Poacher??

[ImLost]

An experienced falcon will soon learn that it needs to be waiting on at a good height and precisely positioned to have a chance at a pigeon and if the falconer knows his stuff he will have easier quarry (game) located for his falcon to fly. They soon learn the difference.

I thought modern falconers had aviary bred hawks and telemetry (not to mention GPS) these days? Must be hard work losing them! When I started, it was all wild taken birds and a pair of brass bells from Muhammed Dhin in Lahore, Pakistan!

Better than telemetry.... They can sit in their car and watch where it is on their phone.
What happened to good old field craft aye?

 

[Mickeydredd]

Intriguing, why don't falconers want their hawks to catch pigeons?

They are not a game species, most falconers (and certainly those flying falcons) do not want their charge to chase pigeons (what they would call flying at check, where they pull off the intended game target to chase a pigeon). Pigeons can be a big distraction so they try to teach them to ignore them.

 

[Dry Rot]

They are not a game species, most falconers (and certainly those flying falcons) do not want their charge to chase pigeons (what they would call flying at check, where they pull off the intended game target to chase a pigeon). Pigeons can be a big distraction so they try to teach them to ignore them.

I used to fly my first peregrine over bridges. There was usually a pigeon or two roosting amongst the steel work. Throw a stone in the river and hopefully one would fly out. It was quite exciting and there would be a good chase, but she never caught one in fair flight. After she'd given up, she would come back a bit higher hoping for another or perhaps a young one. She had a chance in the initial stoop but not in level flight. These were feral pigeons. Not classical falconry but good fun if you've nothing else to fly. Wasn't there a book? "Sport is Where you Find It", by Phillip Crowe.

 

[Mickeydredd]

You are right DR, back in the day there simply wasn't the access to game so you took your chance with whatever would provide a slip. I still remember when the Harris first got popular and the only flight at feather many of those who flew them ever got was at bloody moorhen.....why on earth bother! lol

 

[ImLost]

You are right DR, back in the day there simply wasn't the access to game so you took your chance with whatever would provide a slip. I still remember when the Harris first got popular and the only flight at feather many of those who flew them ever got was at bloody moorhen.....why on earth bother! lol

I used to have good sport with moorhen believe it or not! Often more fun than pheasant.

Until the hawk ended up in the middle of a pond....