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Member since 9/12/05
Posts: 1707
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Posted on: 7/3/07 8:48 PM ET
Hi all,

DH had some raptors as a child (long before all of this was strictly regulated in the U.S.) Now he wants to do this all over again. He wants me to get involved, too. I've been reading up on falconry and it looks like such an intense pursuit that I'm not sure I'm up for it. It's something like 7 years total before you can become a Master falconer. Long time -- big commitment! This is such a spectacular experience that I'm sure it's totally worth it. But.....

Comments? Experience? Suggestions? (Regardless of the country you reside in, I'd still appreciate your knowledge and experience with this.)

Thanks in advance!
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“Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known.”
~Garrison Keillor~
  
Member since 4/8/02
Posts: 8572
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Posted on: 7/3/07 9:24 PM ET
In reply to Reggies Mom
I don't suppose you could talk him into a cockatiel, could you?
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“Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.” -Robert Heinlein and Ann's father. Thanks for the reminder, Ann.

Where are we going, and what am I doing in this handbasket?

Matthew 25:40 (New International Version)
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'



  
Member since 9/12/05
Posts: 1707
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Posted on: 7/3/07 10:14 PM ET
In reply to Karla Kizer
He he, I wish....but heck NO! We adopted a cockatiel after our cat loving friends found one in their horse barn. Couldn't keep it so, oops, here she comes to our house. Our Schnauzers hated her because she squawked all the time. We eventually found a good home for her with a retired school teacher who loved them and had quite the menagerie....her pricey condo and toys went with her. Hubby had named her "LIttle B" as in (you guessed it) "b*tch". Arrggh. She was a little pistol, though.
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“Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known.”
~Garrison Keillor~
  
Member since 7/28/04
Posts: 3233
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Posted on: 7/4/07 5:23 PM ET
I stayed at The Greenbriar hotel (White Sulphur Springs, W.VA) over Memorial Day weekend. They have a falconry program on the hotel property.

That's all I know on the subject...it is a "sport of kings" supposedly!

(I stayed close to the croquet lawn)
  
Member since 8/24/02
Posts: 13492
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Posted on: 7/6/07 8:25 AM ET
In reply to Reggies Mom
Hah! Finally found an wi-fi connection in France that works!

Many years ago, before keeping wild raptors was regulated, DH and I, like your husband, "adopted" a wounded redtail (broken wing) and kept him for several years, using him as an entry-level bird, so to speak, for falconry. Redtails are the Labrador Dogs among raptors, very relaxed and easy to handle.

Even so, this creature was a different kettle of fish--high-strung, compared, let's say, to a canary or cat or dog of any type (except maybe some terriers), and yes, feeding and "manning" him was extremely intense. It took several hours per day, what with the weighing and so forth (to keep him in a state of mild hunger, so that he would be motivated), just to care for him adequately. In the end, because we had other interests, we conditioned and exercised him for return to the wild, and after two years, released him. People told us that after two years in captivity, he would be completely unsuited for the wild, but that turned out to be wrong.

Five months after his release, we got a phone call from a woman several miles away, who said that a hawk was eyeballing the guinea pigs she kept in an enclosure in her back yard. Armed with gauntlet and a rat's head, DH went trotting down there, and called the hawk, who bore the ignoble name of Lenny. Lenny was having none of the "come to the whistle-and-gauntlet" routine, but did come down when DH tossed the rat's head on the ground and backed away.

While Lenny was snacking, he allowed DH to approach and, somewhat crabbily, stepped onto the gauntlet. DH felt his breast, which is where raptors store their fat and excess nutrients, and Lennie's breast was plump. In other words, he had been fending for himself quite nicely in the wilkd, but couldn't resist the display of Guinea Pigs in the back yard. Who could blame him?

But, to get back to your question, the only successful falconers I know are weird loner guys, and what they do amounts, quite literally, to a living for them.
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Elona
  
Member since 3/19/06
Posts: 3847
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Posted on: 7/6/07 8:53 AM ET
In reply to Karla Kizer
I have a cockatiel that does 25 different behaviors on cue.

Although lacking the "cool" factor of raptors, birds in the Psittacine family (parrots) are EXTREMELY intelligent (right up there with the dolphins and great apes) and most are highly social, flock creatures. Yes, cockatiels are parrots. You just need to know how to relate tp them on their terms to work with them. Actually, they are easier to train than dogs, IMHO.

http://www.123compute.net/dreaming/knocking/alex.html
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Member since 9/12/05
Posts: 1707
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Posted on: 7/6/07 11:40 PM ET
In reply to dresscode
I've only seen photos of the Greenbrier, and a tv show chronicling its history (the bunker and all) but I can't think of a much better spot to see falconry in action - gorgeous area that is. Too bad you didn't catch a glimpse.
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“Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known.”
~Garrison Keillor~
  
Member since 9/12/05
Posts: 1707
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Posted on: 7/6/07 11:48 PM ET
In reply to Elona
How interesting to get a firsthand account! Sounds like a lot of work but I assume there must also be many fun and exhilarating moments. Hope so, anyway. Also a little curious if you went along on the hunts.

Oh, you might be surprised to learn that apparently it's no longer just the domain of weird loner guys (seems more women are becoming involved). I came upon the most interesting falconry website, The Modern Apprentice. The woman who maintains it (an avid falconer / raptor rehabilitator) worked for Microsoft for some years and is now a senior engineering manager at Google. She's also a published author and public speaker. (Wrote one of the books that is given to all new Google employees.) I'm puzzled how she finds the time to do it all. I guess that adage about the busiest people being the most productive really is true.

Well, thanks for taking time out of your travels to reply. Hope you're enjoying your trip.

-- Edited on 7/7/07 0:00 AM --
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“Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known.”
~Garrison Keillor~
  
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