Peregrine training books

[Mystique]

I was wondering if anyone knows of any good books for Peregrine training? In B. Haak's The Hunting Falcon - he refers to British authors as having the really good books for training the Peregrine but do not mention what they are. If anyone has some ideas or knows of any American books that are any better please post ideas. Just about anything in general that actually concentrates on the Peregrine. Thanks in advance. My library is getting bigger and my account is getting smaller but I love tracking down various books to get different perspectives on this wonderful sport.

[Chris Proctor]

I was wondering if anyone knows of any good books for Peregrine training? In B. Haak's The Hunting Falcon - he refers to British authors as having the really good books for training the Peregrine but do not mention what they are. If anyone has some ideas or knows of any American books that are any better please post ideas. Just about anything in general that actually concentrates on the Peregrine. Thanks in advance. My library is getting bigger and my account is getting smaller but I love tracking down various books to get different perspectives on this wonderful sport.

The best Peregrine book would be the Flying of falcons, Ed is a Peregrine guy through and through..

[Lowachi]

The best Peregrine book would be the Flying of falcons, Ed is a Peregrine guy through and through..

I agree, if you have the space and the birds at yer disposal. May I reccomend Ray Turner's" Game Hawk Field & Moor" as well. Spent some time with Ed, years ago, and learned alot, but I found this book enlightning as well.

[Mystique]

So what do you mean if you have the space and birds? Just getting some incite...$85 for a book that doesn't have a lot of a description on the website. The example pages is more talking about his experience rather than how I've read other sample pages. I hope I don't come across as bagging on the guys, its just not he usual type sample readings I'm used to. More incite please.... LOL.... thanks.

[Chris Proctor]

So what do you mean if you have the space and birds? Just getting some incite...$85 for a book that doesn't have a lot of a description on the website. The example pages is more talking about his experience rather than how I've read other sample pages. I hope I don't come across as bagging on the guys, its just not he usual type sample readings I'm used to. More incite please.... LOL.... thanks.

I think he means space to fly a large falcon, since falcons eat up the sky. $85 for a book that will teach you how to understand the falcon, fly it the way it was born to fly according to it's genetic make up (Gyr Vs. Pere..etc) and why falcons do what the do is well worth it coming from a guy who knows how to fly falcons. If you're looking for a cheap alternative, may I suggest just finding a good longwinger in your area and go flying with them?

The good falconry books will always be the more costly ones..

[TiercelR]

"Falconry: art and practice" by Roger Upton is another good book fucosed lonely on the training of the peregrines in the middle of the XX century. Its one of my main favourite books.

"The art of falconry" by Fredrick II is another no time read with excellent knowledge about the training of the peregrines and another falcons. Its another one of my main favourite books.

You will go right with this two books despite that they were published long time ago.

[NMHighPlains]

I think he means space to fly a large falcon, since falcons eat up the sky.

$85 for a book that will teach you how to understand the falcon, fly it the way it was born to fly according to it's genetic make up (Gyr Vs. Pere..etc) and why falcons do what the do is well worth it coming from a guy who knows how to fly falcons.

Right. And by "...birds" he means that you stand a good chance of losing your bird when you teach them to hunt the big sky rather than waiting on directly overhead like a falcon on a string. Ed's pretty up-front about the fact that you're more likely to lose the bird, too.

Agree on the 2nd point, too. It actually costs about $105 by the time it gets delivered to your door.

[frootdog]

More incite please.... LOL.... thanks.

I love the book. VERY informative, but don't take my word for it. There's a handy dandy search feature on NAFEX.........

http://www.nafex.net/showthread.php?...flying+falcons

http://www.nafex.net/showthread.php?...flying+falcons

http://www.nafex.net/showthread.php?...flying+falcons

http://www.nafex.net/showthread.php?...flying+falcons

[oldguy]

If you're looking for a book on the peregrine written in the UK, you can't do better than "Observations on Modern Falconry" by Robert Stevens.

Stevens knew the peregrine.

Great chapter on hooding. Small book, lots of knowledge inside.

Good luck, Dan.

[RyanVZ]

I love the book. VERY informative, but don't take my word for it.

Doubt we'll be seeing it on Reading Rainbow....

[outhawkn]

So what do you mean if you have the space and birds? Just getting some incite...$85 for a book that doesn't have a lot of a description on the website. The example pages is more talking about his experience rather than how I've read other sample pages. I hope I don't come across as bagging on the guys, its just not he usual type sample readings I'm used to. More incite please.... LOL.... thanks.

Its not worth the money IMO.....

