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18 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
A LIFETIME WITH EAGLES
Growing tired of soaring her on the hillside, I
began to look elsewhere for flights. I recalled her to
the fist and approached a patch of wild artichokes
that were growing along the bottom of the hillside.
Both of us had no clue what was there, if anything,
and, more so, what we would do if something
flushed. I had seen jack rabbits hiding in there
before and I did know one thing -- if something
ran out from the cover (hopefully a jack rabbit) my
eagle was going to launch and fly it down! I
entered the patch and nothing happened. My
excitement began slipping away as I continued to
walk through the cover. With only a few steps left
before I was all the way through, suddenly, from
out of nowhere, a jack exploded in a dust cloud
and headed downhill at breakneck speed. My eagle
took one look and was gone, closing fast on the
jack that had no place to hide. With its ears pinned
and back legs reaching out beyond its nose, the
jack was hitting on all cylinders. My eagle went in
low and fast and slammed into the jack with such
force and power that both jack rabbit and eagle
went spinning in a half circle with dust flying
everywhere. I stood in total disbelief, what a rush. I
could not get that moment out of my head and I
was, at that moment in time, hooked for life. I
spent the rest of the season hunting jacks with her.
I would go on long 4-5 hour hunts, going to every
likely spot that might hide a jack rabbit. (Just for
the record, we say jack rabbit but, in fact, its not a
rabbit at all. It belongs to the hare family.)
Where was I...... oh yeah, my first eagle. She did
lots of things that are memorable....... like chasing
a cameraman into a water canal, forcing him to go
underwater; attacking Cordi and pinning her on
the side of a hill. This eagle was, to say the least,
very aggressive and nothing much backed her off. I
remember one day I had been hunting for a long
time, walking the hills around the ranch, and my
plan was to go full circle and end up above the
irrigation canal that ran through the valley. I
Author with passage female Golden Eagle
A LIFETIME WITH EAGLES
would come from the back side of the canal and
peek over the top of the hill just enough to see if
any ducks were there. From this position I could
launch my eagle, giving her a good advantage and
head start on the ducks below. This was an
interesting flight and she actually took a few ducks
in this manner. But on this day I looked to see if
any ducks were in the canal and, seeing none, I sat
on a rock outcropping to rest and enjoy the
panoramic view from my vantage point. It was at
moments like these, sitting there with my eagle
resting on a rock right beside me, that she would
launch off the hill and go into a soar. Watching her
roll off the rock and seeing the air lift her up, I felt
I was flying myself. For me these moments were
truly spiritual. But today we both sat on the edge
of the cliff enjoying the view below. There I sat,
drifting off with my thoughts, when suddenly my
eagle turned abruptly, spread her wings and started
to hiss. I looked slightly over my shoulder at my
eagle who was clearly freaked out by some horrible
monster and I thought, I dont want to look
behind me because it has to be bad. My eagle
regards everything, and I mean everything, as food
and to further add to my now building fear, I had
never seen her afraid of anything. So whatever was
behind me had to be really bad for both her and
me! I couldn't run away because I was sitting on a
cliff, so with no other choice, I slowly turned
around! And there, crawling up a rock behind us,
was a rather large tarantula. I was, to say the least,
relieved. Tarantulas are harmless and very cool
creatures but apparently my eagle was not so
informed and flew off.
Training passage eagles for release has been an
adventure because the vast majority of the eagles I
get have been handled, at least in their minds,
badly. They have been netted, examined and given
shots, along with a whole assortment of things that
are intended to help them but, of course, they
dont know that. All they know is that stuff keeps
happening to them that frankly pisses them off.
My job is to say please forget all that because I am
a nice guy plus I have all this really great food for
you...... and they dont buy it at first. My point is
that eagles that I train have a long list of things
they dont like about humans. For the sake of this
article I will compare two eagles, one a passage
THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010 19
Jackhammer with Jack Rabbit
20 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
A LIFETIME WITH EAGLES
male that flew at 6 lbs that I called The Unit, and
an imprint male that flies at 8 lbs that is more well
known, his name being Jackhammer.
