Chase June(Lr)

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T h e C h a s ethe on-line newsletter of the UK Falconry Club - June 2010

www.ukfalconryforum.com


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Editors noteWelcome to the 3rd online version of THE CHASE.As we put this edition together, we can reect on lastmonths Falconry & Raptor Fair at Chetwynd Park.It was a success in one way it was the launch of theUK Falconry Club and I believe we stunned some,how quick we got the club up and running. We arenow presently working for our Hawk Boardregistration and hopefully in the coming months wewill full our objectives and become an activemember and supporter of the Hawk Board and theCampaign for Falconry.However, The Falconry Fair was not as busy as inprevious years and several well known suppliers both

home and abroad werent present - possibly this isdown to the current nancial climate, but also couldit be put down to the Fair being held at one of thebusiest times for the breeders?Surely, it is time to reconsider the timing of the fairfor the benet for all.Meanwhile I hope you enjoy this edition.

Neil Davies - Editor

Features4 Gulf Trip 09 by Chris Southern

8 Microchipping Raptors by Edda Pohlandt

10 A Guide to applying for a Kite Flying Licenceby Neil Davies

16 A Lifetime with Eagles by Joe Atkinson

24 Building a Pheasant Pen by Neil Davies

26 Product Reviews

28 The Falconry & Raptor Fair - Is it time for aChange? by Ben Crane

30 The Falconry & Raptor Fair - Pictures

32 Members Birds - Rufus by Allan Gates

34 Club NewsThe Chase is the online newsletter of the UK Falconry Club. No article, photograph, or part of this publication maybe reproduced without written consent.

The Editor and the UKFC Committee reserves the right to approve or refuse any advertisement or contribution for any reason.

Cover photo - Golden Eagle x Steppes Allan Gates

CONTENTS

THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010 3


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4 THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010

GULF TRIP 2010 - ARMTHORPE FALCONS

Gulf


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5

At the beginning of October 2009, Bryn and I travelled to the Gulf for a 10-day trip to visit some of our friends in the region and see some of our falcons.We spent 4 days in Abu Dhabi then went on to Dubai and Qatar for theremainder of the visit; we also took time to look round the huge Hunting& Equestrian Exhibition that is held in Abu Dhabi every year.We spent some time with a group of falconers training their birds for thehunting season ahead, when you see these guys handle and y a falcon that hasonly been out of the hack pen for 4 or 5 days, it is a real eye opener.To see the steadiness of the falcon and watch it own free after such a shorttime, emphasises the innate skill that comes with generations of falconry intheir heritage.We moved on to Dubai having hardly had enough time to see all we needed toin Abu Dhabi, an ultra-modern city that is still rich in its traditional heritage.In Dubai we were lucky to stay with a great bunch of falconers who live, eatand breathe falconry. Early morning found us out in the desert as the sun was

rising,training falcons before the day heated up to its normal high temperature.With only about an hour or so before the sun got too high, there was not muchtime to y the 12 or so falcons in hand.Each bird was dealt with quickly and efciently, no sooner did one falcon land onthe lure than the next was on the wing. The falcons ranged from pure gyrs togyr x peregrines, from a couple of weeks in to training to justa few days.The training ranged from long luring over - a kilometre to slipping at wildcaught ducks, all were handled in an expert manner and no sign of stress ineither falcons or falconers.

THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010

rip 09ords & Pictures by Chris Southern, Armthorpe Falcons


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From Dubai we ew in to Doha, Qatar, thetemperature was starting to cool a little nowreaching 32oC in the afternoon, instead of the42oC we had experienced in Abu Dhabi.

