Mississippi.

[Aaron.Sullivan]

Hello everyone.
Excuse me if I am, well. Speaking out of turn. I seem to do that alot. So, people around me usually get used to it.

Note: before reading this, that I am not yet an apprentice (Hence the speaking out of turn, part). I have been, since a VERY young age, absolutely fascinated with falconry. Probably ever since reading "My Side of the Mountain" as a young boy. Recently, my interest has been sparked (yet again), but this time I might just actually have the means to go about taking those first steps. I'm 20 years old. A college student in Mississippi, and I work as an intern (hopefully soon, a full employee) for the Corp of Engineers. I enjoy hunting occasionally, but deer hunting (with the typical "sit and wait for days" setup) just doesn't hold my attention well. I usually end up reading the whole day, and probably missing the potential prey. But I do enjoy many other types of hunting.

I intend to take this process slow. Hopefully, I will have my facility constructed and time available to begin at the start of the summer. However, there are some things I have questions about.

In my line of work.. There's alot of government research. Research that has me spending alot of time in Leeseburg, LA, testing (forgive me for spelling errors) random crap. I may end up spending a week or two there at a time during the summer. Does this make it impossible for me to have a bird?

I was hoping to go with a Kestral. I thought that it would be somewhat easier to house and care for in a more suburban area. Should I be away for a week or two, would this be something that my wife or a friend could feed and care for? Would there be anything special that they needed to do? What is the official "Hunting season" of this bird? Would they need to fly it some for exercise? Can it go on "Little hunts" in my back yard?

Can it go on "Big hunts" in my front yard? After all. I'm fairly certain that the laws only state that no firearms can be used within the city limits... Not that no hunting can occur specifically... My front yard is plentiful with plump little squirrels... Ok, ok. Joking. I know that this is probably a no-no. Just an amusing thought that crossed my mind while typing this introduction (of sorts) out.

How much square footage does the average kestral habitat need? I read the state guidelines, but they are so vauge that I have no idea what to plan for, construction-wise.

Can kestrals hunt wasps? That'd be nice. (Living in MS...)

How much can be cut, cost wise, for building everything on one's own? not meaning to sound braggy, but I am kinda handy, and an aspiring luthier (requires a certain amount of woodworking skill and artisan craftsmanship.... But not too much). My parents have alot of leather working tools too.





So. I s'pose that's about where I'm at. Anybody else here from MS?

[everetkhorton]

Aaron:
There are way to many question for me to answer in one setting ;) (welc) to NAFEX. I would do a lot of looking around in different thread to have a lot of the question answered first. Go to the apprentice thread and take a look. IMO you get out of falconry as much as you put into it.
If you have to be gone a lot, I think it would be a good idea the have your wife learn right along with you at the same time. She should learn wt. management. K-bird take a lot of time. Make sure you have the game for a k-bird. Be sure and sign your post with a least your fist name, go to the User CP and have it added auto. There is a thread on k-bird mews going on right now. Have fun.

[Aaron.Sullivan]

Thanks. And sorry. When I get into something, I usually like to learn as much as I can, as fast as possible. :p

[FredFogg]

Thanks. And sorry. When I get into something, I usually like to learn as much as I can, as fast as possible. :p

Then learn how to sign each of your post by going into the User CP and editing the signature to include at the least, your real first name (one of the few rules on here). LOL :D

And to answer a few of your questions and to give you a few suggestions. Being an apprentice, you can turn your kestrel loose at the end of the season, most folks trap in the fall and fly through February or March but with a kestrel, you can fly through the spring and even into summer. But being an apprentice, I would just turn the bird loose in late spring and that way when you have to go away during the summer, you don't have to worry about it.

Now to some advice, find some falconers in your area and go out hunting with them and/or sit down and chat with them. You will have to get one of them to sponser you for those first 2 years so you might as well find one that you get along with and hopefully, has flown a kestrel, if that is what you want to fly. Personally, if you have squirrels and rabbits, I would fly a red-tail that first year. But that is up to you and your sponser.