The reason I named this small eagle The Unit was
because he was like a machine when it came to
catching jacks. He wasnt particularly fast nor big;
in fact, flying at 6 lbs, he was the smallest eagle I
have ever flown. He just developed a special move
when closing in on a running jack rabbit and was
very good at it. He came to me after having
bumble foot and asper, the double whammy, if you
will. His training went smoothly, nothing out of
the ordinary, but that all changed the second he
caught his first jack. For years I hunted in an
industrial area that was a mixture of huge
warehouses and ever shrinking hay fields, pretty
typical of Californias main desire to pave over all
things green, slowly turning everything into a sea
of black top and cement. Cordi and I shot our first
DVD in this area because it was so loaded with
jacks. It was the perfect place to bring young eagles
that, above all, needed slips and lots of them in
order to perfect their hunting skills. The Unit was
ready to hunt and I was eager to see what he would
do, for that is one of the most exciting moments.....
walking into a field with a young eagle and
flushing jacks for it. I dont recall if he took the
first one up but he did go after the first jack he
saw, that I am sure of. I never give passage eagles
any bags or hampered jack rabbits. First off, it is
not necessary and I dont believe in it. I must
admit I have had to do that with some imprints
though. They were so inexperienced and so
helpless that it was necessary to get them to kill
something, anything, just to get them started. But
that is the extreme case. Other than one or two
imprints I can say I have never seen an eagle that
did not know what a jack rabbit was and
instinctively chased it. The Unit was no exception
and it did not take him long before he caught one.
I was most ecstatic and wanted a picture to
document the moment so I walked over to the spot
where he was mantling over his prize. The second I
got to within ten yards he abruptly left his kill and
flew straight at my face. I did my best to look like
Mohammad Ali and ducked, and he then quickly
returned to his jack. I cant say that has happened
all too often. 99% of the time eagles want to drag
the jack rabbit off into some bush or something.
The trick with him was to stay back, not entering
his 10-yard cone of tolerance, wait until he settled
down, then make in and all would be well. In time
he got over his dislike of me approaching him and
would not even mantle anymore. Despite his small
size The Unit was a feisty little eagle. In our first
DVD, Eagle Journal the Movie, there is a scene
where The Unit foots me in the hand and
shoulder, but eventually he became a very nice
eagle to fly. He would ride in the back of my truck
unhooded, both to and from the hunting fields,
looking out the rear window at other cars and the
scenery going by. When we arrived at the hunting
fields he would jump up on the glove and off we
would go. I enjoyed flying him so much that he
went over the 300 jack rabbit mark before he was
released. It's safe to say he is doing fine.
Jackhammer is a story all to his own. He is simply
the fastest and most aggressive hunter I have ever
flown, he will hunt all day long! He was found as a
fluff ball, very sick with asper, and taken to an
animal hospital for treatment. Fortunately fate
smiled on him because the veterinarian he was
taken to happens to be one of the best raptor vets
in the country, Dr. Vickie Joseph. Jackhammer was
to spend the next several weeks in a nebulizer,
breathing medication. During the course of his
treatment he was imprinted and as time went on
his imprinting became more and more apparent. I
remember very clearly the day I went to get him.
As I walked into the huge flight chamber holding a
large fishing net I was told this eagle is different, he
is fast and turns on a dime and he is very difficult
to net. Okay, I thought, well see. I have netted tons
of birds of all kinds, including many eagles, how
difficult can it be? The net was big and had a long
pole attached. I figured, no problem I was
wrong! There were five other eagles in the flight
but it didnt take but a second to see Jackhammer
(at that time unnamed of course). He was racing
around the flight pen like a pigeon. I moved to one
side, hoping to intercept him as he flew down the
side of the flight pen. As he rounded the end of the
flight and headed toward me, I raised the net at the
perfect moment, figuring "I got you".wrong.
Jackhammer easily checked himself and avoided
the net. Hmmm, how embarrassing.... let's try this
21 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
A LIFETIME WITH EAGLES
Jackhammer with Jack Rabbit
again. Same thing, swing and miss, strike two!
