PigeonEater Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 I am seriously very interested in starting falconry. I have done quite a bit of reading up on it but am wondering roughly how much it would cost to get started. Aviary, bird, all the bits etc. Also, im quite good at building things and would probably build an aviary myself. Can someone give me a rough guide to the essentials i need to start and what i should look at paying for each. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennyB Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 hi mate, if you look at falconer1975 post you will see he has a few essentials for sale at a reasonable price, i presume your a complete novice if so i strongly recommended you find a mentor or take a course as there is more to falconry than you might imagine not only for the birds sake but yours, i suggest you start with a harris hawk they are ideal for beginers easy th train and CAN be fairly social, Iwould forget about falcons for the moment as these birds are best avoided for a novice as they are very very fast and you could get your self into a bit of trouble belive me, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneshotkiller Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 I am seriously very interested in starting falconry. I have done quite a bit of reading up on it but am wondering roughly how much it would cost to get started. Aviary, bird, all the bits etc. Also, im quite good at building things and would probably build an aviary myself. Can someone give me a rough guide to the essentials i need to start and what i should look at paying for each. Thanks. I have a interest in starting falconry to , however after reading a book or two and seeing how much time you have to dedicate to your bird i realised i could not have given a bird enough care and attention they require at the present time . I would go on a good falconry course , one that asks you to dedicate a full day each week to learning the basics of the sport and make your decision from there , maybe offer to help out a falconer occasionally and see if the sport is really for you. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennyB Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 yes mate they can be quite time consuming depending on the time of year, you have made a good decision maybe one day i hope atb kenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigstevouk Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 Wise words from the over just to echo, it does take a lot of time, remember holidays also as its not like putting a dog in kennels, try to find a falconer local and have a good look and ask for a a few trips out with them... Good luck, you'll be totally hooked if it the sport for you B) ATB Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigeonEater Posted January 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 its something im definetly going to put the time and effort into. Since i was a kid of always be fascinated by bop's and always used to fantasize about owning one. On one of the lakes i fish there is nearly always a guy there with his owl, i might have a word with him next time i see him. Also anther question if you dont mind. How much land do you need for daily training/exercise. I have 100's of acres of shooting and hunting land but i have to drive at least 10-15 miles to get to any of it. I do though, have a very big park within walkin distance. In the far reaches of the park is an opening in the woods of about 5-6 acres. Would this be enough and are there any laws that would stop me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennyB Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 ok what sort of bop are you thinking of??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbit Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 You don't need much ground to train but when it comes to hunting you need as much as you can get. I had over 2000acres and still needed more.If you over hunt an area the local population of rabbits will know all about the bird and they'll be long gone once they hear the bells. Get the hunting ground first and make sure there is plenty of quarry, no good waiting till you have a trained bird with nowhere to go. With a Harris if they have nothing to hunt they'll turn towards the handler(austringer) you'll run into problems. They are very intelligent birds and need plenty to do to get the best out of them. I highly recommend you get a book called 'the complete rabbit and hare hawk' by Martin Hollinshead. He really gets inside their heads. May be an idea to put a location in your profile, someone local may be able to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayrshiretaxidermy Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 I wouldnt bother with a course. They cost a lot and some organisers arent upto much themselves. Much better to find someone local (NOT the guy with the Owl). Unless he keeps AND flies other birds. As for your first bird, yes, Harris Hawks are ok, but if your looking for something a little more exciting, then the poor HH would be sold later as you gain more experience. Be better to start with the bird you aspire to. Match the bird to the available quarry in your area. A good quarry in plentiful numbers are corvids. Can be taken with falcons and Gos`s and sometimes mugged with a HH. Join this forum http://www.ukfalconryforum.com/content.php and find out if theres anyone local to you. If you need anymore info, you can pm me. Cheers Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigeonEater Posted January 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 thanks for all the advice! I would like a Red Tailed Hawk. I think they are a very nice looking bird. As for hunting land, i have a 2000 acre farm full of rabbits, corvids, pigeon and duck. And another upland farm and woodland with rabbit, hare and game. But for training & daily stuff, is there anything stopping me from flying in a country park? Lots of pigeon, duck, corvids again but do you have to have permission to hunt them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbit Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 I've never flown a red tail but hear they can be temperamental. I don't know of the legalities of training in a park but I'd avoid it for no other reason than I wouldn't want people asking questions and wanting to stroke the bird when all I want is to concentrate on what I'm doing. If you actually catch something and you've got people about you may even get some do-gooder try and rescue the 'poor bunny wabbit' that's screaming it's head off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 most important things is 1. mentor 2. gd set scales 3. telemetry the best u