Quote Originally Posted by JRedig View Post
Can someone please tell me where the notion has come from that Plan A is the norm? I certainly don't see that around my falconry circles...
Jeff, I never said it was the norm, but it does happen quite a bit. "Plan a" is extreme, yes, but there are variations thereof that all contain the same elements to a degree. I've directly witnessed falconers using that manning process on numerous occasions, have had many conversations with falconers who do things that way, and there are quite a few threads here and on the international falconry forum talking about the merits of that. A picture of a falconer digging holes with a post hole digger while his Harris' hawk is tied to his glove is something I saw on this forum that will forever be burned in my mind.

There seems to be regional customary differences in certain parts of the country, though. One of the articles that influenced my thinking years ago was written by Ben Ohlander in a NAFA journal years ago on the passage gos-- maybe the influence of Ben and other successful falconers in that area working with difficult birds like the passage gos is why more extreme methods aren't much used in your circle.