Now I was serious, ready to anticipate his move
and snag him as he flew by. Jackhammer made a
lovely adjustment, went under the net and I cleanly
missed again. Strike three! Okay, I thought, I'll just
out last him, which I did, and finally netted the
rascal. Of course I had to endure the "I told you so"
looks from everyone. Right from the start JH (short
for Jackhammer) was proving to be a challenge.
Yes, he was an imprint, which you would think
would be a great help. Not so much in his case
though because during his treatment he seemed to
have developed a rather strong hatred of people and,
more importantly, complete distrust of everyone.
So there I was, looking at an imprinted eagle that
thinks just about anything that moves is food and
hates people to the point that he wants to attack
them. Not a good picture and... I must train him!
My first challenge was to win JHs trust. Somehow
I needed to show him that I meant him no harm.
Once I had his trust I could start the training
process. JH did everything in his power to inflict
pain on me. Remember, he hated people and was
NOT afraid of people, which was significant.
Frankly, I wished he was afraid, he would have
been easier to handle. I knew that if I could only
get him out in the field and show him live things
to chase, the rest would fall into place, his anger
and frustration would have somewhere to go. But
winning his trust was more difficult than I first
thought. I had progressed to flying JH on a long
line with very nice results and he was most
responsive to the lure and the glove. So much so
that free flight was the next step. I took JH over to
the large cattle ranch I managed which was where I
had started countless eagles in the past.... smallish
rolling hills that go on as far as the eye can see
without one single tree anywhere in sight.
22 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
The perfect spot to start a young eagle. My plan
was to launch JH off the fist, let him fly along the
side of a small hill, and call him down. Well, the
launch part went great. JH flew to the side of the
hill, turned around but, at that exact moment, a
coyote came trotting by, minding its own business.
Without the slightest hesitation JH left the hillside
and slammed into the coyote. If you have ever seen
a tiercel Harris' Hawk grab hold of a large hare or
jack rabbit by the head, you can visualize the scene.
The coyote was doing somersaults trying to shake
JH off. Surprisingly, JH had the perfect hold on it -
- one foot on the neck just behind the head and
the other foot on the poor creatures nose. I say
poor creature because I like coyotes. As a fourth
generation rancher they have never caused me or
our livestock any harm, but then we dont have
sheep! I started to run over to give help, mainly to
try and save JH from losing a toe or foot or leg,
and as I closed in on the two of them, the coyote,
seeing more trouble coming, managed to break
free and took off. JH settled himself and then took
off in hot pursuit. Once again he flew the coyote
down and bound to its head and, once again, I
came up on the scene only to have the coyote break
free and run off with JH once again in hot pursuit.
The day ended with me tracking JH for six miles
across many different ranches until I found him
too tired to fly and he just stepped up on my glove.
Not sure what happened to Mr. Coyote but he had
a great story to tell for sure.
It took me several more training flights before
A LIFETIME WITH EAGLES
Another pheasant in the bag!
A LIFETIME WITH EAGLES
23
Jackhammer would even consider trusting me and
even then he would come to the glove but was not
happy about it. The first time I took him into the
hunting fields he chased several jacks and then flew
off self-hunting! Not exactly what I had in mind
so, once again, I tracked him down. This time,
however, he flew over houses, across freeways and
landed in people's back yards! The thing I found
with JH was that I needed to prove myself to him,
win him over. What I mean is that he needed to
understand that I was his hunting partner and not
just someone who fed him. Once that was clear he
and I started to hunt in a serious way. Jackhammer
has taken my eagle falconry to new levels. For
instance, taking a 700 yard slip, missing the jack
and flying all the way back to the glove over and
around all sorts of trees, buildings and, in some
cases, parking lots, back to the glove for no reward.
