Chris seeks friends among Palm Beach County, FL falconers

Hello falconers,

I've made an introductory post here before, but I find it makes sense to make another.
Recently I graduated Brevard Community College with an AA dregree, and I've moved down south to attend Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL.
I'm living in Juno Beach, its just north of West Palm and just south of Jupiter.

Now I've gotten into the birds quite a bit, I don't know anybody locally who practices falconry. I did know Spense Wise up in Brevard, but I am never able to contact him. No replies even from voice mail. If any local to the Palm Beaches is interested, maybe I could get to know you, and go on hunts with you to be an observer to the art.

Now that I've got my degree and I'm back on track, my three goals for the future are these:

Become an apprentice falconer after graduation
Get a job I like, intern at a great company
Be frugal with spending and be in a position to help out others in need

:) So hi again, and let me know what's up!

(welc) to the forums!

Hi Christopher,

Don't forget you've got two falconry clubs there in Florida you could join.

They probably have picnics, bbqs, apprentice workshops, and field meets.

(welc)

I'd seen the FHF website, but was worried, because they say on the registration form only falconers, apprentices, and associates can apply. Thing is associate means you sell a product related to it. No option for observers.

I mailed the FHF though. The president said he could add me to the mailing list this morning. I said yes, no reply back, but it would be a great help and get me to meeting and observing this fall.

Things get better, and that makes me happy.

Plenty of us in FL, come fall it shouldn't be too tough to get you out in the field with some hawks. Also, Florida Falconers' Association has free membership and I believe we're having a meet this fall. This would be a good chance for you to meet a lot of falconers and see a variety of birds. Good luck!

Yeah, I kinda realize that, given the time of year things are quiet in Florida.

I was given a contact for up north by the Florida Falconers Association. I'm waiting for them to send out my info again, since I moved south.

The president of the Florida Hawking Fraternity said they put my on their mailing list. It'll be a help too, I'm sure, when the season comes around again.

Hey folks up north, don't hunt all the game before they migrate down south :D

Life has progressed. I went to the Florida Hawking Fraternity winter meet (I'm still at it at the time of this writing). There are BIRDS here.

5 Red-tails
1 Coopers
3 Harris' Hawks
3 American Kestrels
1 Peregrine-Maltese hybrid

Also, I've become an associate member of the FHF. I've learned alot just from watching, stuff you probably don't see written in the books. There's no substitution for observation.

I got to go on my first hunt. 4 of us beat bushes and brush while the red-tail waited on the fist ahead of us. 5 rabbits fled, of them 3 were good slips, but none resulted in a catch.

Falconry is the only drive that I have to keep going forward with college. Seeing as my classes begin Monday Jan. 10th, this weekend picnic is a well-timed motivator.

Now 4 months after the F-H-F meet in Sebring, I have met a local falconer, Timothy O'neil who lives in Tequesta, FL. I have been on four hunts with him, his mentor Mark, and his female Harris' Hawk, Metis. I have seen 19 tail chases so far.

This one day we had a field in Fort Pierce which gave us 10 tail chases, and most recently the same field gave us another 7, however it was a wetter day, and our shoes and pants got soaked from that dew.

Metis hasn't made any catches. This last time, she got feet on three of them, however she either let them go, or they kicked free because she had them by the rear-end. She'll have to be flown through the moult till she catches something, as I hear it.

Who had the Cooper's Hawk?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MAGASKAWEE

Who had the Cooper's Hawk?

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I don't know. It was neither of the people I have been hawking with.

Oh! it was a wild one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Belshazaroth

Now 4 months after the F-H-F meet in Sebring, I have met a local falconer, Timothy O'neil who lives in Tequesta, FL. I have been on four hunts with him, his mentor Mark, and his female Harris' Hawk, Metis. I have seen 19 tail chases so far.

This one day we had a field in Fort Pierce which gave us 10 tail chases, and most recently the same field gave us another 7, however it was a wetter day, and our shoes and pants got soaked from that dew.

Metis hasn't made any catches. This last time, she got feet on three of them, however she either let them go, or they kicked free because she had them by the rear-end. She'll have to be flown through the moult till she catches something, as I hear it.

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A lot of people say they want to come, but Chris is the only one waiting in the Publix parking lot at 5 a.m. Metis is a young hawk, hatched in late 2010. She does not lack in speed or determination, but has issues with binding to a kill. The last hunt she knocked two of the rabbits off their feet upon impact, but failed to latch on. So far I am exceedingly pleased with her flight style. She footed a cottontail with a thirty yard head start, and was moving at about 35 mph. I was reticent to use a baggy, but that may be what the doctor ordered. Glad to have you along Chris.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by toneill100

A lot of people say they want to come, but Chris is the only one waiting in the Publix parking lot at 5 a.m. Metis is a young hawk, hatched in late 2010. She does not lack in speed or determination, but has issues with binding to a kill. The last hunt she knocked two of the rabbits off their feet upon impact, but failed to latch on. So far I am exceedingly pleased with her flight style. She footed a cottontail with a thirty yard head start, and was moving at about 35 mph. I was reticent to use a baggy, but that may be what the doctor ordered. Glad to have you along Chris.

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It is because I mean srs bsns.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MAGASKAWEE

Oh! it was a wild one.

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No the cooper's hawk was some guy's hawk at the January FHF meet, and is irrelevant to my recent hunts.