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Hi!
Someone told me that there was a video on Youtube where a falconer trained his hawk with a laser light? Where ever the falconer pointed the light the hawk would go to that source. Does anyone know where this video is located? Thanks!
Jatin
Alabama
Here it is i dont know why anyone would want to do this whats the point. you cant do it during day lightQuote:
Originally Posted by dothanfalconry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEU0-8cmIgI
I've also trained this same behavior with harris hawks. I used it for show birds. It made it much easier to train birds to go to new perches and points when training birds for a new venue. It actually a very quick and easy train.Quote:
Originally Posted by dothanfalconry
That looks quite fun.
As for doing it in daylight, couldn't you get a pretty powerful one and use it? Hawks see better than we do anyway and are very perceptive of colors.
I remember a thread here from a year or so ago about finding a way to excercise a bird outdoors by trying to throw a long lure live over a tall branch to get the bird to do very tall jump ups. I would think that by teaching a bird to hit a laser pointer you could do those very high jump ups without the complication of the lure line.
Now, where do I find a powerful laser pointer?
I agree about why would you WANT to do it but I disagree about theQuote:
Originally Posted by falconry2031
daylight. Laser sights for handguns can project a beam that is daylight
visible and a hawk's eyes are better than ours so I would bet it they
can see it pretty well at a distance. The only issue is how FAR would it
work and how useful would it be.
My dogs can see a cheap laser pointer in daylight.
I'll tell you why you would want to do it!
This is basic operant conditioning that results in very good communication between the hawk and the trainer. It is more stimulating to the hawk than just flying it to the fist, and it promotes the notion of the hawk trying to figure out what it is being asked to do. This can translate into good things in falconry.
Also, this type of training is outstanding for use on imprints, as you can get the bird to fly away from you for a tidbit. You can get the bird to do hundreds of jumps and get in great shape with this method.
You might learn a thing or two about animal training in general and about your hawk in particular. The better relationship you have with your bird, the more likely you can smooth over rough spots in the field.
You can play "hunting" games with a laser pointer to get a young imprint looking away from you as it rides the fist and anticipating opportunities for a flight too.
I think we have all trained our birds to come to a flashlight at night. Real easy to do and basically the same thing as the laser in my opinion.
How about lazer targeting squirrel nests.
Now your are thinking along the right lines. Just being able to get a hawk to fly to a tree you point at could be useful. Then you could "show" her where to ladder of to and that will likely move the squirrel. Might work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ross.Spafford
You can get a good lazer pointer at most office supply stores...staples, office depot, etc. $$$ Alot cheaper than buying one used on a firearm $$$. They use lazer pointers in "Presentations" often... Even if you don't want one for training your bird..they are great for driving the cat next door nuts.... :D
I got one at Office Depot yesterday for around twelve bucks.
I started teaching Caprica to hit the illuminated spot. She is a very quick learner.
I am hoping that this kind of training might help with squirrel hunting. You know, when the damned squirrel is hiding just out of her sight and wont budge. Use the pointer to get her to a good vantage point. (or heck, if that doesn't work I can always try annoying the squirrel with it LOL).
On a light day can you see the lazer at 100 ft.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zarafia
That ought to be good enough to be useful.
All good and fun, but let's see this bird catch game! Use the lazer to point a squirrel out in a tree and that would be fun. But I would have to see it done first. If I want to train a parrot, I would do this, but for me, it is overkill for a hawk. Sally seems to find the squirrels the good old fashioned way, she just follows me through the woods and pounds any squirrel that moves.
I happen to know thw trainer, and that redtail accounted for many squirrels. I believe it took 6 on it's last hunt before being released. By the way the bird was trained to hood itself on command. All in all very impressive. Even if it is not a parrot.Quote:
Originally Posted by FredFogg
I would like to add that a powerfull green laser has a solid, visable beam for up to one mile, im sure during daylight it wont be as bright but you would still get far....i think thier about 80 times stronger then red..but not sure.
Cylon squirrel.
if someone gets there redtail to follow the lazer and actually gets it to catch more squirrels while using it please tell. I would try it in a second if it actually works.
I'm working on the idea with my FHH.
So far (in three days worth of training) she will go to to where I put the laser dot in her mews (a spot on the floor, her food platform or various spots along her perches). She is slowest to catch on to spots along her perches, which are the important ones.