can afford its nearly time for the moult nw anyway but c if u can go out with sumone next season and show u abit, but a mentor is a absolute must, when i started my mentor had 55 yrs experiance flying birds nw he breeds them and hes still learning. the humble harris will serve u fine but they can throw the beginner off with weight issues, a common buzzard is probley suited more but u will b hard pushed to get one hunting if u do decide have 1,u have to give the bird priority, flown every day, quality food etc etc, dont forget a bird requires 365 days attention and if ur ever unfortunate to lose the bird are u willing to search for it day and night or have u got the time to do tha heres a few pics ov was my bird just to wet ur appetite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 Red Tails are beautiful birds admittedly but they can be a bit tempermental at times. My suggestion for a complete novice would be a Female Harris - They are quite easy to train, they will hunt well and they are not often very "moody". Time is a crucial factor in keeping a BOP which is one of the reasons that I sold mine - Mind you I still regret selling her occasionally even though I know it was for the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignoel Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 i had a pair of these and to say the least can be a bit nerve wrecking when flown free for the first time :o i loved flying the harris aswell they are great birds to learn from and easily trained and can be very rewarding to watch but they also require time .i am too busy with work now to commit to them again but i would love to but to be fair to any bop i just cant commit anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 to b honest i dont think tha a harris is the best beginners 1st bird as it can give the novice the false pretence tha its bang on weight and its not goes up a tree for hours which i have witnessed plenty ov times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbit Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) to b honest i dont think tha a harris is the best beginners 1st bird as it can give the novice the false pretence tha its bang on weight and its not goes up a tree for hours which i have witnessed plenty ov times and the novice stands there calling and calling,teaching their bird that he'll wait for her till she's ready. They are clever *******, they WILL test you but oh so rewarding IF you get it right. The mistake many novices make is they panic when their bird sits in a tree for the first time and try to call her out too fast, let her sit and have a good look about, wait for her to look at you before you call her for the reward making sure you are good distance from the tree so she doesn't have a steep angle of decent to you and that she's coming into the wind. If she doesn't come instantly when she's called( in a tree or not) DON'T stand there calling til she comes, all you'll do is teach her that YOU will wait for her. put the reward away, walk about, make HER wait for you. Edited January 17, 2011 by hobbit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 quite often ends up the bird has trained the owner, becomes a screamer sadly the bird is passed on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baz Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 Plenty of reading material & info below also for you. Thanks http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignoel Posted January 18, 2011 Report Share Posted January 18, 2011 the weight can be a issue but not if the weight is monitourd correctly i still stick to the harris as a beginners bird easy traind and can become very loyal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbit Posted January 18, 2011 Report Share Posted January 18, 2011 Mine would come back and look for me if he had a flight and missed it. Never heard of a Gos doing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber Posted January 18, 2011 Report Share Posted January 18, 2011 (edited) i still stick to the harris as a beginners bird easy traind bit ov old cobblers tha, ive seen more people get caught out with a harris than any other bird, ive bn caught out with them once or twice a harris is the most common lost bird so theyre not tha easy to train Edited January 18, 2011 by plumber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconer1975 Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 You would struggle to find any other hawk that would come even close to a fit well trained female harris for hunting my female will take anything that moves even small dogs :blink: If your only in mancester give us a shout and come over for a chat and some tips and have alook at mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magus69 Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 I still have some equipment left which I could let you have cheaply as I no longer have a use for it. I'll try and sort out what I've got but know I have a couple of gauntlets in fantastic condition,a couple of bow perches,hawking bag,creance,leash,plenty of leather,false aylmeries,scales,all sort of bits really.Unfortunately the stuff like telemetary went with the birds when I gave up,but certainly have enough to start you off as an Austringer. PM me and I'll see about sorting it out. Mike... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eskdale hawks Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 to b honest i dont think tha a harris is the best beginners 1st bird as it can give the novice the false pretence tha its bang on weight and its not goes up a tree for hours which i have witnessed plenty ov times Then those birds which you have witnessed doing this ain't been trained properly? Male Harris's or Male Redtails are very suitable for a beginer. Although the Redtail will make the apprentice think more. On the whole it all depends on how good the mentor is and how good the student is at learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted February 5, 2011 Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Then those birds which you have witnessed doing this ain't been trained properly? Male Harris's or Male Redtails are very suitable for a beginer. Although the Redtail will make the apprentice think more. On the whole it all depends on how good the mentor is and how good the student is at learning. Very wise words in deed! I believe that Female Harris Hawks also make an excellent first hunting bird for a novice, but as has just been said much is down to how good your mentor is. The first and most importsnt thing for anyone wanting to get into hawking or falconry is to locate a GOOD MENTOR and not just someone that says that they know a little about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.