And..... do this all day long. Why? Simply because
he knows another slip is coming and that is his
reward. He also knows that I will take care of him
at the end of the day. He will get his just dues -- a
full crop of good red meat. Once I realized that
food was not JH's primary motivation to hunt, as I
said, things went to a new level. This eagle simply
loves to hunt. The few times when he has landed in
a tree I stop hunting to show him that nothing
happens. On the occasion when he has gotten
stubborn, taking his time to return, I have found
that if I start hunting going away from him he
cant stand it and comes back. With rehab eagles I
will take very few people in the field with me, for
the obvious reason of keeping them wary of people
but once it was clear that JH was not going to be
released, more and more folks wanted to see him
fly. JH was very shy at first and would only fly at
jacks that were flushed on his left side, away from
the guests. When someone flushed a jack rabbit to
his right he would not even look at it. So what I
did was to put people on both sides and walked
slightly in front of the group, and dropped his
weight just a touch...that did the trick. It was not
easy though. It took weeks and I was dragging
anyone I could out to go flying. Jackhammer has
since gone on to be in two different TV programs
for National Geographic and Nature. The first one
was Raptor Force in which JH carried a camera on
his back which Cordi and I were both surprised he
tolerated. Well, he did up to a point. On the last
day of shooting JH landed on a hillside and
promptly removed the very expensive camera.
Enough was enough! And just recently JH was in
Moment of Impact, another PBS production for
Nature, which just aired in April.
Receiving rehab eagles is a challenge, mainly
because I never really know what Im getting. Some
are young passage birds that were not making it on
their own that I train just like any freshly trapped
bird. Others are a little different, having been
handled in what, I would say, is a non falconry
kind of way, all for their own good and, depending
on what they were suffering from, ranging from
being grabbed, netted or chased down, and varied
greatly. Those eagles are a challenge because they
are ready to fight me every step of the way. One
interesting thing that happens, without exception,
is that when eagles are being treated or recovering
from some sort of injury they do not moult,
sometimes for two years or more. The main reason
is stress; they are not happy and, therefore, do not
moult,. Now, eventually they will to some degree
but when they come to me they have generally not
moult,ed. As they are put into the training process
which is one that is designed to cause as little stress
as possible, they settle down remarkably fast and
are content. I know this because they start to
moult, the mews will look like a pillow fight took
place inside it.
Its funny how a mere chance encounter with
someone or something can set your life on a
course that shapes who you are and how you live
your life. I cant say that if I had not been
approached by the wildlife film maker while flying
my red tail and offered an eagle that I would have
ever flown an eagle or be, in fact, writing this
article. But I am very glad it happened, a journey
that continues today, and I would like to think that
I have given more than a few eagles a second
chance to be wild.
If you would like to read more about my eagle
experiences I invite you to go to my website:
www.joeatkinsonseaglejournal.com
THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
24 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
BUILDING A RELEASE PEN
Building a
Release Pen
by Neil Davies
Materials for construction a 25m x 20m pen
suitable for holding approx a 100 poults.
25 Tanalised posts 2.6m long and 7.5cm in
diameter.
10 Tanalised straining posts 2.6m long and
10cm in diameter.
Two different size rolls of wire netting are
required: 100m x 1m x 25mm galvanised
netting roll for the bottom, to keep out small
ground predators, and 100m x 1.5m x 50mm
Gamenet plastic release pen netting for the top.
Timber and hinges/latches for entry gates.
Nails, staples, hammers etc
Re-entry funnels or pop holes, complete with
anti-fox grids and wings ( see diagram 1).
Two-strand electric fencing system is recommended
for all open topped pens to deter foxes.
12-volt car battery.
Water butts and piping ( If required).
Hog rings.
Shovel.
Post hole digger & Post Knocker.
Useful addresses:
www.solwayfeeders.com
www.gamekeepersupplies.co.uk
www.gamekeepafeeds.co.uk
www.basc.org.uk
www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk
www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk
www.gamekeeping.org.uk
www.gwct.org.uk
Step 1:
Having decided where your going to site the pen. A
metre wide path should be cleared prior to
construction of the pen. The path should be wide
enough to include pop-holes with wings and
allow you to walk both inside and outside the
perimeter fence for daily inspection once the
poults arrive. All branches overhanging the track
should also be removed to discourage poults from
ying out of the pen before they have become
acclimatised and to prevent easy access for
mammalian predators.