Once more we were staying with falconers from Sheiksto ordinary guys, all without exception were skilled

practitioners. We spent 4 days in Qatar and saw somebeautiful falcons, palatial hack pens and stunningscenery, the time went too fast and we were on ourway home too soon.All in all we had a fantastic time and the memorieswill stay with us for the rest of our lives, I hope toreturn in the not too distant future to see more of what this amazing region has to offer.The most outstanding thing about our visit was theincredible hospitality shown by everyone we met,wherever we went the people were warm, friendly

and welcoming. It was not possible to visit anyonewithout being offered huge amounts of food anddrink, it is the custom of people in the UAE to begenerous hosts and they go to any length to ensure you enjoy your visit.We returned home with a feeling of regret at leaving,I can recommend anyone visit this region if youcan, you will be welcomed as a fellow falconer andthe experience will leave you with a great respectforthe people and the culture.www.armthorpe-falcons.co.uk

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MICROCHIPPING RAPTORS

Microchipping Raptorsby Edda Pohlandt, Falcon Veterinary Group, www.falconvet.co.uk Microchipping has become the most reliable way of identifying individual animals and this includes birdsof prey. Rings can become illegible or can be takenoff. Microchipping has two advantages: it absolutely identies an animal by a unique number and it allowsthe animal to be returned to its rightful owner if theanimal has been lost.

Microchipping, although not entirely foolproof, issimple, reliable and inexpensive. In racehorses it

has been mandatory for years. All dog and equinepassports require the animal to be identiedby microchip.

Appearance and TypesMicrochips are small transponders the size of a ricegrain. They are plastic coated and hold a numberconsisting of 9,10 or 15 digit. Some chips have asmall silicone head with holes in the head. This allowsthe body's tissue to grow through the little holes,without causing any sort of reaction, and thisanchors the microchip in the keel area. The oldproblem of nding a microchip halfway down thebird's body several years after microchipping isthus resolved.

There are many different types of microchips.They work, mostly, equally well, as long as the chipis ISO 11784 (International Standard) compliant.

The ISO certication means that the chip can beread in any country. This is important whentravelling over borders with birds or whenexporting /importing, so that any customs agency can read the chip.ProcedureThe microchipping procedure is as follows: The birdis cast and held on its side. Usually there is no needfor sedation or anaesthesia. The bird is scannedlooking for previously implanted chips. Then thefeathers over the keel are parted and the microchipis implanted with the use of an applicator. Theapplicator essentially is a large needle with a handleand a small rod that pushes the chip under the skinonce the tip of the needle has penetrated.

The preference these days is to microchipsubcutaneously (under the skin) and not into themuscle. This is less painful and does not cause any scarring or damage to the pectoral muscles. Weapply a small drop of tissue glue to seal the hole inthe skin made by the microchip needle. Thisprevents the microchip popping back out when thebird stands back up onto the glove and aps itswings. The bird is then scanned again to conrmthat the microchip is reading OK. The entireprocedure usually takes less than thirty seconds.


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MICROCHIPPING RAPTORS

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DrawbacksAlthough the restraint period is brief, it is stressfulfor the bird to be cast.

The microchipping needle is large and there is somediscomfort as the needle penetrates the skin.

Rejection of the chip, or infection is a rare occurrence.Incorrect chipping procedure is more likely to causeproblems than the chip itself.

The occurrence of tumours has been documented atchipping sites, especially in species like cats whichare more prone to brosarcoma type tumours. Inbirds this has not been documented however farfewer birds than cats have been microchipped, sothis is something that will need monitoring intothe future.

There are stories of thieves removing microchipsfrom birds. It is difcult enough to locate andremove microchips in a dead bird, in a postmortem examination. The scanner scans quite alarge eld and the chip is difcult to locate

precisely. So although it is technically possible toremove chips, it is not easy and is likely to causemarked distress, bleeding and scarring in a livebird.DatabaseThe owner's details are then registered on a database.These databases are administered by various companiessuch as Identichip (Animalcare) or Tracer (Bayer) orBackhome (Pzer). After the initial microchippingcharge at the vets, usually 15-25, there is no othercharge. If you move house or want to change any

other details such as a telephone number, there isusually a 5 administration charge levied by thecompany in question.DEFRA

At present it is not a requirement for birds to bemicrochipped for import or export, but it doesmake the paperwork a great deal easier. There canbe no argument over a worn number on a ring,which you read as a '3' and the DEFRA ofcialinterprets as an '8'. Following equine and petpassports, there is no doubt in my mind thatmicrochipping will become mandatory for any birds crossing borders in the near future.Legal PositionA bird belongs to the person in whose name themicrochip is registered. If you buy a bird, ensurethat you know the microchip number and that theseller signs the change of ownership form.

