Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm lucky enough to be an apprentise falconer. On Sunday my sponser and I trapped and released a few birds and during one of those , I slipped on the ice and broke my ankle. We kept trapping because I just knew that the huge 60 ounce hen Red Tail I wanted was out there waiting for me. The last bird we trapped was a tiny 28 ounce tiercel (male) immature red tail hawk. I then was escorted to the hospital by my angry wife. Since I can't walk now, This small male is now my first bird to train and hunt with. Going to be a great expierence. I have plenty of time now to sit around with Toma (as in Tomahawk) and get him manned (tamed) and I'm hoping to get a walking cast at the end of the week. Everyone should be careful on the ice!!
And to keep this on topic ... I'm guessing that this guy may have eaten an eastern milk or two while growing up this summer in N.E. Ohio.
Another story for the grandkids!

Steve

Very very cool Steve. What a great sport/hobby to get in to.

Let me get this right. YOU broke your ankle and your wife is mad at you? (scratching head now, and asking why?)

Good luck w/ the bird, and your wife.

-Dell

I'm glad to hear that falconry is working out for you. Too bad about the ankle though. Hope everything else is all well and good luck with the little one you have now.

A very interesting hobby indeed. A neighbour does something similar although I think he even has permits to raise and rehabilitate bald eagles which are extremly protected here.

I often wonder if his birds impact local snake populations - I doubt they would take milksnakes since they are active at night but I do think they would gladly take an endangered fox snake. Not to mention hundreds of garter snakes.

Its hard to say...

Thanks for sharing.
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Jon Wedow
Sharp Dressed Snakes

hope he didn't catch any snakes, but I know he did....

......You lucky guy......always wanted to do falconry, no time, and would have to beg the township for permission ($400 just to ask please).......
Had a sharpie setting under a pine here right out from the kitchen door the other day...eating a young pigeon from the other end of the block, BIG foundry where I work has hundreds of resident birds....told my wife we could trap them right here in the yard, next day a nice redtail was floating on by heading more towards the bigger woods a couple blocks down....
(eagles soar by , Susquehanna river is actually less than 1/4 M away as they fly....)....

...good luck........

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.............WHY?

LOL......

While sitting watching TV, with my male Red Tail teathered to a bow perch in his pen in the backyard, guess what showed up?? I've been driving for hundreds of miles looking for a large female immature red tail hawk ...
and she shows up this afternoon and is sitting on top of the hawk pen. Sorry for the bad picture but it was snowing.

And I would swear that I heard her laughing ///

It just ain't right!!

Steve

You should of grabbed a shotgun. That would of showed her. LOL

.......you right....it ain't right......

.......you poor bas.............LOL........

sorry.........it happens........you'll probably see her again a few times.......

./........possible to catch her and release the male?......legal?....

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.............WHY?

LOL......

Male is already banded. You have 8 hours to make your decision and since we've seen very few immature red tails (the only ones you can trap)and I'm hobbling around, I decided to keep and band the male that I have. Might be better to work with a smaller bird this year, release it in the spring and go for the big girl next fall. I just found it so ironic and almost funny.

Steve

That's a good-looking raptor Steve.
Good luck with your ankle recovery!

Tim

You may find in the end that you enjoyed flying the male more than the females. Unless you are hunting jackrabbits, I would opt for a male myself - more aerobatic and finesse style hunting than the big female's pound and ground style.

My first male's first prey was a 5 lb jackrabbit, so don't think that his size is a limitation on hunting ability!
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Ophidiarium Charieis

Thanks Ryan

I'm very excited and can't wait to get him flying. He ate off the fist today so I think we're on our way. We're in Ohio so his days will be spent with me looking for cottontails.
Nice web site and snakes by the way.

Steve