Step 2
Create a twisting feed ride through the centre of
the pen running north to south to allow plenty of
sunlight for the poults.
25
Water
If there is not a clean water
source adjacent to the pen you
will have to either pipe it in or
have water barrels placed
within the pen. You can use a
nipple system to save water.
Electric fencing predator control
A simple two-strand 12v electric fencing system
should be set 15cm and 30cm high and approximately
30cm out from the pen wire.
It may be necessary
to spray the ground
where the electric
fencer is used with a
strong herbicide to
prevent vegetation
from short circuiting
the system. Prior to
poults being released
in the pen run switch
on the fence to deter
predators.
Pop Holes
Once poults begin to y out of the pen, they very
rarely learn to y back in. It is therefore essential to
provide some form of re-entry funnels or pop holes,
complete with anti-fox grids and wings.
The wings will direct poults, which are travelling
around the outside of the pen through the anti-fox
grid and wire funnel back in to the pen. Use lengths
of old hose pipe to run the electric fence wire through
these wings to avoid the earthing of the current.
Step 3
Place feed
hopper and
drinkers
throughout
the pen as well
as the central
feed ride.
Step 4
The minimum
recommended
height for a release pen is 1.8m (6ft). Tanalised
posts 2.1m 2.4m long and 7.5cm in diameter
spaced about 3.6m 4.5m apart, knocked rmly
into the ground and capped to the required height
make an ideal support for the straining wire.
10 foot long treated posts 3 feet into the ground,
about 12 feet apart
Step 5
Two strands of 3mm diameter straining wire, one
near the top of the poles and another half way
between the top strand and ground level, run
around the pen and stapled in position will make a
strong frame upon which to hang the wire netting.
Two different size rolls of wire netting are required:
a 1.2m x 25mm roll for the bottom, to keep out
small ground predators, and one 1.2m x 50mm for
the top. Both should be xed securely to the
straining wire (bottom one rst) before being
overlapped and fastened to each other. Many pens
are now made with galvanised wire for the bottom
two feet and Gamenet plastic netting above.
Dig a trench around the base of the pen between
each of the set posts, about 6 inches deep and 6
inches wide.
Lay the rst layer of galvanized wire into the trench,
aring out 2 or 3 inches at the bottom. Back ll in
the trench with soil.
Step 6
Access gates should be carefully sited. Ideally you
should have two gates one being wide enough for
a vehicle to enter the pen.
Next month: Building a Partridge Pen
THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
BUILDING A RELEASE PEN
26 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
PRODUCT REVIEWS
I was always weak
at English when at
school. I blame the
teachers. I left with
a grade D and have
never forgiven Mrs
White. The reason
lies in the fact that
aside from the
usual analysis of
An Inspector Calls
and Of Mice and
Men I spent a lot
of my time
creatively writing about shing, Barn Owls,
Pipistrelle bats and setting traps for beetles. One of
Mrs Whites major complaints (I am reading the
report now!) was that I spent too much time
focused on rst hand perspective and
descriptions which others may not share.
I think The Imprint Goshawk Breeder would
therefore throw the miserly Mrs White in
paroxysms of epic proportions. Thankfully she
knew nothing of the country and she certainly
knows nothing about Goshawks. The same cannot
be said of the Author. Now in its second edition
and built upon nearly a decade of successful
Goshawk breeding, this book should be of interest
to any falconer.
Like Mrs White, the falconry world can be a
snippy, snide and is often full of mal-adjusted
opinions. If ideas and various approaches do not
match the tried and tested means then they are
cast on hollow ground. From the outset this book
(like my attempts at descriptive writing) is clearly
only one mans successful approach to a
complicated process.
The book itself it built upon the authors polemic
observations and is all the more informative for it.
