New flyer from Canada

[Vulturesnake]

Hi there,
I was recommended to join this forum by someone from the falconry forum.CO.UK site, because I had inquiries about people's experiences with passage/wild captured birds and they do not do that in the UK.

I have worked with BOP since 2012. At a wildlife facility that does educational flight demos. My interest and experience started there with the falconer in charge. I am currently embarking on building an aviary at my home and will capture a red tailed hawk from the area to start actual falconry and hunting recreationally.
Hoping to find good thread and experiences and talk to many falconers on here!
Rhiannon

[red_tailed]

where abouts in BC

Bob
BC, Canada

[red_tailed]

I'm in abbotsford

Bob
BC, Canada

[Vulturesnake]

Unfortunately I don't want to name exactly where. Since I work for a facility and I talk about their birds occasionally, because that is my experience until I get my own, I don't want that facility to be identified, since I'm not representing it, just my own experiences.
I just use BC because I understand all permits are acquired differently in each province?... Looking for stories experiences to add to my learning. Especially since I have never done HUNTING with BOP. Very different! Haha. Have you ever caught a wild bird and trained it to hunt?

Rhiannon

[red_tailed]

First bird was a passage tiercel rth. Best teacher bird there is. Always recommend them over a HH any day of the week for someone getting into FALCONRY

Bob
BC, Canada

[Vulturesnake]

Very cool! I am looking for a rth, since I do live where we get cold winters a Harris is just more work. Though I have worked with them before with flight demos, they are just too smart sometimes! Always testing!
Now some terminology I'm confused on, when saying passage, I assumed it was meant as just catching a bird from the wild, but after reading through falconry forums does it mean a juvenile bird? It's that what you trapped? I've seen videos of trapping an adult... Would it be easier in a sense to get an adult that knows to hunt, or a juvenile that will maybe ease up to you faster?
There is a family of red tails, two regular, two dark morphs I've been eyeing up for the last 6 months near my home.

Rhiannon

[red_tailed]

Passage refers to first year birds on their first migration. There are the ONLY birds that can be legally trapped in BC. And wouldn't even think about trapping till late sept. Want the bird to be tested by "Mother Nature" first. As long as you have a healthy population of ground quarry (rabbits, tree squirrels) then it will teach you about falconry.

Bob
BC Canada

[Vulturesnake]

Perfect! This is stuff I need to know! I have yet to locate where these red tails nest, but they are very predictable and are usually found in the same spots!
My aviary is going up right now... Inspection needs to be booked and then online application...
I have contacted BC ministry of environment many times, they are hard to get answers out of... Very slow... When applying for my wildlife permits for taxidermy it took 4 months to go through... Wondering if the falconry permit might take longer. Might be looking at next fall for trapping.

Rhiannon

[red_tailed]

Yeah it's that time of year when 2015/2016 permits expire and renewal forms are coming in. There is ZERO rush in looking at getting a bird. Sept/oct is he earliest I would wat to trap a bird. An eyas red-tail is the last bird you want as your first falconry bird

Bob
BC Canada

[Vulturesnake]

Thank you for your help!
Rhiannon