I learned that raptors' talons are covered in bacteria and in the ancient times, people assumed they had poison or venom because of how wounds reacted to them. Ever since then I've taken even the smallest talon prick extremely seriously, all it takes is one day for my body's immune system to be out of shot. This is an excellent video, I think I'll be coming back to it again and again to refresh my memory, thank you!

Always good to hear what can happen out there. If it can happen it will happen. Stay safe good video.

I'm glad you said fishing as a comparison, I have fished my entire life and had plenty of wounds and infliction. At around fourteen years of age I manged to get a treble hook stuck in my forehead and earned a trip to the ER. I have a puncture wound on a knuckle as we speak that's been exposed to dirty water and I know better just get too complacent.

Great video Dave, thanks for highlighting these important points.

Yes, I’ve had a couple of close calls with both Buzzards and HH’s, mostly through complacency on my part. Taught me a lesson! And also the mental heath issue is definitely something I can relate to recently. Great videos, keep them coming!

Some very good points because people (particularly our generation) are too casual about stuff. I had been stung by bees wasps whatever, many times then one day stung by a bee I was getting out of a pool (ungrateful thing) hand swelled like a boxing glove. Didnt take it seriously. Next sting, in hospital , now I have to carry an epipen . First person to be given peniciilen got an infection from a rose thorn , sadly they ran out of peniccillin and he died.Plus one on communications specialy in remote areas .Weather is a good point Dr Mosley being a case in point . Unlikely in a UK summer I agree.

Every day is a school day.Great little film.Thanks 👍

I didn’t know about the feather dust but it makes sense. I always wear an extra set of jesses on my boot zips and carry neosporin. It can be used for me and the bird. You are so right about the eyes and glasses. Best be safe! The other things you could mention is if you’re able wear your hair in a ponytail on the back of your neck and if you have a bird that hits from behind a baseball cap worn backwards helps. This video was so educational! Cheers!

The dust mask idea is a really good one. When I was volunteering with birds of prey on weekends the first couple weeks after a break I was coming down with cold-like symptoms and I was worried I might be allergic to the birds, but it would always settle pretty quickly. Always kept it in the back of my mind though. I had to get allergy tested for unrelated reasons and I was asked if there were any tests I'd like added to the bloods- turns out there was cage and poultry feather mix, so I had both done. Both came back negative, turned out I'm massively allergic to pollen though, so I'd been getting hayfever. While I'm not allergic to birds now, that doesn't mean it couldn't develop over many years. The infection one really resonates. I was lucky, at university my tutor was an epidemiologist. She did a lecture including the line tracking up the arm thing. In the worst case you can lose the limb in six hours. Go straight to A&E. I got a spider bite which started doing that and the line moved about an inch in an hour. I was lucky and it wasn't that serious; I was given a strong course of oral antibiotics which knocked it on the head. But I don't doubt if I'd left that a day I would've been hospitalised just like your friend. I've seen a black kite puncture an eyeball, those were some stitches I didn't think they could even do. Part of the reason I wear a broad brimmed hat when I'm flying; if something freaks and needs to land somewhere, it's less likely to want to try and latch onto my face. Although jumping off perches as aggression is always a big risk.

Really interesting video covering an aspect of falconry that is not often discussed. Thank you Dave😊

I love your videos, your passion for the sport really shines through on your content. Keep up the fantastic work 🥇👍🏼

I had the misfortune to walk straight into a swarming hornets nest last summer. One of my dogs temporarily lost the use of his back legs from some of the stings but Thankfully although we had many stings and a lot of pain for a few days no extreme shock reactions. Great video shows that the unlikely can absolutely happen!

Sound advice. I’m a health and safety professional and I’m not immune to injuries. I’ve had my fingernail ripped off by a young HH, just by a momentary lapse in concentration. It can happen so fast and us humans don’t have the reflexes to avoid it.

Sorry Dave .no one talks about them. No one has them . Can you do a spotlight species . Love you Dave top folconer and you always respond to your subscribers when they need help or information. 👍👍

All was the smallest scratched from talon that hurts most lol

And be aware of Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illnesses. That's what got me! Thanks for this video!

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A friend of mine got a small cut on his hand when out fishing, still doesn't know if it was barbed wire, thorns or something else. His hand ended up swelling up like an inflated marigold and had to be cut down its length to relieve pressure, he ended up losing two fingers and most of the movement in his hand. The type of injury we've all had a thousand times and thought nothing of but ended up costing him his livelihood.

Dave . The Harpy eagle let's have it .video please. And yes Dave I've seen the moult spray

Especially if you had your vacs

I wonder about the frequency and duration of contact a falconer must have with their, in particular, golden eagle in order to maintain a bond for the hunting partnership. Can you tell me what the bare minimum of frequency and time spent is involved for that relationship?

Does the rapter’s poop smell bad?