There are roughly ten chapters covering all the
aspects how an Austringer may want to approach
articially inseminating (AI) a Goshawk. Starting
with the general outlay of what AI means, then
focusing on the specics of choosing stock, basic
imprinting, male and female behaviour, through to
the technical aspects of semen collection, storage,
insemination and incubation. This is an honest, no
nonsense book and is a superb rst step for any
would be breeder.
Having spoken and watched Lee talk about both
the book and the type of AI he carries out, I can
guarantee that this is as close to the authors voice
as your likely to nd. Often secret processes are
kept from us regular falconers by judicious editing
and spin. This is not one of those books. I can see
that this is an initial framework onto which Lee
will build books about Goshawks, AI and the
success (or failure) of his introduction of new
bloodlines into the UK fold.
I make no bones about it. I have no real experience
of Goshawks, preferring their much smaller
counterparts. But what is refreshing about this
book is that it throws up as many questions as it
tries to answer. In terms of practical application,
this is not in any sense a recipe. So unless youre
already a successful breeder, this guide will allow
you to bolt on your own ideas and discoveries as
you move through successive seasons.
After all no hawk or falcon is a robot. As the
author says One thing is for sure, the encounters
you will have whilst trying to breed Goshawks will
give you a real insight and should been seen as a
privilege. It is about as close as you can get to nature
at her best.
Amen to that!
Price: 25.00 plus P&P
www.leeshawksandcockers.9f.com
The Imprint Accipter Breeder by Lee Featherstone Reviewed by Ben Crane
As recomme
PRODUCT REVIEWS
Coming up next month:
Deaddogs Hawking Vest
by Kevin Massey
Britbraid Falconry Furniture
ended...
Gamehawker Cadge
Reviewed by Neil Davies
Having previous used a heavy home made wooden
cadge which was showing signs of wear. I decided
Id invest in one of Carls Gamehawker cadges after
reading several positive reviews on the forums.
So armed with my money I headed to the Midland
Game Fair and found Carls stand at the fair.
Unfortunately, Carl didnt have any of the cadges
on the stand, but he said hed had several in stock
in his workshop and would get one delivered to me
for the Tuesday Free of charge!. Excellent, free
delivery too, not bad - I thought!
So handing over my 40, I headed off around the
Fair. About an hour later I had a phone call from
Carl, saying he had got one of his work colleagues
to bring one into the show for me - I thought to
myself that was great service and later that
afternoon I collected my cadge from the
Gamehawker stand.
During the season, I couldnt fault the cadge. It is
simply, a well made piece of kit. It is easy to clean,
just a quick hose down and that is it.
The question is would I recommend a cadge from
Gamehawker to anyone else? - YES!
It is simply the best 40 I have spent!
Pros: Lightweight, Washable, Hard Wearing,
Great Service and extremly well made.
Against: Nothing.
Price: 40.00 plus P&P
www.gamehawker.net
THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010 27
28 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
TIME FOR A CHANGE
THE
FALCONRY
& RAPTOR
FAIR
IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE?
BY BEN CRANE
Generally, I would say that most falconers are
positive creatures. The idea that you can let a
feathered, ying animal free and be more or less
condent it will return, is by denition, positive.
This is why it is with great sadness that the 2010
Falconry Fair in Shropshire turned out to be a
maligned, soured, shadow of its former self.
From the United Kingdom Falconers Club
perspective this years fair was easily the worst of
the last 5 years. The local newspaper reported
attendance to be around 15000 people, by my
estimation it was more like 1000 per day.
There are a multitude of reasons why this is the
case. Most signicantly the Festival of Falconry
held in Reading raised the bar for what falconers at
grassroots level should expect from events of this
type. The festival clearly showed that at the right
time of year, at the right location and with all the
facets of falconry catered for, the spirit of why we
continue to practise this sport.
There were some positives to be seen, the displays
and the birds themselves where in good condition.
It was also the rst time the UKFC club committee
and its members could sit and talk about future
events and the direction your club should be going in.
We also made good contacts with manufacturers,
breeders, falconers, writers and other clubs.
