Description
We Can Train Your Hawk or Falcon.
Training your own hawk or falcon can be part of the fun of falconry. However, you may not be confident to train your first bird, or you don’t know anyone in your area who can help you in those first crucial steps. You may be going to keep your bird for more than twenty years, so it’s worth getting it right!
We can offer complete or partial training which will include a coaching session for you when you come to pick up your bird, to bring you up to speed with handling, flying and management of your unique raptor. When you take your hawk or falcon back we will also be on hand to help guide you through any problems you may encounter in the first few days or weeks.
Training from the earliest stages up to free flight will take an average of around 20 days, although if you require your bird to be trained up to the point of taking quarry it could take considerably longer, depending on individuals.
Types of training/management can include:
- Fitting of equipment
- Initial manning/hood training
- Advanced manning
- Free flight
- Lure pursuit training for broadwings/shortwings
- Stooping to the lure for falcons
- Kite training
- Taking quarry
- Retraining after moulting
Please note we may not be able to remedy the behavioural characteristics of individual raptors due to inappropriate breeding/rearing techniques. This includes screaming and other juvenile behaviour, often caused by taking the youngster too soon from the parents, hand rearing, crèche rearing etc. Harris hawks are particularly likely to be screamers, and should be totally parent-reared and at least 15 weeks old before training commences. Older is far better. For most other raptors, around 12 weeks should be adequate. We are also not able to take on birds for social imprinting, although we can advise on how to do it, and may be able to take over training at an appropriate point.
Before we take on the training, we will give you an assessment of the likely cost of the work required. Your raptor will also need to insured, and will preferably have a veterinary check, with appropriate treatment where necessary (usually for internal/external parasites).
Costs:
£12.00 per day, including feeding (top quality varied diet, with vitamins)
Travel expenses will be charged if necessary. This will usually only include trips for hunting training, unless urgent veterinary treatment is required.
Equipment costs. We will fit appropriate items of equipment where necessary, making sure the individual has jesses, swivel, leash, bells, telemetry tailmount, and a hood if required.
If you would like to discuss the possibilities, please contact us here or via phone on 01452 678631, or 07970 038169.