Alternatively, ask the seller for a letter, stating thebird's details (Name, species, age, etc) includingthe microchip number, stating that the bird is now legally yours and that the seller agrees for you toregister the bird/microchip in your name. Very oftenbirds are sold, microchipped but the microchip isnever registered in the new owner's name. The birdmay be sold several times. If you are the last buyer,and wish to change the microchip into your name,it becomes very difcult to prove that you legally acquired the bird, and the bird remains the legalproperty of the owner from several sales ago!

In the case of divorce, or a partnership break-up, thebird is legally the property of the person to whomthe microchip is registered.

On the other hand, if your bird was stolen or lost,and it is found and scanned, you will be quickly reunited with your bird as there can be no discussion.You are the owner and it does not matter for how long the nder has had the bird in their care they do not have a claim upon the bird.Finally Remember to keep your details on the databaseupdated. Check the chip at least once a year. Thereis a very low incidence of chips malfunctioning, but itis best to check. And nally, microchips cannotprevent theft. They can only serve to identify theindividual bird and its registered owner.



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APPLYING FOR A KITE LICENCE

The summer is around the corner andthoughts of nding alternative trainingmethods for new eyasses. I have put togetherthe releveant forms and legistaltion thatprospective kite yers should be aware of thecurrent CAA aviation legislation.

The team headed by David Miller at the CAAis extremely helpful and will answer any questions you might have. Hopefully by following their recommendations you will

enjoy ying your falcon to the kite in a saveand responsible manner.

The UK's civil aviation legislation states thatCAA permission is required to y a kiteabove the following height thresholds:

30m (above ground level) - if the site is within an Aerodrome Trafc

Zone (which exist around most airelds

/airports and extend out to a distance of approx 2 miles) ;

60m (above ground level) - for allother sites.

The application form is one pages 11 & 12and this can be used for making an application.For a Word version please contact David Millerat the CAA.

On pages 13 & 14 you have the relevant extractsfrom the aviation legislation that you shouldbe aware of. Please bear in mind that theaviation legislation relating to kite ying isestablished for the purposes of aviation safety.Therefore, any other factors (e.g. proximity to roads, railways, power lines etc)are not takeninto account by the CAA when assessing andapproving this type of activity. Consequently,responsibility for those aspects rests with thekite operator.

Please contact Mr David Miller of the CAA,i f you have any further questions.

Useful contact address:Mr David MillerAirspace Specialist 5 (AS5)Airspace Utilisation & Off-Route Airspace(AU&ORA)Directorate of Airspace Policy (DAP)

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)K6 G2CAA House45-59 Kingsway London WC2B 6TETel: 020 7453 6585 (direct line)

020 7453 6599 (AU Operations)Fax: 020 7453 6593email: [email protected]

A Guide to applying fora Kite Flying Licenceby Neil Davies


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APP LYING FOR A KITE LICENCE

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Registration form:

CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY Air Navigation Order 2009

KITES FALCONRY TRAINING

Application for Permission to Fly:Above 60 metres / Above 30 metres within an Aerodrome Trafc Zone

28 days notice MUST be given of the event

If you require assistance with the completion of this form, please telephone 020 7453 6585

Completed forms should be sent to:Airspace Utilisation & Off-Route Airspace, Directorate of Airspace Policy,Civil Aviation Authority, K6 G2, CAA House, 45-59 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6TE.Fax: 020 7453 6593. E-mail: [email protected]

Kite Operator

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Location of ight:

IMPORTANT: Attach a copy extract of 1:50,000 Landranger Ordnance Survey Map showing the siteCLEARLY marked

Please do NOT use either A-Z or Road Atlas maps

Ordnance Survey Grid Ref:

Map No ................. Grid Letters ................. Easting (3g) ................. Northing (3g) .................