And read a bunch of threads on the apprentice forum on here as a lot of your questions will be answered in those threads.

Good luck and enjoy the journey!

[Aaron.Sullivan]

I did right after I was told too. Not sure why it's not showing up. I just checked again as well. It's set up with my full name. :/

Hmm..


And thanks. I would go with an RT if I didn't live in town. But I think a kestrel would just be easier if for nothing other than space issues.

[NMHighPlains]

an aspiring luthier ....

Oh?

Do we know each other?

Google it: bryan kimsey guitar

[Aaron.Sullivan]

I doubt that we do ha. By aspiring, I mean I have a few almost done for friends and family, but it's something I want to become more involved in.

I checked out your site though. Very nice. :)

Looks like you have alot of different interests going on ha. I especially liked the top link on the left.

[oldguy]

Welcome to NAFEX, I think you'll like it here.

Nice to see another Sullivan here, though I doubt we're related. It is a common name.
I was told once that you couldn't swing a whiskey bottle in Boston MA or Butte MT without hitting a Sullivan.

Again, welcome. Dan.

[Aaron.Sullivan]

Probably not. Though my father was originally from the Mass/NH/Maine area.

[outhawkn]

Hello everyone.
Excuse me if I am, well. Speaking out of turn. I seem to do that alot. So, people around me usually get used to it.

Note: before reading this, that I am not yet an apprentice (Hence the speaking out of turn, part). I have been, since a VERY young age, absolutely fascinated with falconry. Probably ever since reading "My Side of the Mountain" as a young boy. Recently, my interest has been sparked (yet again), but this time I might just actually have the means to go about taking those first steps. I'm 20 years old. A college student in Mississippi, and I work as an intern (hopefully soon, a full employee) for the Corp of Engineers. I enjoy hunting occasionally, but deer hunting (with the typical "sit and wait for days" setup) just doesn't hold my attention well. I usually end up reading the whole day, and probably missing the potential prey. But I do enjoy many other types of hunting.

I intend to take this process slow. Hopefully, I will have my facility constructed and time available to begin at the start of the summer. However, there are some things I have questions about.

In my line of work.. There's alot of government research. Research that has me spending alot of time in Leeseburg, LA, testing (forgive me for spelling errors) random crap. I may end up spending a week or two there at a time during the summer. Does this make it impossible for me to have a bird?

I was hoping to go with a Kestral. I thought that it would be somewhat easier to house and care for in a more suburban area. Should I be away for a week or two, would this be something that my wife or a friend could feed and care for? Would there be anything special that they needed to do? What is the official "Hunting season" of this bird? Would they need to fly it some for exercise? Can it go on "Little hunts" in my back yard?

Can it go on "Big hunts" in my front yard? After all. I'm fairly certain that the laws only state that no firearms can be used within the city limits... Not that no hunting can occur specifically... My front yard is plentiful with plump little squirrels... Ok, ok. Joking. I know that this is probably a no-no. Just an amusing thought that crossed my mind while typing this introduction (of sorts) out.

How much square footage does the average kestral habitat need? I read the state guidelines, but they are so vauge that I have no idea what to plan for, construction-wise.

Can kestrals hunt wasps? That'd be nice. (Living in MS...)

How much can be cut, cost wise, for building everything on one's own? not meaning to sound braggy, but I am kinda handy, and an aspiring luthier (requires a certain amount of woodworking skill and artisan craftsmanship.... But not too much). My parents have alot of leather working tools too.





So. I s'pose that's about where I'm at. Anybody else here from MS?

Interesting, I'm thinking about building a guitar for myself since I cant seem to find one I'm happy with........

[Aaron.Sullivan]

It's fun, but it takes alot of work. Alot of precise measurements, sanding, planning, etc etc.. Definitely worth it though.