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It's a basic title, but have any members on here flown birds of prey. I've trained falcon hybrids to the lure as well as Redtails and Harris Hawks. Are there any falconers on here, it's massively popular in the Middle East
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Never done it myself but have heard how popular it is on the Middle East.Originally Posted by VillaGuy View Post
Went to Beaulieu once to look at the cars and they had a falconry show on at the same time; I'm just glad the birds don;t eat humans as they could certainly do some damage if they got hungry! -
Yeah in the Middle East they spend serious dosh on it, they source wild falcons, fit them with trackers and hunt them with the latest 4x4s for Houbara Bustards. It's always been traditional in the European Royal families and the Japanese too. The Holy Roman Emperor frederick the II was crazy about the sport/pastime, he'd have thousands of men training his birds and used to trade with them with other empires.Originally Posted by Shockerz View PostComment
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http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/falconry-un...dustry-1486803
There's a bloke that breeds falcons near Doncaster and he is known for breeding quick falcons, the arabs pick them up by private jet....it's crazy and they have offered him several million to buy the business.Last edited by VillaGuy; 5 January 2017, 07:00 PM.Comment
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Not there, but the rest of the world has turned lukewarm to it, I guess like snooker. It's easier playing on the x box or walking a dog than flying a falcon or hawk. Good to see the arabs spending time on a truly amazing pastime.Originally Posted by Shockerz View PostComment
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They'v turned it into a sport, same as the falconers in Italy to try and increase the appeal beyond diehard falconers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6WayDmfc8cComment
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A little fact, in the middle east falconry camps were used to complete multi billion dollar oil deals and was how the CIA tracked down Osama Bin laden, he was a major falconer. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/05...y-asserts.htmlLast edited by VillaGuy; 5 January 2017, 07:20 PM.Comment
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Just to show how highly they regard the falconry scene, Emirates....http://www.businessinsider.com/etiha...in-2013-8?IR=TComment
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This is an informative video with the history as well as current day falconry in Arabia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM8W55W-VtI
As I'm a conservationist as much as a falconer I don't like certain practices, things like gamekeeping or unfair advantages being given to the hunter over the prey, my kind of falconry is simply watching a bird do what it does naturally, almost like walking a dog that chases rabbits. I am into falconry simply because I like the birds and not blood-lust that unfortunately many falconers have. When I had a redtail I was in some deciduous woodland in the autumn and it dived from the treetops and caught a woodcock lying motionless near my feet, the eyesight they have is incredible, if you know how well woodcocks are camouflaged against fallen decaying leaves you'll know what I mean because even if you're looking straight at them you won't notice it, how my bird spotted it I'll never know.Comment
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(Watching a bird do what it does naturally). what like being caught, caged trained to do something against its will then perform tricks for the people who keep them as pets yep dead natural.Originally Posted by VillaGuy View PostComment
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It was captive bred and it wasn't caged either, when they are free flying they are free. No tricks either, I wasn't a circus entertainer. I guess you are against people keeping dogs or cats as pets too, all the unnatural providing them with an easy meal stuff is against natures way of sorting the weak from the strong I suppose in that sort of logic. Some don't look after animals in the correct way, but I did all I could to make sure the birds are well looked after, I've fallen out with other falconers who shoot things or say a crow is vermin etc...I think the only pest on this planet is people, our uncontrolled population growth and excessive greeds.Originally Posted by ste bed View PostComment
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Why do people always bring the dogs and cats in to it ?. Your keeping them against there will and no there not free dogs have been bread over 100s of years for domestic use. Taking wild birds and keeping them is wrong.Comment
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It wasn't a wild bird. Released falconry Goshawks are the reason why Goshawks have recolonised parts of the UK, they were made extinct by gamekeepers/shooters. Falconry plays a part in conservation, you can't legally use wild birds in British or European falconry, they have to be by law bred from captive birds, these birds often help to restock wild populations. The Californian Condor was so critically low in numbers in the wild they caught all the remaining birds and bred them in captivity and from those birds they've been able to reintroduce them and establish small but growing populations. The birds face many dangers in the wild, anything from loss of habitat, illegal hunting, wind turbines, road traffic, poisoned baiting....responsible people who take an interest is important with preventing the extinctions of many animals and falconry can help to inspire peoples interests in these or other creatures.Comment
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