Ben, I have watched almost all of your videos and wish you would do a video in which you share your setup...show your mews, introduce us to your birds, etc. Has this been requested before or have you ever considered a video like that?
One of his birds was stolen and his mews burglarized. He may be hesitant to show that now. His best peregrine ever was released or escaped from the pos who broke into the mews and was photographed with jesses on him and the photo went viral. Mr. Woodruff probably wont do that.
So from what it sounds like, falconry with a passage bird you trap and release is akin to giving that bird a big scholarship (a safe shelter against weather, vet care against illness, and food whenever hunting is poor) to help it through “bird college” (a.k.a the year where it hones its flying and hunting skills and struggles to survive long enough to be an adult) as long as it fulfills the terms of the scholarship (by being your working bird!)
Good evening Ben, there is no legal capture of predators from the wild population in our country. Therefore, falconers focus on predators imprinted or bred by parents. And the second difference is between predators hacked or raised in the aviary. Predators hacked are very similar to wildly caught predators. Excellent video.
Thank you for sharing! I've gone along on a hunt with a red tail and love learning more! Not sure I'll ever fly my own hawk, but it's so much fun to get this information.
Where I lived (Mainland China) keeping raptor is almost completely illegal so most people practicing falconry is illegal and birds are nearly always wild because basically no one is breeding them. While in Taiwan they have a completely different set of law from Mainland and they could only keep captive bred ones which I am actually very jealous about lol.
Another cool video full of great information. Can you possibly make a video about the strength of these birds and how strong their feet are, any past experiences you've had with stuff like that? Thanks!!
Where I live apprentices MUST trap a redtail or kestrel. I myself want to trap a kestrel. However once falconer gets his apprentice over with. Most falconers where im at buy a captive peregrine or gyr
How does it work with a passage migratory bird, though? Here in eastern Idaho, I would imagine trapping a bird in September/October would leave only weeks before they need to be released to migrate. Or do you spend a winter training, hunt for a summer, then release them?
Hi Ben, have you ever had any experience with lamping rabbits?? Could you do a video on that and how to get a bird trained to do it? Loving all the videos!!
Hi Ben.. I'm really intrigued by the 'family' bird. You say this stage is magic, but you only briefly talk about it. Can you elaborate on this stage? What their mindset is, why this is such a great time to take. How to take. What to do after the take? Would really be appreciated, thanks!
Your comments on haggards not being used for hundreds of years is incorrect. They were still used regularly on Europe up to the mid seventies. I had Lanners, luggers and a haggard peregrine in the seventies. Read Mavrogordato, Falcon in the field as one reference.
Hey Ben, these are great videos. I understand that by no means are any of the animals that you work with considered pets, however, I wonder if Falconers ever experience an emotional attachment to the birds they are training. As a non-falconer it seems like the releasing of a bird that one has invested so much time in would be difficult.
I'm not Ben but I am a falconer, and a lifelong animal steward. It's a great privilege to release a capable, versatile bird back to her wild world. When we commit to an animal, it can only end so many ways: we die, they die, or the animal leaves. After burying many, many loved animals, the opportunity to watch one fly off free is a beautiful one.
just like @Elizabeth Kaufman , i am also a falconer and i would want to share my views that we (Pakistani falconers) love our birds just like our children. we here have migratory goshawks and sparrow hawks which cannot survive the harsh summer of our region so our love for them demands us to set them free in to wild. afterall they or some of their brothers come to us next year
Hi Ben, I have to disagree with your thoughts on the origins of falconry. Putting food on the table by hunting with birds of prey is super inefficient. If you had one trained bird you could easily spend half a day hunting with zero results and you still have to feed the bird. People with the skills to trap and train a falcon would easily provide more food per day by directly trapping it. I think it is much more likely it started as a sport and status symbol for those with the time and money to do it.
I both agree and disagree, I think it widely depends on the species. Say a falcon I doubt would be able to provide super consistent food on the plate and I believe would likely have been a sport or show of affluence, but a goshawk for example would be excellent at such a purpose. Goshawk even have the nickname "cook's hawk" due to how proficient they were at putting meat on the table. Goshawk can hunt pheasant, rabbit, squirrel, duck, goose, and doves and they have extreme success.
I am utterly fascinated by falconry, but haven't the time or resources to get into it, so this the next best thing.
Ben, I have watched almost all of your videos and wish you would do a video in which you share your setup...show your mews, introduce us to your birds, etc. Has this been requested before or have you ever considered a video like that?
I would love to see his mews as well as I'm in the process of drawing a floor plan for mine.
i also want that
One of his birds was stolen and his mews burglarized. He may be hesitant to show that now. His best peregrine ever was released or escaped from the pos who broke into the mews and was photographed with jesses on him and the photo went viral. Mr. Woodruff probably wont do that.
So from what it sounds like, falconry with a passage bird you trap and release is akin to giving that bird a big scholarship (a safe shelter against weather, vet care against illness, and food whenever hunting is poor) to help it through “bird college” (a.k.a the year where it hones its flying and hunting skills and struggles to survive long enough to be an adult) as long as it fulfills the terms of the scholarship (by being your working bird!)
I’m really glad to have found your channel.
