Falconry and hunting hawks

[boxerkick]

Hi guys where do you stand on hunting with birds of prey(captive bread)

dont get ne wrong im always the first to watch bird of prey shows, i think its unbelievable what falconers do, however im unsure wether i think its right hunting with them. the reason why i think this is because i was talking to a guy who hunts with harris hawks and he told me his female harris bolted for a barn owl got it and killed it.suposenly this happens often an somtimes the hawks kill and the prey is left.

does anyone believe hunting with birds of prey is right?

[LUPUS]

If this is banned what next ? As I understand it to have any success they have to be quite knowledgeable and look after their birds very well. Whilst accidents will always happen where humans are (look at the carnage on the roads) I think we should all show each other a little tolerance more often. I used to see a Barn Owl hunting near a busy junction on a regular basis and feared the worst and now it seems to have gone!

[paulchandler6]

If I'm honest I feel uncomfortable with it. BOP's are best appreciated in the wild.
However I do see the educational benefits of Falconry. It allows kids and adults to learn about BOP's and appreciate and understand their value in the environment. All this provided its done legally. There are too many "cowboys" out there.

Paul

[mh68]

Originally Posted by boxerkick

Hi guys where do you stand on hunting with birds of prey(captive bread)

dont get ne wrong im always the first to watch bird of prey shows, i think its unbelievable what falconers do, however im unsure wether i think its right hunting with them. the reason why i think this is because i was talking to a guy who hunts with harris hawks and he told me his female harris bolted for a barn owl got it and killed it.suposenly this happens often an somtimes the hawks kill and the prey is left.

does anyone believe hunting with birds of prey is right?

Sometimes things like that happen no matter how well trained the birds are. The Eagle Owl escapees that are now established in a few parts of the country prey on smaller Owls so your example isnt much different really. From what i`ve seen bird of prey kills are pretty much instant....the prey is either killed directly upon capture or very shortly afterwards so its a fairly humane hunting method.There is always going to be the risk of a rarity or whatever succumbing to a falconers bird but the same can be said of a wild bird of prey too.

Mark H

[JP]

Ive no problem with it, the falconers hunt small scale and the quarry gets eaten, 9 times out of 10 hunting brings good conservation of britain's country side.

[demicav]

I love birds of prey and love watching the displays, although I've never seen them take live prey. I think more raptors should be living a natural life in the wild, I agree with Paul, too many cowboys out there. I think though that if these birds are going to be kept then it's a good way for them to excercise their natural instinct, in that situation I don't have a problem with it.

[Mr Mag00]

I think its great and hope one day to have enough time and money to start.

[Birchy]

If a bird of prey naturally kills another bird because its hungry and it's part of nature's cycle then fine. But am not in favour of some kind of sport in which a bird of prey is used to kill other birds, especially a barn owl. A barn owl isn't the most common of birds and doesn't need some bird of prey to help it become more rare.

Am not in favour of any kind of hunting sport which involves killing any wildlife just for fun, however I do believe in reducing wildlife in numbers if they are becoming a pest. Or obviously to eat.

Fox hunting and Badger hunters should be jailed or heavily fined.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by Birchy

If a bird of prey naturally kills another bird because its hungry and it's part of nature's cycle then fine. But am not in favour of some kind of sport in which a bird of prey is used to kill other birds, especially a barn owl. A barn owl isn't the most common of birds and doesn't need some bird of prey to help it become more rare.

Am not in favour of any kind of hunting sport which involves killing any wildlife just for fun, however I do believe in reducing wildlife in numbers if they are becoming a pest. Or obviously to eat.

Fox hunting and Badger hunters should be jailed or heavily fined.

I agree, a BOP only spends it's energy if it's hungry and needs to feed. I'd rather see a BOP hunting naturally and catching a small mammal than those poor dead chicks you see them being fed on in captivity. If falconry was being carried out on a large scale and they were being flown to hunt i hope those behind it were supporting the small mammal population through conservation. I have flown an eagle owl and they're AMAZING!

[Tagz]

I am a licensed falconer in the United States. Its a very strict sport here with a 2 year apprenticeship, tests, inspections, etc. Things like the strong comeback of some Birds of Prey such as peregrine falcons could not have happened without falconers help.

As for the bird attacking another bird. These things happen without the falconers being involved. Birds of prey will attack and kill their own kind given the chance.

Its an awesome sport. And thru falconry I have obtained a greater appreciation not just for the predators, but for the prey too. Which in turn brings awareness to the environment that we need to protect to keep both going strong.