FULL postal address of site

.....................................................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................Contact telephone number at site (if available)

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Date/s of ight/s

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Daily Period (in local time) From .................................................. To .................................................Height (in feet) above ground level of kite/s

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Kite lighting, if ying during hours of darkness (the period from half an hour after sunset until half an hour before sunrise):

.....................................................................................................................................................................



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Has the landowners permission been obtained? Yes / No *

Have the Police been consulted? Yes / No *

FULL postal address of Police station consulted

.....................................................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................

* Delete as applicable

DECLARATION

I declare that I have checked the above information and that, to the best of my knowledge, it is correct;and that I am aware of my obligations under the Air Navigation Order 2009 as the operator of kite/s.

Signature of applicant

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Date

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Name (BLOCK CAPITALS) and status

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Address

.....................................................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................

Tel ........................................................................ Fax ............................................................................

E Mail..........................................................................................................................................................


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APP LYING FOR A KITE LICENCE

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Directorate of Airspace Policy Airspace Utilisation& Off-Route Airspace - January 2010

Kite Flying LegislationCurrently, Civil Aviation legislation applicable to kite ying is contained in the Air Navigation Order 2009(Statutory Instrument No 2009/3015) and the Rules of the Air Regulations 2007 (Statutory Instrument No2007/734).

The constraints contained in the Air Navigation Order 2009 and the Rules of the Air Regulations 2007 withregard to the ying of kites (kites are classied as "aircraft" in Schedule 2 of the Order are as follows:-

Article 164(1)The provisions of this Article shall apply only to or in relation to aircraft within the United kingdom.

Article 164(2)(b)A kite must not be own at a height of more than 30 metres above ground level within the aerodrome trafczone of a notied aerodrome during the notied operating hours of that aerodrome. (See Note below)

Article 164(2)(c)A kite must not be own at a height of more than 60 metres above ground level.(See Note below)

Note: The foregoing provisions (article 164 (2)(b) and 164(2)(c) may not take place without the permission in writing of the Civil Aviation Authority and in accordance with any conditions subject to which that permissionmay have been granted. The application should be made to this Section with as much notice as possible.During periods of high workload, the Section may require a minimum of 28 days notice of the event.In order for the application to be processed in sufcient time. However, this notice requirement is exibleand can sometimes be relaxed during quieter periods.

Article 137Of the Order requires that a person must not recklessly or negligently act in a manner likely to endanger anaircraft, or any person in an aircraft.

Article 138Of the Order requires that a person must not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endangerany person or property.

Article 255In this Order, unless the context otherwise requires: 'Controlled airspace' means airspace which has beennotied as Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D or Clasee E airspace;

'Control zone' means controlled airspace which has been further notied as a control zone and whichextends upwards from the surface;

'Notied' means set out with the authority of the CAA in a document published by or under an arrangemententered into with the CAA and entitled 'United Kingdom Notam' or 'United Kingdom Aeronautical InformationPublication' and for the time being in force.

Schedule 3 Part 1Under this Schedule, a kite is dened as a non-powered driven, heavier than air aircraft.



