Thanks for putting out these videos. I'm waiting for this nonsense to be over and finding a sponsor finally.

Hi Ben, I just stumbled across your channel this week and have probably spent close to 20 hours watching you and other falconers with an interest on falconry. I am very much enjoying these talking to the camera and giving your personal experiences and sharing what has worked for you as well as considering mentality of birds you have worked with in the past. I live in Utah myself and I briefly started to research state regulations on the sport and was wondering if there was any resource or points of advice you'd give someone who is interested in falconry, but not sure where to go to truly learn more about the permit process, finding a sponsor, what kind of living conditions you the human should take into account before trying to "pull the trigger" on falconry. I would love to hear from you if at all possible or if you have a "If you are considering falconry, consider these things" type of video that I have missed, from the perspective of someone who is not even an apprentice but wants to know more. Thanks much for the awesome content!

Ben your such a massive inspiration in my falconry helped me so much over last few years of watching your channel thank u 🙏

Ben, your content is fantastic! I am a falconer and a veterinarian and this video particularly is so important to get out there! Thank you.

Man. This guy is a legend.

As always, insightful. Thank you!

Hi Ben a very good processed video in which you explain the hunger of calming the bird of prey. Everything works falconry hood, darkroom and water. The falconer should still have some of it with him. I have water in my car. I have a dark chamber at home.

This is hugely genius stuff

Olá, Ben. Gostei demais deste vídeo. Obrigado por compartilhar.

Thanks

Great information!!!!!! Incredible useful in the skills and information in teaching and interacting with humans too. Understanding that like donkeys if they dont understand the point of coming here , they just might not, do it, and that will be your learning session for the day, where you get to learn that they said no . PATIENCE AND RESPECT have to be at the fundamental level of all relationships human or animal. Even the good parents with good intentions go off the path by clouding the difference between disciple and punishnment, and not trying to use both sides of the "hammer" of punishment, positive and negative rewards.

Thankyou for the content

I almost thought I was going to find out of a type of negative reinforcement that works on birds of prey! So far, none exists. You did explain what I could do to encourage them to achieve more positive behavior with me. I skipped 7 - 8:20 in the video. I'm light years away from that method! But as for the 2nd method of using the water spray bottle, I'm all for it as weird as you think that method is. You know what's funny, my grandma has a dog that actually hated being sprayed. Its the exact opposite with birds of prey! Who would've known! I do somewhat wonder, if thousands of years ago, if people just gave birds of prey a chance by choosing them as our protector instead of dogs, maybe....just maybe, we could have helped them evolve differently by making them think like us. It would be a steady change, but it may not come even close because of fact that birds think differently than mammals. Since we are mammals just like dogs, it became clear that it would be way easier to get them to think like us!

Hi Ben, Would you please discuss bird aggression; specifically attacks to the face? Are they talons and beak? sustained or unstained? more common with eagles? causes/management strategies... Much thanks!

I love this KZfaq channel. If you will answer a question , what does the falconer do if the bird continues to panic, for example, on the glove? You use dogs as a good example, but also possibly would be similar to horses in which a single traumatic event will cause a trigger of escalating behavior based in avoidance. Maybe what humans call PTSD? This can be extremely hard to reverse. Please tell us if this is true of raptors you have ever worked with.

Do these “coping mechanisms” (for lack of a better word) work for footing as well? Thanks!

Hi Ben, we have a juvenile female Harris, that we’re trying to man down, but she’s not very friendly. She is quite footy and grips to the glove with real determination when trying to man. She bates a lot from the glove, and screams in your ear. We tried the same processes with her as with our older male. But she’s not appearing to be as receptive. Just wondering if it’s a case of slowing things down with her, and more hands on approach or weather it’s a learnt behaviour that we’re not able to overcome. Your video suggests a hood to try and calm their stress levels when anxious? Do you think we should try that? Your thoughts on this would be very much appreciated. Reg paul

Hey Ben, can a mature adult wild bird be manned like a yearling passage bird?

👍👍👍👍

Hi Ben : Thanks again for this video it will come in play when I get my first Bird. Ben when building a Mew may I line the inside of the Mew with Red Cedar wood? Will it be save for the Birds of Prey?

Good talk ( look on fasebook for Brian Ruppell - your twin in many ways.

Very interesting video. I would like to ask you something... I have work with a vulture that tends to bite a lot, especially to new handlers. Some of my coworkers suggested to slap the vulture (not very aggressively, just a small slap) whenever she bites to stop the habit... He said it worked for him as the vulture doesn't bite him in particular anymore... I am a bit more in disagree with the use of positive punishment but as my knowledge about birds of prey is lower I would rather check out other people opinions about it... So what is yours?