Hi from the Black Hills

[ahall252]

Hello all, my name is Anthony Hall (I prefer Tony) and I live near Rapid City, South Dakota working at the local hospital as an Exercise Specialist. I enjoy being in the outdoors whether it be hiking through the Black Hills or fishing on the Cheyenne River.

My interest in falconry really began growing last year when a hawk decided to use me and my hunting buddy as flushers for grouse one October afternoon (actually a pretty funny story) Since that incident I have found myself getting interested in falconry and my book shelves in my office are starting to fill up with more and more falconry books. From what I’ve read in books and on here I know I’m not at point to where I could fly my own bird but I am hoping to learn as much as I can so that when I get to that point I will be ready. Right now I just want to learn from experienced falconers and possibly make connections with falconers in my area who wouldn’t mind having some extra help with flushing.

[drmchsrmle]

Welcome Tony! Let's hear that story! :D

[Breeze]

Welcome to Nafex, Tony! I second the motion - would love to hear your story. :D Hope you get hooked up with someone locally and get a chance to go out and hunt this year. TOO much fun!

[hawkman1220]

Welcome Tony from a Tony! I know there is a falconer over in Watertown but that is a not too close. my wife and I enjoy the Black Hills and she has several pieces of Black Hills gold and jewelry. She is from Montana. We last visited the Black Hills in 2008.

[ahall252]

Well my buddy and I had arrived at our normal grouse hunting spot, which is really just a few rows of trees, when we noticed a hawk take off from one of the fence posts nearby which is actually pretty normal for the area. We get our vests on pull out our shotguns and begin walking through the tree rows scaring up a few grouse here and there. After we made it through our first row of trees we noticed the hawk was still hanging around circling above us, kind of strange to us since normally they take off out of the area when we show up but not this one. Starting down the second row of trees a grouse kicks up in front of me and I wing it just enough to set it to the ground about 30 yards away. Well I start over to pick up the grouse, who is still alive flopping around on the ground, when as I’m getting closer I notice a shadow on the ground. At first I thought my buddy was throwing something at me but when I turned around and looked up all I see is this hawk coming crashing down towards me (I now know the last thing most rabbits see before a hawk takes them) This took me by surprise as I threw up my hands and started dancing/hopping away from the grouse yelling that the hawk can it. The hawk did land on the grouse and then stared at us like we were the ones intruding on his kill (I use steel shot so no worries about lead poisoning). Since then I’ve named him Theodore and every once in a while we see him out at our hunting grounds soaring around.

[Breeze]

Very cool, Tony! Stories like this always make me wonder if the hawk is a former falconry bird, released but knows the value of hunting with humans; or if it is simply a wild bird who was smart enough to learn the value of hanging around human hunters. Either way - great story and thanks for sharing!

[sharptail]

Hi and welcome Tony. There are a few of us that practice around the Black Hills. I am in the hills on the Wyoming side. I am a long time falconer, flying large longwings at grouse, ducks and huns. I plan to do some hawking in SD late in the winter, perhaps we could meet up.

[ahall252]

That would be great, just send me a message letting me know when you'll be in the area.

[echotadog]

Hello Anthony ,
If you're at Rapid Hospital you are very close to the Black Hills Raptor Center. A very Small Ed organization. Good folks, They can put you in contact with a few local falconers if you can't locate them through a DWR request for a falconry packet.
You are also a short Drive from the Wild Idea Bison ranch. It's towards Scenic in the grasslands outside the Badlands and owned by Dan Obrien . He's a Falconer, good man , great Author and was very instrumental in the Peregrine Falcon reintroduction and the Peregrine Fund.
If you go to the used book store down stairs from the Alex Johnson -Again Books & Bazaar 612 St Joseph Street - they have copies of his books. He has 2 non fiction books ( Rites of Autumn and Equinox) about falconry, one about the bison ranch ( Buffalo for the Broken Heart) and a few fictional tales as well... All great reads.
Last fall I picked up a signed Copy of the Prairie Falcon book - Pirate of the Plains by Bruce Haak there for $5.
Good luck to ya , you've got some great hawking grounds close by and some good falconers too. I'd take them up on any offers to see how they do it.

[Dakota]

Welcome! Glad your here, I live three hours east of you, and also fly longwings. The Game Fish and Parks should have a list of falconers in your area. I doubt there are more than 20 in the state. We don't have an established club. I had an apprentice years ago from Rapid when I lived there named Greg Moore, could try looking him up.

[qball]

Hi Tony,
I live up near Whitewood and flying a GP hybrid at grouse and ducks. I hope to get him started this week. Probably be more in the Oct time frame but I can PM you once he's going good and maybe you can come up for a flight or two.

John Lindstrom

[ahall252]

Scott- I have been planning on making it to the Raptor Center and I have read Equinox, a fantastic read. I’ll have to also put the Wild Idea Bison ranch on my things to do list.

Forrest-Thanks I will see if I can find him.

John- That would be fantastic if you don’t mind me being there I would love to watch you fly him.