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Rule 52 The Rules of the AirA kite while ying at night at a height exceeding 60 metres above the surface shall display lights as follows:

(a) a groupl of two steady lights consisting of a white light placed 4 metres above a red light, both being of at least ve candela and showing in all directions, the white light being places not less than 5 metres or

more than 19 metres below the lowest part of the kite;(B) on the mooring cable, at intervals of not more than 300 metres measured from the group of ligts

referred to in sub-paragraph (a), groups of two lights of the colour and power and in the relativepositions specied in that sub-paragrph, and, if the lowest group of lights is obscured by cloud,an additional group below the cloudbase; and

(c) on the surface, a group of three ashing lights arranged in horizontal plane at the apexes of a triangleapproximately equilateral, each side of which measures at least 25 metres; one side of the triangle shallbe approximately at right angles to the horizonatl projection of the cable and shall be delimited by twored lights; the third light shall be a green light so place that the triangle encloses the object on the surfaceto which the kite is moored.

Rule 53 The Rules of the AirA kite while ying by day at a height exceeding 60 metres above the surface shall have attached to its mooringcable at intervals of not more than 200 metres measured from the lowest part of the kite, tubular streamersnot less than 40 centimetres in diameter and 2 metres in length, and marked with alternative bands of redand white 50 centimetres wide , or at intervals of not more than 100 metres measured from the lowest partof the kite, streamers not less than 80 centimetres long and 30 centimetres wide at their widest point andmarked with alternate bands of red and white 10 centimetres wide.

The complete Air Navigation Order is available on the CAA website (http://www.caa.co.uk) in the Civil

Aviation Publication (CAP) 393.

Permission for ight are normally only granted for six month periods , to ensure that any future airspacechanges can be incorporated. Normally, a telephone request for renewal will be accepted; please give sufcientnotice for renewal, especially during the spring/ summer period.

The enclosed application form includes a request to specify a grid reference taken from Ordnance Survey (OS) Landranger Maps anda copy of the map with the site CLEARLY MARKED. The Landranger OS Mapreferred to in the form may be obtained from any stationary shop or news agents. Alternatively a photo-copy may be taken from a map held by a library (under the permission from the OS, which allows the CAA to take such copies).

A printed extract from one of the map sites on the internet is also acceptable, providing that the proposedkite location is clearly marked.

There is no charge for issue of a Permission.

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A LIF ETIME WITH EA GLES

When I was asked to write an article about my experiences with golden eagles it caused me toreflect. I realized that I have been flying eagles for along time, some 34 years. And thinking back Irealized that golden eagles have been a huge part of my life, shaping, in many ways, the man I havebecome. My falconry experiences are somewhateclectic as I fly falcons and eagles, somethingwhich, here in the US, is akin to sleeping with thedevil. Simply put, longwingers in the States have astrong dislike for eagles. Why? Its simple...... eagles

eat falcons. I dont consider flying eagles a ventureover to the dark side. I believe I am just a falconerwho enjoys a good flight, regardless.For the last 20 years I have primarily flown passage eagles thatneed some help getting back into the wild. How many I dont actually know, but let's just say abunch! I would say that you would have to go along way to find someone who has flown andcaught game with as many eagle as I have. I dontfeel that by making such a statement I am boasting,it is just a fact. With each eagle that I fly I set a goalto catch 25 head of game, mainly jack rabbits.Over the years I have had three different eagles goover the 300 head count, all taking jack rabbits off the fist, and one non-releasable eagle by the nameof Jackhammer who has caught over 800 jacks andcounting.

I received my first eagle in 1976 under somewhatunusual circumstances. I was a college studentflying an imprint red tail and a passage prairiefalcon on a cattle ranch in Northern California.Living on a cattle ranch gave me access to miles

and miles of land to hunt and I took full advantageof the opportunity. It was while out hunting that aman saw me and asked if he could film my red tailand would I be interested in training a golden eaglefor filming as well. Little did I know that chanceencounter would change my life forever and set inmotion a lifetime with eagles. And some 35 years laterthe journey continues. Not having any idea how toraise an eagle, let alone train one, I was presented witha huge white puff ball that was to be my first eagle.I convinced my wife, Cordi, that this magnificent

