Falconry, Good/Bad?

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by pheonix

It was on the Isle of Wight, at the owl and falconary centre there near Sandown.
If your looking for someone to do a show theres someone at Fir Tree Farm, Warmington, Oxon. Don't know if thats why you asked just a guess but i could proberbly get his number if you wanted?

Ah, it's ok thanks - the reason I asked is that I see the same guy every year at the Blagdon Fair who does a great Display and I'm sure he came for Oxford (I noticed that's where you're located).

Originally Posted by pet

however Gaina put it perfectly

After the few days I've had with this heat, I'm truly flabberghasted that I made sense.

[pet]

oh,ps, love the pic Jonny, what is the bird? ( please excuse my lack of bird knowledge )

[Alan]

Originally Posted by pet

oh,ps, love the pic Jonny, what is the bird? ( please excuse my lack of bird knowledge )

It's a Harris Hawk. Native to the South West US. Probably the commonest BOP used for Falconry in this country.

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by Alan

It's a Harris Hawk. Native to the South West US. Probably the commonest BOP used for Falconry in this country.

...and the butt of many (usually affectionate) jokes amongst falconers . I love 'em personally.

[nightshade]

Falconry is good publicity and brings the plight of endangered birds to the public notice
There was a time of course when man worked with animals in partnership which is now
called abusing their rights I expect

[Alan]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Falconry is good publicity and brings the plight of endangered birds to the public notice
There was a time of course when man worked with animals in partnership which is now
called abusing their rights I expect

Probably another point worth mentioning is that a large percentage of BOP images we see in the mags are Falconers birds rather than wild ones!

[Airehead]

Originally Posted by pet

we are supposed to be an intellagent race we perhaps should know better, however Gaina put it perfectly, predator and prey, falcons hunting rabbits ect is how nature intended, so i find it more natural,.

You have missed my point, Pet, which is that hunting is natural also for us. In nature, our intelligence is only relevant to the extent that it is the only worthwhile weapon that we have to enable to hunt unlike other predators which have superior teeth, claws and/or speed. Ironic, isn't it?

"SO YOU THINK THE LION HAS A RIGHT TO ITS HUNTING SPACE?
WELL, SO HAVE I.
WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE LION?"

[Airehead]

Originally Posted by Alan

a large percentage of BOP images we see in the mags are Falconers birds rather than wild ones!

I found at a recent falconry display that they are not only importing alien birds, but also interbreeding related species to create a more controllable killing machine. I think that this spells chaos for the British BOP scene just as mink, signal crayfish etc have done in other areas.

[Gill Catton]

I wish I was just a bit younger or maybe a bit more streetwise or brave or scarey because I'd love to train up as a badger baiter assasin.........
That would be great... all in black... (or full camou - dependant on location) big gun - bigger silencer.....

Stalking the country picking them off one by one when they least expect it - maybe leave some kind of calling card - some badger hair tied with a black silk ribbon....

I'll never understand how someone can get pleasure from torturing an animal - not just hunting it and killing it in a rubbish manner - but actually properly hurting it on purpose to see it suffer and then to draw out this suffering. The worst it seems they can currently expect is a lousy three months in jail I can't help but wish they were left as a chalk outline

is this very evil of me?!

[Jonny]

Originally Posted by pet

oh,ps, love the pic Jonny, what is the bird? ( please excuse my lack of bird knowledge )

Cheers Pet, yes Alan was right Harris Hawk, they are one of the easiest to train apparently..........