughts on this as a former hunting falconer now a display flyer? I remember years ago people saying of Peregrines in England " not the most expensive to buy, but the most expensive to fly , unless you live on good Partridge ground or on the moors"...... its a real quandry if you simply havent got game around.
When I was hunting I lived in a different part of the country with plenty of game. Thankfully I don’t have any of these problems with my birds because there is absolutely nothing on my permission so there isn’t even anything to tempt my birds. Their attention is purely on me as the provider, I don’t discourage my birds from hunting, there just isn’t anything for them to hunt so it’s almost just completely removed that side of their behaviour. It seems a little sad that if any of my birds of prey escaped they wouldn’t survive because they don’t know how to be birds of prey but I accept that they have sacrificed that to act as conservation and education ambassadors instead
Im just glad the Aplomado will take on massively long slips at sitting woodpigeons, otherwise I'd be in the same boat at the moment. Ive not managed a clean flush on anything else really this season so far. Everything is back in neck deep brambles in seconds.
The reality video, always good truthful falconry talk, I have some other land on my mind, I shall be searching out where the owner lives next week, never where you expect them to be. See you soon.
This is the thing that worries me the most (getting into falconry). Even just last year, it felt like I was seeing so much game, and now the fields are just empty. I feel somewhat late to the party, wishing I'd got into falconry earlier when the quarry was there but that's fairytale thinking, you have to do the best with what you have. A video on the ins and outs of getting permissions or the general etiquette of it would be really helpful, it's something that you don't get in many books despite them listing every other thing you need to do
It something I’m good at, cold Calling wearing smart clothes etc , but cold calling is hard; you knock on the farmhouse door that’s surrounded by the land you fancy to find a city banker lives in it and the farmer lives miles away . But for sure getting one piece of permission is the key to getting more
Hi Dave, good video. I'm lucky that i am able to hunt in a game rich area (mainly pheasant and partridge). I am in the first season with my young male harris hawk. We have been hunting for the past 6 weeks, 5 days a week. He has a slip or two on virtually every outing. He's caught a couple of pheasants and a partridge (even a few mice!) and misses a hell of a lot more than he catches. We have achieved one catch per week and more importantly getting plenty of oppurtunity. I think i am doing everything right, yet my hawk has still started to become vocal in the mews (even with a crop full) and for the first 5 mins of our hunting session, as soon as he sees game he then shuts up. Whether he's calling for me for food I don't know, but either way he knows i'm taking him hunting for food so that's why maybe he's calling??? What happens when he retires for the moult and gets fed through a hatch for 6-7 months? Will this not start calling again despite being a successful hunter, or is it the fact that he'll be a fat weight and not hungry? Different quandries, maybe this is normal for a young harris in his first year to be vocal? I am just enjoying him and hopefully he'll quieten down in the future.
So true, good video, thanks pal
Very informative. Thank you!
My Male Harris is yet to catch anything so far this season except for a few voles and one or two near misses on the odd thing atm. It was a lackluster season for him last year too despite our efforts. He is quite fit now and behaving well but hopefully he gets something before the self-hunting starts...
Unless your permissions are stocked with pheasant or partridge, it seems like the only available quarry for most (in west central Scotland) is grey squirrel. Rabbits have vanished from many, if not most, areas.
Same up my area in Scotland very little rabbits. My FMH has switched to squirrels as nothing else about.
Thought provoking stuff, be interesting to hear Dan Mercers thoughts on this as a former hunting falconer now a display flyer? I remember years ago people saying of Peregrines in England " not the most expensive to buy, but the most expensive to fly , unless you live on good Partridge ground or on the moors"...... its a real quandry if you simply havent got game around.
Yes no good for them around here due to lie of the land more than anything
When I was hunting I lived in a different part of the country with plenty of game. Thankfully I don’t have any of these problems with my birds because there is absolutely nothing on my permission so there isn’t even anything to tempt my birds. Their attention is purely on me as the provider, I don’t discourage my birds from hunting, there just isn’t anything for them to hunt so it’s almost just completely removed that side of their behaviour. It seems a little sad that if any of my birds of prey escaped they wouldn’t survive because they don’t know how to be birds of prey but I accept that they have sacrificed that to act as conservation and education ambassadors instead
@MercerFalconry thought you’d have more up north , won’t be moving to your area then hehe
@@MercerFalconry thank you for your reply Dan I can absoloutly see your point.
Love your videos I live in the USA.Taking my test soon. I am also a herper and breed Texas indigos the information is amazing thanks.
Nice!! Not a bad snake to be breeding
@@falconry.davesharpenatureboy hatched out 18 babies by 2 pairs 6.12 so happy to have so many females to hold back.
Very frustrating and worrisome that many of us are seeing similar decline especially given the distinct lack of insects this year.
Very annoying indeed
Very nice 👍
Im just glad the Aplomado will take on massively long slips at sitting woodpigeons, otherwise I'd be in the same boat at the moment. Ive not managed a clean flush on anything else really this season so far. Everything is back in neck deep brambles in seconds.
The reality video, always good truthful falconry talk, I have some other land on my mind, I shall be searching out where the owner lives next week, never where you expect them to be.
See you soon.
One of us needs to sort it out hehe
This is the thing that worries me the most (getting into falconry). Even just last year, it felt like I was seeing so much game, and now the fields are just empty. I feel somewhat late to the party, wishing I'd got into falconry earlier when the quarry was there but that's fairytale thinking, you have to do the best with what you have. A video on the ins and outs of getting permissions or the general etiquette of it would be really helpful, it's something that you don't get in many books despite them listing every other thing you need to do
It something I’m good at, cold
Calling wearing smart clothes etc , but cold calling is hard; you knock on the farmhouse door that’s surrounded by the land you fancy to find a city banker lives in it and the farmer lives miles away .
But for sure getting one piece of permission is the key to getting more
Cheers pal beautiful bird I’m a falconer myself Liam Dodd’s son Joseph
Heloo
Last year my place was teeming with rabbits, this year I’ve not seen one! That’s no exaggeration! 😢
Rvhd
Hi Dave, good video. I'm lucky that i am able to hunt in a game rich area (mainly pheasant and partridge). I am in the first season with my young male harris hawk. We have been hunting for the past 6 weeks, 5 days a week. He has a slip or two on virtually every outing. He's caught a couple of pheasants and a partridge (even a few mice!) and misses a hell of a lot more than he catches. We have achieved one catch per week and more importantly getting plenty of oppurtunity. I think i am doing everything right, yet my hawk has still started to become vocal
in the mews (even with a crop full) and for the first 5 mins of our hunting session, as soon as he sees game he then shuts up. Whether he's calling for me for food I don't know, but either way he knows i'm taking him hunting for food so that's why maybe he's calling??? What happens when he retires for the moult and gets fed through a hatch for 6-7 months? Will this not start calling again despite being a successful hunter, or is it the fact that he'll be a fat weight and not hungry? Different quandries, maybe this is normal for a young harris in his first year to be vocal? I am just enjoying him and hopefully he'll quieten down in the future.
Once proper fat for moult he’ll shut up 50/50 whether he does it again in second year once out etc …
5:58 Bro is serious frfr 😂
Shut up
Good thing here in the good ole USA we have a shit ton of public land Lol
The English JFK....
Shut up
Bummer brother for all involved,Falconers,Hikers,photographers,Dogs,some Falconers decide to up and out live elsewhere
BLM here in the states.
Yes I can see the attraction especially if you have public land too
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6:16
It’s in the description already hehe
Saw it too late ,
Had VHD on some of my permissions about 7 years ago and the rabbit populations never recovered
Same here since ten years ago sadly