creature should live in the house where we, mostly meaning me, could watch over it. I had totally soldher on the idea right up until the moment the eaglettook a mammoth slice across the kitchen with adirect hit on the toaster. After that I spent many hours watching over my first eagle growing up outin the barn! I did absolutely everything wrongraising this female eagle and what I ended up withwas a raging imprint that hated everything but me!This presented some problems because I wassupposed to train her to be filmed, and attackingthe cameraman was not in the storyline.Despite some minor difficulties I did manage tohunt this eagle and, in the end, she was quite thegame hawk. I remember the first jack I ever caughtwith her. I had been flying her off the side of alarge hill in the front of the ranch. The entire fieldwas treeless and was covered with ground squirrelswhich, when hunting with a red tail, are fun flights.With an eagle, however, it is a different story altogether,because the instant an eagle takes to the air allsquirrels go underground.

A Lifetime with Eaglesby Joe Atkinson, Vale, Oregon, USA

Photos: Cordi Atkinson and Mark Williams


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17THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010

A LIFETIME WITH EA GL ES

P h o t o g r a p h M a r k W i l l i a m s


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Growing tired of soaring her on the hillside, Ibegan to look elsewhere for flights. I recalled her tothe fist and approached a patch of wild artichokesthat 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 somethingflushed. I had seen jack rabbits hiding in therebefore and I did know one thing -- if somethingran out from the cover (hopefully a jack rabbit) my eagle was going to launch and fly it down! Ientered the patch and nothing happened. My excitement began slipping away as I continued towalk through the cover. With only a few steps leftbefore I was all the way through, suddenly, fromout of nowhere, a jack exploded in a dust cloudand headed downhill at breakneck speed. My eagletook one look and was gone, closing fast on the jack that had no place to hide. With its ears pinnedand back legs reaching out beyond its nose, the jack was hitting on all cylinders. My eagle went inlow and fast and slammed into the jack with such

force and power that both jack rabbit and eaglewent spinning in a half circle with dust flyingeverywhere. I stood in total disbelief, what a rush. Icould not get that moment out of my head and Iwas, at that moment in time, hooked for life. Ispent 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 forthe record, we say jack rabbit but, in fact, its not arabbit at all. It belongs to the hare family.)Where was I...... oh yeah, my first eagle. She didlots of things that are memorable....... like chasinga cameraman into a water canal, forcing him to gounderwater; attacking Cordi and pinning her onthe side of a hill. This eagle was, to say the least,very aggressive and nothing much backed her off. Iremember one day I had been hunting for a longtime, walking the hills around the ranch, and my plan was to go full circle and end up above theirrigation canal that ran through the valley. I

Author with passage female Golden Eagle


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male that flew at 6 lbs that I called The Unit, andan imprint male that flies at 8 lbs that is more wellknown, his name being Jackhammer.The reason I named this small eagle The Unit was

because he was like a machine when it came tocatching jacks. He wasnt particularly fast nor big;in fact, flying at 6 lbs, he was the smallest eagle Ihave ever flown. He just developed a special movewhen closing in on a running jack rabbit and wasvery good at it. He came to me after havingbumble foot and asper, the double whammy, if youwill. His training went smoothly, nothing out of the ordinary, but that all changed the second hecaught his first jack. For years I hunted in anindustrial area that was a mixture of huge

warehouses and ever shrinking hay fields, pretty typical of Californias main desire to pave over allthings green, slowly turning everything into a seaof black top and cement. Cordi and I shot our firstDVD in this area because it was so loaded with jacks. It was the perfect place to bring young eaglesthat, above all, needed slips and lots of them inorder to perfect their hunting skills. The Unit wasready to hunt and I was eager to see what he woulddo, 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 thefirst one up but he did go after the first jack hesaw, that I am sure of. I never give passage eaglesany bags or hampered jack rabbits. First off, it isnot necessary and I dont believe in it. I mustadmit I have had to do that with some imprintsthough. They were so inexperienced and sohelpless that it was necessary to get them to killsomething, anything, just to get them started. Butthat is the extreme case. Other than one or twoimprints I can say I have never seen an eagle that

