falconry

pj1

Well-Known Member
hi all

sorry not at all stalking related. i work for a pest control company. we are looking to broaden our horizons and the boos the other day asked would i consider working a hawk for the company. clearing pigeons and seagulls from stadiums etc.

this is something i have always wanted to do from a very young boy but it is not something to be taken lightly. is there any of you who work hawks and falcons for pest control "solutions" in this way. if so any advice would be gratefully received.

please understand i am at the very beginning of this and no decision has been made. i am not yet convinced the boss will acept the amount of time needed to look after / train the bird/birds but if i can go in with as much knowledge as possible then hopefully no wrong decisions will be made for the sake of the birds etc


regards pete
 
contact Nelson on here. He is one of the most knowledgable I know of regarding birds of prey and does what you describe for a living. In between hunting with goshawks, peregrines and golden eagles.

he breeds them as well, including the eagles!
 
This is something I considered doing over twenty years ago as I was a landfill foreman I actually set one of my hawking mates up in buisness and he is still doing it for a living .flying hawks /falcons as you already know is a very time consuming thing I can't even call it a hobby as it most certainly is not ! Flying birds be it any of the various genus cannot be learnt properly from a cd rom or even a course like dsc1 anyone that says otherwise is very much misinformed it takes many years to master the art and a course is just a taster of that .
whilst hunting hawks / falcons is extremely rewarding flying over landfill sites and factory units Ect in all weather upto 6/7 days a week becomes very tedious and my mate has a whole set of birds he uses just for the avian control .this is to cover situations of his birds moulting being injured or temporary loss .if after you have considered how flying hawks/falcons will change your life you still hanker to do it then by all means start by becoming an apprentice falconer the first step !
It is totally absorbing but very fulfilling can be disastrous as it broke up a long relationship I had back then but I wish you well in your quest
kindest regards
norma
 
Hi there this is not to be taken lightly. I don't know what your job already involves but if you go down this route you are going to be doing a lot more hours. The right birds of prey need to be used to get rid of the pests that you have been asked to get rid of. Ie sea gulls you need a peregrine, I know this because I have done it. Harris hawks have there place aswell in different situations. I found it fun for a while but then found that it took the fun out of the sport that I enjoyed so much. If it's as a job and you feel that you have the time within your job and don't mind extra work then do it you will have a lot of fun I am sure. However if you don't feel you have the extra time leave this one as a pastime/hobbie you will enjoy it a lot more.
 
thank you for your replies. i had always thought that i would only have time for falconry when i retired and the more i hear from people like yourselves and read up i think it maybe when i retire that i might get my chance. the only way for me to do this is part of my job seems to be that i would make it my whole job which i cant see my boss going for unfortuneatly. the surveyor from work and myself hope to meet up with a local falconer to have a chat also. thank you for your replies and i will keep you posted
 
Hi you should check out .falconryforum.co.uk. its a good sport to get in to but it takes a lot of time. And its not cheap
 
Hi you should check out .falconryforum.co.uk. its a good sport to get in to but it takes a lot of time. And its not cheap

sorry but this is the worst advice possible, the IFF IS A CESSPIT OF A PLACE and should be closed down immediately , , just last weekend there was a guy bragging about killing a buzzard with his falcon
 
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Hi you should check out .falconryforum.co.uk. its a good sport to get in to but it takes a lot of time. And its not cheap
Falconry has got to be the one thing you don't want being cheap it stops the dross of life getting hold of birds as macho status symbols ,unfortunately it is far far cheaper than when I had my first bird a parent reared male Harris £750 back in the early 90's . I did 12 months under the supervision of the then editor of the falconers mag and he did everything he could to make sure I knew the commitment required to train a bird to hunt not just fly from post to fist ,best days of my life but totally addictive you can't shut a bird in the cupboard till you fancy going out again
norma
 
The sad thing is because there are so many people breeding birds the price has gone and people are going out and getting birds and not knowing how to care for these birds. This is where forums are good people can read and research and even meet people to get hands on experience. I was lucky my father in law has been flying birds since he was 15 and he's 67 so he helps when needed.
 
Nice birds a graham. Am i right in thinking that is a saker falcon. Looks like it means business. I had thought about joining on the afore mentioned forum but thought i would see if any fellow stalkers could help.

I have always had a huge respect for birds of prey and think this is why im wanting to get as much info as possible before going to the boss with what time and equipment i need and be as sure as possible that i can make it work. As i wouldnt have the time to do a bird justice if i couldnt involve it in my work
 
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i also did a supervised period with a falconer and had to provide evidence that i had the right mind equipment time and facilities to work and keep a bird of prey
before my breeder would sell me my first bird and rightly so as while its not rocket science there is a fair amount to learn and understand and a good breeder wouldnt or
shouldnt let any one have a bird unless they can provide evidence of the above but should you get into it its one hell of a hobby nothing like walking a wood with terrier and hawk above you good luck if you go for it
 
Ive been flying a parent goshawk for about 7 years. Takes up some serious time i was lucky my dad flew one so i got plenty of support when needed. Having a good mentor like anything is the best way i my opinion,
matt
 
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