Anti-Carrying Training with Small Falcons

Рет қаралды 4,516

2 жыл бұрын

A series of short clips illustrating the steps I take in “anti-carrying training” of small falcons that will be flown at game light enough for them to carry. Essentially, I do most or all of this conditioning on the lure, working toward a degree of comfort with the hawk allows approach, hand-feeding and pick-up.
Shown here are passage females, an American kestrel and merlin.

Пікірлер: 19

@mrkus-nc7od 9 ай бұрын

I am a old school Falconee , got my first European kestrel with 12 years old 1978 and went from there , ; about carrring ! My two cents worth , take your time , dont make them feel your robbing them of there kill , Pigeon meat as a trade off for a old stinky starling works , the titbiting is for sure a good thing and works , we used to walk around our Passage Goshawks while training. They be on the lure , with something to keep them busy for a while chicken neck 😊 and then walk circles around the Gos later included a Dog . The approach was important 😂 I had a coopers imprint,that would fly to my fist if it was something small like a sparrow and then Mantel 😂 and act crazy 😮 . I actually enjoyed coopers and there crazy ways . But for small Falcons Coopers are Dangerous - so please take care your good looking Falcons , they also know they are in danger while on the ground, in nature a Kestrel or Merlin after catching mouse or Bird would fly to a high perch to be able to see Danger approaching, even the Gyr or Peregrine are the same ,and have to keep a look out for the Golden and others .

@matthewmullenix3120 9 ай бұрын

Well said

@mrkus-nc7od 9 ай бұрын

@@matthewmullenix3120 Thank you .

@angelo8516 Жыл бұрын

Always a pleasure to see your Falconry Vids Matt. Your books are a joy to read as well, with useful, practical methods and tactics, to perfect our Sport/Art/Lifestyle, that is Falconry!🦅 Are you going to do instructional DVD's on Falconry techniques anytime soon Matt? Just curious. Long Live Falconry!🦅🦉🕊 Best Regards, -Angelo

@matthewmullenix3120 Жыл бұрын

Angelo many thanks! I have not given much thought to producing extended video, as I’m more at home as a writer. But if you have suggestions about video content you’d like to see, I’d love to hear it!

@MeganTheFalconer 2 жыл бұрын

My aplo needs this bad! Last year on the vineyard she made me quite nervous after catching a bird.

@matthewmullenix3120 2 жыл бұрын

I hear they can be a challenge on the pick-up!

@killyhawkaan2076 Жыл бұрын

Is there different approaches between sparrows and starlings. My female AK tends to carry sparrows more easy then starlings

@matthewmullenix3120 Жыл бұрын

Sparrows are always trickier. I generally don’t hunt them with the kestrel unless near some thick cover she can drag the bird into and eat. Once they are eating, they are easier to approach. Carrying is much more likely when the kestrel catches a sparrow in the open, like in a parking lot or large lawn.

@peekaboo4134 Жыл бұрын

what's carrying? is it like they grab the food from your glove and fly away with it?

@matthewmullenix3120 Жыл бұрын

That’s a part of it. But the main thing we mean is carrying prey away from the falconer. Small falcons can catch and carry small birds and eat them in a tree or on a building and be lost that way. So training to stay grounded with prey for the falconer’s approach is an important step to prevent this.

@peekaboo4134 Жыл бұрын

@@matthewmullenix3120 oh cool! ,my crested goshawk sometimes do this, I have to wait my partner finish their meals nd call it with another lure 😪, can you explain what's the reason our partner carrying is it cus we don't put much time in manning session? (sorry for bad English lmao im from asia :) )

@matthewmullenix3120 Жыл бұрын

@@peekaboo4134 I understand perfectly! :-) Sometimes there is no cure for it. But yes, taking a little more time in training to gain the bird's trust while it's on the ground (either on the lure or game) can pay off in the field. But really, the work never ends. Every hunt and every kill is a training opportunity.

@peekaboo4134 Жыл бұрын

@@matthewmullenix3120 such a great information, thanks!

@davemyers7507 2 жыл бұрын

I use a heavy lure eliminates carrying Tennessee after time they are cool 😎

@matthewmullenix3120 2 жыл бұрын

What birds get this treatment Dave and how heavy is the lure?

@davemyers7507 2 жыл бұрын

Matthew Mullenix I am hunting Redhead Merlin’s on starlings started with 6oz lure. And a south American Ornate Hawk eagle 24oz to start both will drag there kill to the lure and trade off

@matthewmullenix3120 2 жыл бұрын

@@davemyers7507 thanks Dave. In the case of the merlin, are you preventing carrying with the heavy lure or trying to remediate a habit that’s already started? Does the bird not carry anything at all?

@davemyers7507 2 жыл бұрын

Matthew Mullenix the Merlin’s are a few Years old I use the heavy lure at the beginning of the year to give them stay put confidence always fed up on every kill. Lure stooping is done with a lighter lure. They don’t carry much depending on terrain if it a problem or not.