What I hope to be able to do is use the pointer to get her to take a particular perch while chasing a wise squirrel that is hiding from her. I can't tell you how many times I have been about pulling my hair out in frustration cause I can see the squirrel but she can't. I can throw crap at the squirrel but it just laughs at me. So many times I have wished I could just tell her, "It's right here! Come get it!".
And then of course if I can move her with the laser then I can light up the squirrel with it too LOL. The key will be using the verbal cue to get her looking for the laser and using OC in order to get her to do several things for the reward of nailing that squirrel.
That's my idea anyway. We'll see how it goes.
Yes, it has been done. One of my fellow Virginias, when she was an apprentice, used the green lazer to get her redtail to land on squirrel nests, with predictable results. She even gave me a lazer. Haven't tried it myself, but have seen the results. More dead squirrels!Quote:
Originally Posted by skooky20
Meredith, get a sling shot and make the squirrel move. LOL I can pretty much guarantee you that your bird has seen the squirrel, if it isn't chasing, it might be trying to figure out what its next move is. Too many times folks get into a big hurry and expect chases to go on and on and be none stop. The more my red-tail catches, the more she takes her time and picks her spots. I have seen her let a squirrel run through the top of 3 different trees and she waited until that 4th tree and wham, slammed it at the top of the tree. And the whole time I am down on the ground yelling Ho, Ho, Ho, and wondering why is she not going after it. She knows what she is doing. Using a laser light sounds like a lot of fun and I respect anyone that takes the time to train a bird to one, but I just don't find it necessary and enjoy flying my bird the good ole fashion way. Kudos to those that do, but just not for me!Quote:
Originally Posted by Zarafia
Fred, I like the idea of a sling shot, but I'm afraid that I'm not such a good shot LOL. I don't think I could bear the humiliation of the squirrel laughing at my further attempts to hit it.
I do hear you about letting her take her own time at them though. This season I am extremely impressed at her good choices at taking them. After taking a bite at the beginning of the season she has gotten to where she either gets a good head hold right away or lets them go. Seriously, the only times she has taken bites were on ones that she tangled with and let go. When she gets one she always has a good head and chest hold and she holds it tight till I put a spike through its head.
The laser pointer thing though has been quite fun. She is smart as a whip and has caught on really well. I've had a lot of school work this past week and have had no time to hunt. So instead I take fifteen minutes to use feeding time as learning time. And I just love spending time with her. Coolest bird ever LOL.
Can We control mute discharging with it ? :eek:
Fred:Quote:
Originally Posted by FredFogg
You are 100% right. Once the bird has seen the sqr. I do not have to keep making any noise. I have two whistles, one to call the bird when I want her to come to me. The other is to alert her that I have found a sqr. I go to the tree and blow the whistle and she come to the area and starts looking. I only use the HOHO when the sqr. is running on the ground. I use a sling shot with marbles, I won 40 pounds at the NAFA meet a few years ago. The bird can hear and see where the marbles are going. I am not very good at shoot a sling shot. The do not work good in cold weather. Now this is how my last bird hunted but all my sqr.bird were trained this way. One of the biggest problem that happens is that if you hunt the area to much the sqr. get hawk smart and will hold tight.
Have several area's to hunt.
I'm curious. How do you get the bird to understand she is supposed to physically follow the laser point? Do you place a tidbit where you point the laser, and introduce (and eventually substitute) a clicker for OC training as per the video?
I'm planning to keep my current bird through the moult, and think this would be a great way to keep her in shape and keep her tuned in to training during this time (if my Sponsor approves, of course).
This is what I did: When I enter Caprica's mews she is always very enthusiastic. She has just done her behavior of going to her swing perch so that I will enter and she knows something good is going to happen. So I just let her come to my glove where she is anxiously looking around for the next fun thing. Then I pointed the laser on the ground and made a big deal of looking at the spot. After a twenty seconds or so she dropped down to check it out so I reinforced her (the OC bridge I use is not a clicker, it's verbal, way easier when you want to keep your hand free for other stuf, like laser pointers LOL) and toss her a tidbit.
She caught on pretty quick. The most difficult bit was (and is) getting her looking around in different places for the illuminated spot. It's much harder to see on the side of a branch. She's doing well, but I don't see her hooding herself anytime in the near future LOL.