From these discussions were seeded plans that we
hope to put in place this summer.
We are holding our rst annual summer bash on
the 10th and 11th of September at a little campsite
on the coast of Wales. There will be hunting,
various falconry events and more importantly an
open invite to all of those who wish to help plan,
give advice or be part of a new festival/fair to be
held in late August 2011.
This will not be easy; we dont have the funding for
a start. But it will be a positive step in the right
direction. What we need is a new falconry event
that represents us all. One that is not a money
spinning venture with not atmosphere, but rather
one that is representative of the strong falconry
traditions he UK has to offer.
If you wish to help or be a part of the organisation
then feel free to contact the UK Falconry Club
with your suggestions.
TIME FOR A CHANGE
29 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
30 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
THE UK FALCONRY CLUB AT THE FALCONRY & RAPTOR FAIR
THE UK FALCO
THE FALCON
THE UK FALCONRY CLUB AT THE FALCONRY & RAPTOR FAIR
31 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
ONRY CLUB AT
RY & RAPTOR
32 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
I was lucky enough to meet Iain Crowder through another forum and understood that he had lost
some of his ying ground. My ying ground looked as though it may be suitable for Iain to y, and
I invited him to come over with Rufus and Rolex his 09 Male Golden Eagle.
To watch Rufus y over our valley and return to Iain with a blast from the whistle was amazing.
During our ying session Iain asked me to get out my GSP, he assured me that Rufus was ne with
dogs, I was a little apprehensive, but need not to have worried, Rufus worked with the dog as
though they had always worked together.
About 2 months later, I had a message from Iain asking if I wanted to take on Rufus, as he wanted
to put all his time into his young Goldie, well I nearly fell of my chair. He had visited my falconry
centre and said he thought that Rufus would be happy with me, and that is how I came to have Rufus.
This is where the story starts, having trained Falcons, Owls, Hawks, but an Eagle is a very different
story. I am lucky that Iain has done a wonderful job with Rufus, but we still needed the bond, and
despite experience with other Birds, I found myself wondering from time to time have I done the
right thing. I can now say I have, Rufus and I have a bond that I thought he would only ever have
with Iain. At the moment he is down to moult, but prior to this I have had some wonderful ights
with him, and to watch him fold his wings from say 500 feet, is amazing. We have rabbits coming
back to the valley now and cannot wait for next season.
All I can say is a big thank you to Iain for giving me the chance to y such a magnicent well
mannered bird.
Allan Gates
Rufus
Golden x
Steppes Eagle
by Allan Gates
MEMBERS BIRDS
THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK
FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
Brithawk Braided
Falconry equipment
order from Zoe Jones
07743 573 755
Quality, hand braided falconry
furniture made in Britain
Falcon fitted with Brithawk braided furniture
34 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010
CLUB NEWS
Club News
Club BBQ
The UK Falconry Club will be holding a Summer BBQ in September 10th - 11th at
Rhosllefain, Tywyn, Gwynedd LL36 9ND. If any members wish to attend, please
contact Ben Crane for further details - ben_crane@ukfalconryforum.com
We hope you can come along and meet the committee.
UK Falconry Club Committee
President - Ben Crane, Vice-President - Neil Hunter,
Chairman - Lee Featherstone, Vice-Chairman - Martin Whitley,
Secretary - Steven Lambert, Treasurer - Tommy Miles,
Membership Secretary - George Duncalf, Legal Officer - Mike Roberts,
Field Meet Officer - Kevin Massey, Assistant Field Meet Officer 1 - Joe Hatton,
Newsletter Editor - Neil Davies
Membership is now available online
If you wish to join the UK Falconry Club you can now apply and pay online at the
clubs forum www.ukfalconryforum.com
Membership fees are per year and include Public Liability Insurance for Full &
Associate Members:
Full Members 32, Associate Members 32 and Supporter member 17
Field Meets
We are presently organising a number of UKFC field meets through out the whole of
the of UK. We will post a list of date on www.ukfalconryforum.com in due course.
the uk falconry club supports
the campaign for falconry