[sugezwolf]

My vote is for The Flying of Falcons by Ed Pitcher. Once I'd bought this book I immediately sold my entire falconry library that I'd accumulated over 30 years.

Gerry x

[Alex Stokes]

Gerry,

That might have been a little hasty!

I am reading Pitcher's book at the moment, and there is a lot of interesting material contained within it. How pratical his method is though I'm not sure?

The dazzling pitches he talks of seem to rely to a large degree on thermals, and a lot of people don't fly in areas where you can take advantage of them, at least not season round.

It will be interesting to see how much success is achieved when people follow his method, particularly in the absence of "jubilant air".

Alex

My vote is for The Flying of Falcons by Ed Pitcher. Once I'd bought this book I immediately sold my entire falconry library that I'd accumulated over 30 years.

Gerry x

[sugezwolf]

Gerry,

That might have been a little hasty!

I am reading Pitcher's book at the moment, and there is a lot of interesting material contained within it. How pratical his method is though I'm not sure?

The dazzling pitches he talks of seem to rely to a large degree on thermals, and a lot of people don't fly in areas where you can take advantage of them, at least not season round.

It will be interesting to see how much success is achieved when people follow his method, particularly in the absence of "jubilant air".

Alex

Hi Alex - agreed about the thermals but I use the kite as a substitute for those!

Gerry x

[Alex Stokes]

Gerry,

Good luck with the kiting aspect.

How are you going to deal with Pitcher's theory of "high and wide" in order to create the "unseen assasin"? Most of the UK just isn't conducive to that sort of flight.

Regards

Alex

Hi Alex - agreed about the thermals but I use the kite as a substitute for those!

Gerry x

[sugezwolf]

Gerry,

Good luck with the kiting aspect.

How are you going to deal with Pitcher's theory of "high and wide" in order to create the "unseen assasin"? Most of the UK just isn't conducive to that sort of flight.

Regards

Alex

Hi Alex - I always prefer 'high & wide' for duck hawking flights in any case so won't present a problem.

Gerry x

[R Velarde]

Gerry,

That might have been a little hasty!

I am reading Pitcher's book at the moment, and there is a lot of interesting material contained within it. How pratical his method is though I'm not sure?

The dazzling pitches he talks of seem to rely to a large degree on thermals, and a lot of people don't fly in areas where you can take advantage of them, at least not season round.

It will be interesting to see how much success is achieved when people follow his method, particularly in the absence of "jubilant air".

Alex

Hello Alex. I hope things are going well for you. I just wanted to make a few comments about your questions. It seems like it is a misunderstanding about what the book is about.
Your are asking how practical this method is. Most falconers are looking at it as if the only way to fly these falcons is "Out of the Heavens".
I thought we mentioned in the book that the mental attitude was what we were after. No the height. Now if you have both great!
For example we think it is better to have a falcon flying kind of low 600 to 800 feet but with the right attitude, as if it knew it owned the sky, than one at 2500 feet looking in the bag.
And yes you are right, at the beginning the thermals are available and it is a nice way to have them learn success from such a height, but later on you have to mix flying early in the morning, later in the day, etc... giving them the opportunity to learn to fly on all conditions.
There are plenty of flights in the book that Ed talks about his falcons going out of sight by pumping and never stoping, but maybe those are only stories.
A good example and interesting to hear the story from Mark Williams is this one.
He came down to the 2012 Vernal NAFA meet. A few days before Robert set of a meeting "The Malad Skytrials" at this ranch for falconers to have a get together while they were on their way to Vernal.
Mark said it was in the single digits that morning with a few inches of fresh snow from the night before.
The first falconer flying was Steve Chindgren, and as usual his birds flew like no others, always the most consistent and very high. Mark's thoughts were "He had already witnessed the winner".
Mark said, after that things kept getting better and better. Hybrids, gyrs, peregrines were flown, etc...
The two birds that won the Malad Skytrials were flown by Daryl's kids. His nine and an eleven year old boys. The only thing these kids have ever seen is falcons coming out of the sky with Daryl and Ed's birds, and are not afraid to let them fly.
Mark said both birds disappeared in the sky, out pumped, out climbed, and out flew by far all other contestants. I think they had 15 flights that day.
The books has been translated into spanish now and there are a few people interested in translating it into german and italian. I think that is way down the road.
Alex, it is always good to read your comments. Thank you.
Ricardo

[MD Hawkman]

If you fly a Falcon ~ Get this book ! Well worth the money , if I had alot of money I'd get the Leather bound edition ! But I am a Falconer with a meager retirement benefit. So be it " Is this not the sport of Kings ? Lucky to be alive & flying today .