Here is a picture of the Female Aplomado Falcon. I thought you would like to know about their ability to hunt. King Frederick The Second has written a falconry piece about the (Alethe) which was traced to the Aplomado. In his article the Aplomado had a legendary ability to hunt and little regard for the size of quarry.

What I know is this, the Aplomado falcon has lived up to the expectation and the “books” in our recent history have fallen short of the facts. Our 20th and 21st century falconers have insisted on two things I have found in error first misconception is their inability to take a pitch ( stay overhead at 400 to 700 feet). The second misconception is their inability to take a hood.

The Aplomado lives up to the legend in that they will hunt all day long as a Falconry bird (endless amounts of energy) because they like the game. They will also take quarry twice to three times their size. The reason they will not take a pitch for other falconers is two reasons. They are very gamey and will usually chase the first thing that moves. In traditional falconry the weight must be cut to achieve success but big mistake with these birds once they learn the game (falconry) they will not leave you. The only criteria is you better have endless amounts of quarry and time to hunt them (very demanding). They are by far the funest small falcon to hunt with.

They will indeed take a hood, they are strong willed so it is a matter of sticking to a routine and not playing into their attempt to sway you. They in no way hold the hooding process against you in the field. The Aplomado does get disoriented when hooded but learns to overcome this in short order. The disorientation is the reason they resist the hood initially but if hooding is started from day one there is no problem.

The bird laying on the bed was raised by its parents known as a chamber raised bird, wild in most respects but as you see has mellowed and acts like an imprinted bird while maintaining attitude in the field. He has also learned to hood well. He hunts by (Waiting On) staying overhead at 400 to 700 feet and following me up to 4 hours without being hungry. He also has killed a wide range of difficult quarry such as Dove, Bobwhite Quail and Barn Pigeons (all that I am allowed to list) LOL.

The reason for the misconception is that a very good well meaning short wing falconer (one that fly’s hawks) wrote a book. His expertise is (Hawks) and my expertise is Falcons. By the way he lives in Arizona, and like our earlier conversation they are two completely different disciplines. The Aplomado if given a chance hunts much like a Peregrine on crack!

Included a picture of one of the whitest Gyrfalcons in the world here at the ranch. It is one of the few falcons we are keeping along with a pair of Eagle Owls and Aplomado’s.




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"Life without risk is to merely exist."

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