Good evening Ben, there is no legal capture of predators from the wild population in our country. Therefore, falconers focus on predators imprinted or bred by parents. And the second difference is between predators hacked or raised in the aviary. Predators hacked are very similar to wildly caught predators.
Excellent video.
Thank you for your video Ben. As bird watcher i learn a lot about raptor watching them.
Thanks for the vids. Just past my test thanks n no small part to your videos. Seriously thanks from Tennessee.
Good Lord- phenomenal! Your information is always clear and concise. I learn something valuable with each video.
Great job.
Appreciate the video as always. They are so helpful to a beginner. I can't wait to start up this fall!
Hey, me too! So excited!
Very good information and of great value to all.
Since you brought up captive breeding can you do a video on operation falcon. I heard about it in my California hawking club study guide.
A video on mews would be really cool
Hi Ben just found your channel a few days ago, like everything Ive seen. Maybe now that im retired I will be able to pursue Falconry Thanx!
Thank you for sharing! I've gone along on a hunt with a red tail and love learning more! Not sure I'll ever fly my own hawk, but it's so much fun to get this information.
Absolutely fantastic video... i easily can hang on your every word! Learned a ton, thank you!
Where I lived (Mainland China) keeping raptor is almost completely illegal so most people practicing falconry is illegal and birds are nearly always wild because basically no one is breeding them. While in Taiwan they have a completely different set of law from Mainland and they could only keep captive bred ones which I am actually very jealous about lol.
Can't wait to see your video "How to imprint accipiter?? "
Great content and really great explanation!!!! Cheers Ben 👊🏼👊🏼
I love Harris Hawks we have so many of them here in Arizona
Hopefully your video on Raising Imprints soon published.
Wonderful video, as always! Could you provide a link to the paper about falconry techniques giving positive effect on propagation?
I'd like to see this as well.
Great content, as always. Any chance you could go over training to wait on?
Raptors are wonderful.
Another cool video full of great information. Can you possibly make a video about the strength of these birds and how strong their feet are, any past experiences you've had with stuff like that? Thanks!!
I’d love to see your take on a Ferruginous hawk. I’ll be flying one next season.
Ever seen anything on using Ferruginous used to hunt tree squirrels? maybe a male?
@@Metrzan I’ve only ever seen them on jackrabbit
Where I live apprentices MUST trap a redtail or kestrel. I myself want to trap a kestrel. However once falconer gets his apprentice over with. Most falconers where im at buy a captive peregrine or gyr
How does it work with a passage migratory bird, though? Here in eastern Idaho, I would imagine trapping a bird in September/October would leave only weeks before they need to be released to migrate. Or do you spend a winter training, hunt for a summer, then release them?
Hi Ben, have you ever had any experience with lamping rabbits?? Could you do a video on that and how to get a bird trained to do it? Loving all the videos!!
Maybe you mention this in your video but I might probably miss.
Do you have to release the bird back to the wild every spring?
can buy papers/tiket in uk now for peragrin
Hi Ben.. I'm really intrigued by the 'family' bird. You say this stage is magic, but you only briefly talk about it. Can you elaborate on this stage? What their mindset is, why this is such a great time to take. How to take. What to do after the take? Would really be appreciated, thanks!
Thanks for the idea. I will try to do this video today or tomorrow
Your comments on haggards not being used for hundreds of years is incorrect. They were still used regularly on Europe up to the mid seventies. I had Lanners, luggers and a haggard peregrine in the seventies. Read Mavrogordato, Falcon in the field as one reference.
Hey Ben, these are great videos. I understand that by no means are any of the animals that you work with considered pets, however, I wonder if Falconers ever experience an emotional attachment to the birds they are training. As a non-falconer it seems like the releasing of a bird that one has invested so much time in would be difficult.
I'm not Ben but I am a falconer, and a lifelong animal steward. It's a great privilege to release a capable, versatile bird back to her wild world. When we commit to an animal, it can only end so many ways: we die, they die, or the animal leaves. After burying many, many loved animals, the opportunity to watch one fly off free is a beautiful one.
just like @Elizabeth Kaufman , i am also a falconer and i would want to share my views that we (Pakistani falconers) love our birds just like our children. we here have migratory goshawks and sparrow hawks which cannot survive the harsh summer of our region so our love for them demands us to set them free in to wild. afterall they or some of their brothers come to us next year
in the middle east haggerds cost more then eyysis
Do you have an email address for direct questions?
Hi Ben, I have to disagree with your thoughts on the origins of falconry.
Putting food on the table by hunting with birds of prey is super inefficient. If you had one trained bird you could easily spend half a day hunting with zero results and you still have to feed the bird. People with the skills to trap and train a falcon would easily provide more food per day by directly trapping it.
I think it is much more likely it started as a sport and status symbol for those with the time and money to do it.
I both agree and disagree, I think it widely depends on the species. Say a falcon I doubt would be able to provide super consistent food on the plate and I believe would likely have been a sport or show of affluence, but a goshawk for example would be excellent at such a purpose. Goshawk even have the nickname "cook's hawk" due to how proficient they were at putting meat on the table. Goshawk can hunt pheasant, rabbit, squirrel, duck, goose, and doves and they have extreme success.