PDA

View Full Version : Greetings from Tallahassee, Florida


Ixonal
11-06-2015, 10:36 PM
Hey, my name's Ben. I'm just starting to look into falconry. From reading various sites, it seems interesting, if somewhat involved. Seems more personal and rewarding than using a gun. Kind of like working with a living critter-seeking missile.

Reading can only tell you so much, though. If there's anybody in or around Leon County, Florida that wouldn't mind a shadow following you around, I'd love to get a better look at what's involved first hand. A hunt, or even caring for a bird. Not looking an apprenticeship quite yet, but more determining if I should apprentice.

Anyways, yeah, greetings! :)
tripwest
11-07-2015, 09:16 AM
Welcome to the site
Breeze
11-11-2015, 12:32 PM
Hey, my name's Ben. I'm just starting to look into falconry. From reading various sites, it seems interesting, if somewhat involved. Seems more personal and rewarding than using a gun. Kind of like working with a living critter-seeking missile.

Hey Ben! (welc)

Falconry is absolutely a more rewarding way to hunt than using a gun. Hunted squirrels for many, many years with a scoped .22 mag rifle. Killed a bunch of them. Fly my bird and getting one squirrel with him is FAR more of a thrill than limiting with a rifle. It's awesome out there! peacee
Ixonal
11-11-2015, 03:17 PM
Hey Ben! (welc)

Falconry is absolutely a more rewarding way to hunt than using a gun. Hunted squirrels for many, many years with a scoped .22 mag rifle. Killed a bunch of them. Fly my bird and getting one squirrel with him is FAR more of a thrill than limiting with a rifle. It's awesome out there! peacee

As I understand it, squirrels can cause some serious injuries with their bites. That risk doesn't deter you from hunting them?
Breeze
11-11-2015, 09:13 PM
Well Ben, I firmly believe you need to hunt what's available where you live. I reside in the heart of the Piney Woods of East Texas. Lots of squirrels. Very, very few rabbits.

I wanted, and was fortunate enough to trap, a "tweener" red-tail. Breeze is large for a male (which he is per DNA). He hunts at 1020-1030 grams. He has feet big and meaty enough to sustain bites, of which he has received a few, but is small enough to be very agile. A huge asset when capturing grey squirrels, our primary prey. We see a few fox squirrels each season and he has killed them, but mostly he is on the greys.

However, IF we had a large rabbit population, we would hunt them. We don't, so my guy has become a squirrel hawk. ;) Have to add, there is nothing more exciting than watching a good hawk pursue squirrels in the tree tops! amennn
Ixonal
11-11-2015, 09:26 PM
Have to add, there is nothing more exciting than watching a good hawk pursue squirrels in the tree tops! amennn

I can imagine. 3 dimensions to work with instead of just 2 on the surface.
Breeze
11-11-2015, 09:48 PM
If you haven't seen this video yet, it's well worth watching. A red-tail hawk on squirrels. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBEyCr5AoIs&feature=player_embedded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBEyCr5AoIs&feature=player_embedded)
Ixonal
11-12-2015, 12:36 AM
If you haven't seen this video yet, it's well worth watching. A red-tail hawk on squirrels. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBEyCr5AoIs&feature=player_embedded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBEyCr5AoIs&feature=player_embedded)

I've seen a few. Seems pretty hard for the person taking the video to keep up with the action (understandably) in most of the vids I've seen.
Breeze
11-12-2015, 09:04 AM
Very true. The action is fast and hard to follow on camera, while still keeping things in focus (and not falling on your face while moving quickly through the woods with the camera!). The link above is the best I've ever seen, but it's a composite of many pieces of film, put together in sequence. Excellent video, in my opinion.
Ixonal
11-12-2015, 10:03 AM
Very true. The action is fast and hard to follow on camera, while still keeping things in focus (and not falling on your face while moving quickly through the woods with the camera!). The link above is the best I've ever seen, but it's a composite of many pieces of film, put together in sequence. Excellent video, in my opinion.

Agreed, it was quite good, though i hate to see the squirrel get away.