Saeed,



By any chance do you know any falconers in Egypt? I had a student a few years ago who was a master falconer here in the US but, given that I was in graduate school, I didn't have the time to apprentice. I'm thinking my time in Cairo might be well spent in this way.



Best,



JohnTheGreek

Hell of an idea, John, good hunting to you!

John,

I don't know of anyone off hand, but have some Egyptian friends here.

I will ask if anyone knows anyting, and will let you know.

Sarge,

My schedule in Egypt promises to be very flexible so I now believe that I will have the time to devote to falconry. In talking to my student, I was amazed to discover the degree to which the activity really is a lifestyle choice more than a sport.

Saeed,

Thanks so much! I definitely look forward to hearing from you. Further, if you are ever in Cairo, know that my door is always open to you (even if you bring Walter )

Best,

John

" In talking to my student, I was amazed to discover the degree to which the activity really is a lifestyle choice more than a sport."

Absolutely! I have been falcon happy since I was a pup but unless one chooes to fly mostly redtails in the winter and then release them in the spring, you haven't acquired a pet or hunting dog surrogate, you've acquired a very, very demanding spouse. That's why until I retire I am (reluctantly) avoiding catching the bug. And thus far I am planning on the train-fly-release method. Let's see if I can keep that promise.

" In talking to my student, I was amazed to discover the degree to which the activity really is a lifestyle choice more than a sport."

That is the absolute truth. I have put off following the falconry itch that I've had since I was a pup just for that reason. When you acquire a raptor, you aren't picking up a new pet or a hunting dog surrogate, you're acquiring a very, very demanding spouse. For a North American there is the possibility of capturing a passage redtail, flying her through the winter and releasing her into the spring migation. That way you aren't tied down to the bird during the rest of the year. Figure about November to March. But when I retire . . .

How often do you need to fly the bird? If you release it, will it ever get in trouble with strangers (i.e. approach and scare people)?

Bog,
It's a fairly common type of North American falconry. Treat the Redtail like a accipiter. Once it's manned, you don't need to fly it daily though that is a good idea if you can manage it. To fly the bird you have a couple of choices. One is to just go off the fist. This will work on pheasant and jackrabbit and cottontail. Another idea is to either let it up into a tall tree or to carry a tall bamboo pole with a perch on the top and work with a spaniel or pointer. Redtail are even capable of being trained to wait on for up to 10 minutes. They are a remarkably versatile and effective bird that is too often passed off as suitable for beginners but "serious" falconers will, of course, not have anything to do with so down market a species, my dear.

And in response to your second question, I've never heard of any problems along that line. The species is the most wide-spread and successful large raptor on the continent. They're accustomed to living around people in the wild and I doubt that a winter in the mews will turn it into a pest.

I know that in the UK harris hawks have gained in popularity, but I think that nothing will ever match a peregrine, 2 english pointers and a grouse moor (except maybe a golden eagle and roe deer, that would be a blast!)

Well, yeah. But that goes along with the idea that the most skilled falconers in the world are either unemployed and indigent or independently wealthy! The Redtail or, even better, a Great Horned Owl are the suburban, working stiff's natural choices. The bubo, though, is a lifetime committment. You have to imprint them on you or they're just plain savage. And, they live a loonnngggg time! Still, you have to admit that the possibility of taking a big hootie down to the local golf course after the lights are off and snagging ducks out of the water hazard has a sort of sneaky charm.

Oldsarge,

After watching the film "Kes" as a youngster, I have always harboured a desire to take up falconry but I know i simply don't have the time to do it justice.

At the moment, harris hawks are very popular in the UK and these can apparently be kept manned with a very minimum of handling/flying. I have been told that they are one of the few if not only birds of prey which hunt in a "pack"
know as a pod in the wild and its this natural socialness which makes training/manning them relatively easy compared to something like a Gos for instance.

Regards,

Pete

The Harris Hawk is America's gift to falconry. You are correct about their hunting habits in the wild. This makes them the only hawk that can be safely flown without a radio. If lost, they will come looking for you. Additionally, in captivity, they breed like chickens. I suspect that if someone made a concerted effort to do so, they'd be the first raptor that was truly domesticated. Right now, the problem with captive breeding seems to be a very shallow gene pool so that crippled birds show up 'way, 'way too often. Still, if a truly careful breeder were to go for it the way the British did for horses or the Germans did for dogs, the results should downright spectacular.