PEREGRINE

Christ YP and jimdfish leaving!!!!! Them and LB were the funniest people on here, they will be sorely missed. I havent bothered posting for some while myself but I always enjoyed their posts, lets face it its never going to be the same without them. Well good luck guys I hope at some time in the future you change your minds and come back. Peregrine

Sympathies pp I also lost my father this year, and my mother is coming for her frst christmas without him. Boxing day would have been there 60th wedding anniversary. Good luck Peregrine

Hi Shawn. do the pigeons fly over certain trees, hedges etc. Are they at a height they can be shot? If so you may well be able to ambush them on their flight lines in and out of your fields. sometimes even though the pigeons are not feeding on your fields, a well placed decoy set up under a flight line can persuade them to come closer to investigate. Though they are unlikely to drop into decoys this way, they will very often drop lower and pass over the top of them having a look and can provide great sport. Best of luck and let us know how you get on. Peregrine

Aled is a lying welshman Jim I agree!! Peregrine

Ignore my previouse post, still suffering from a hangover!!!! Peregrine

Crowblaster[/quoteIn the right circumstances I would definitely take a fox with an airgun. You are not governed by a 12ftlb legal limit though are you!!!

Well done Red a victory for the cause!!!! Peregrine

Hi I thought I would let you all know what happened about the female Goshawk that arrived at my house on Sunday. After numerous visits to the vet for different drugs, I was tubing her 3 times a day because the infection in her throat was so bad she couldnt eat. I was administering Baytril as an antibiotic and also tubing supplement to keep her alive, unfortunately at 7am this morning she finally gave up the fight and died. I am absolutely gutted as this was a completely unnecessary death, if her owner had treated this infection earlier it would only have been a case of giving antibiotics and she would have been fine, unfortunately by the time she came to me it was too late, and we were fighting a loosing battle. What makes it worse is the bird was fighting right up until the end, but I could do nothing more to save her. Yet again another fine bird murdered by some complete #### with more money than sense, I have been a falconer for 31 years, yet when I see something like this it makes me question the ethics of keeping birds of prey. When will people stop looking at these spectacular birds as toys for them to play with for a while until they get bored, and I am not talking about kids these are adults, full grown men who destroy these creatures because of a whim!!!! They like to boast they have these birds in their gardens but as soon as they start to cost money with vetinary treatment the ******* dont want to know. Anyway its probably better I dont get onto this subject as I shall no doubt be banned from the forum, suffice to say it has all been in vain. I thought I would let you know. Peregrine

Give em hell Red!!! Peregrine

Hi Browning, unfortunatly even though I am suspicious about this owner I must by law return her to him. It is a shame though as I believe I could bring her back into perfect condition, her temprement is very good for a goshawk and she looks well capable of taking most game species she weighes 2lbs 7oz and she is at a very low weght at the moment. I will start to repair her feathers as soon as she puts a bit of weight on, to start doing that at the moment would be too stressfull for her. It may well be that the owner has reported her dead already as even he must know her chances of survival wearing a swivel and jesses would be nil. Even so regardless of how well or badly she has been kept up till now, I must by law return her, Unlesss the owner would be inclined to sell her to me. Wont know untill I speake to him. Peregrine

Hi guys thought I would tell you about what arrived on my doorstep Sunday. A keeper friend of mine called round with a bundle under his arm, when I unwrapped it I found a 3-4year old female Goshawk glaring out at me. He had caught her in one of his pheasant pens, but what was remarkable about this bird was she still had her swivell on!!! This means she must have snapped her leash on her bow perch. The keeper said that he had seen her flying around the pen on many occasions for the last 3 weeks, I have never known a bird to survive more than an afternoon with her swivel on, normally they get hung up on branches and die a lingering death from stavation, which is why falconers are usually so paranoid about checking leashes on their birds very regularly. She is very low in condition and I have had to tube her with glucose, and am feeding a high protein diet, with a little and often approach. This is a very lucky bird, how she survived so long like this is a mystery. I now have to try to find her owner to return her, however she has very severe feather dammage to her tail and primary wing feathers which look like they have been there since the last moult, leading me to think the owner does not really have the knowledge to keep her properly. However the law is the law and she will be returned, I just hope I'm not taking her out of the fyring pan and putting her into the fire by returning her. Also as Goshawks are my favourite birds to fly I think I may just be a bit jelouse :thumbs: I know its a long shot but if any of you know of anyone who has lost a gos in the Sussex area perhaps you could PM me. Peregrine

I'm very pleased for you PM but it would be interesting if when she is 18 months old you could give us all an update and let us know if she is truly a better dog for this early start! Peregrine

Hey PS nice dogs love the springers!! Peregrine

I had a double spring relum tornado and an ASI sniper in 177. The relum could cut a house brick in half at 35 yards but was not as accurate as my BSA Meteor. Peregrine

sent Peregrine

Cranfield thanks very much for that advice, the caller sounds very plausable and to tell you the truth had they called me I would have fallen for it. These fraudsters are clever ******** once again thanks. Peregrine

I think its about time all these people who have been passively inhaling smoke put there hands in there pockets and helped pay for all the tobacco they have been getting for free Peregrine

I have a new springer as well 7 months old and a ball of trouble Peregrine

Well done PM glad you enjoyed it, must admit I dont think I have ever taken anyone hawking that didnt enjoy it, maybe you will get a hawk yourself one day! Peregrine

Ask Mad Springer he's the man where dogs are concerned!!! Peregrine

Jim you are a very very sad man, you have my pity

PM I have had and hunted Goshawks for many years, both European and Finnish Goshawks. Must admit I have never heard of a Goshawk or for that matter any hawk having to personally get to know another person other than its handler before it will fly with them in the field!! Normally if the bird has been well manned it is used to other people being around and if at the correct flying weight will be concentrating on slaughtering anything it is unhooded at rather than taking any notice of a guest in the field, if this is not the case than you may well find yourself spending the day chasing it round the countryside. However if the bird is flying well it will be like nothing you have ever seen before, although Harris hawks are good birds they cannot compare to a good Goshawk. 35-40 yard slips on rising pheasant are the norm for a good Goshawk and some of my best flights have been at wild duck rising off ponds. The Goshawk is the finest rabbit hawk god ever designed, whether walked up or over ferrets but the land must support enough quarry for a Goshawk to get really good, as they say practice makes perfect. I am sure you will have a terrific day and if its your first time it will be a day to remember for a long time to come. Let us all know how you get on best of luck!! Peregrine

Thanks for the advice guys, if I give it a go over the weekend I will let you know how I got on!! Peregrine

Hi RTR I didnt see any pigeons on the 50yd strip but the combine and all the kit was in the field so I presume they had started the day before (Saturday) and yes I thought it was late harvesting as well. Or maybe they had cut a few days previously and the pigeons were not interested which is why I wondered if it would be a draw for pigeons at all. The trouble is I live some 35 miles away from the fields and didnt want to waste the only day I have for shooting this week on non productive fields. :thumbs: However I suppose I might as well give it a go as there is very little else around to interest them at the moment, and at the very least its a day out in the countryside. Peregrine