did not know what a jack rabbit was andinstinctively chased it. The Unit was no exceptionand it did not take him long before he caught one.I was most ecstatic and wanted a picture todocument the moment so I walked over to the spotwhere he was mantling over his prize. The second Igot to within ten yards he abruptly left his kill andflew straight at my face. I did my best to look likeMohammad Ali and ducked, and he then quickly returned to his jack. I cant say that has happenedall 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 enteringhis 10-yard cone of tolerance, wait until he settleddown, then make in and all would be well. In timehe got over his dislike of me approaching him andwould not even mantle anymore. Despite his smallsize The Unit was a feisty little eagle. In our firstDVD, Eagle Journal the Movie, there is a scenewhere The Unit foots me in the hand andshoulder, but eventually he became a very niceeagle 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 thescenery going by. When we arrived at the huntingfields he would jump up on the glove and off wewould go. I enjoyed flying him so much that hewent over the 300 jack rabbit mark before he wasreleased. 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 everflown, he will hunt all day long! He was found as afluff ball, very sick with asper, and taken to ananimal hospital for treatment. Fortunately fatesmiled on him because the veterinarian he wastaken to happens to be one of the best raptor vetsin the country, Dr. Vickie Joseph. Jackhammer was

to spend the next several weeks in a nebulizer,breathing medication. During the course of histreatment he was imprinted and as time went onhis imprinting became more and more apparent. Iremember very clearly the day I went to get him.As I walked into the huge flight chamber holding alarge fishing net I was told this eagle is different, heis fast and turns on a dime and he is very difficultto net. Okay, I thought, well see. I have netted tonsof 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 waswrong! There were five other eagles in the flightbut it didnt take but a second to see Jackhammer(at that time unnamed of course). He was racingaround the flight pen like a pigeon. I moved to oneside, hoping to intercept him as he flew down theside of the flight pen. As he rounded the end of theflight and headed toward me, I raised the net at theperfect moment, figuring "I got you".wrong.Jackhammer easily checked himself and avoidedthe net. Hmmm, how embarrassing.... let's try this


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Jackhammer with Jack Rabbit

again. Same thing, swing and miss, strike two!Now I was serious, ready to anticipate his moveand snag him as he flew by. Jackhammer made alovely adjustment, went under the net and I cleanly missed again. Strike three! Okay, I thought, I'll justout last him, which I did, and finally netted therascal. Of course I had to endure the "I told you so"looks from everyone. Right from the start JH (shortfor 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 casethough because during his treatment he seemed tohave developed a rather strong hatred of people and,more importantly, complete distrust of everyone.So there I was, looking at an imprinted eagle thatthinks just about anything that moves is food andhates 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 trainingprocess. JH did everything in his power to inflictpain on me. Remember, he hated people and wasNOT afraid of people, which was significant.Frankly, I wished he was afraid, he would havebeen easier to handle. I knew that if I could only get him out in the field and show him live thingsto chase, the rest would fall into place, his angerand frustration would have somewhere to go. Butwinning his trust was more difficult than I firstthought. I had progressed to flying JH on a longline with very nice results and he was mostresponsive to the lure and the glove. So much sothat free flight was the next step. I took JH over tothe large cattle ranch I managed which was where Ihad started countless eagles in the past.... smallishrolling hills that go on as far as the eye can seewithout one single tree anywhere in sight.


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Jackhammer would even consider trusting me andeven then he would come to the glove but was nothappy about it. The first time I took him into thehunting fields he chased several jacks and then flew off self-hunting! Not exactly what I had in mindso, once again, I tracked him down. This time,however, he flew over houses, across freeways andlanded in people's back yards! The thing I foundwith JH was that I needed to prove myself to him,win him over. What I mean is that he needed tounderstand that I was his hunting partner and not just someone who fed him. Once that was clear heand I started to hunt in a serious way. Jackhammerhas taken my eagle falconry to new levels. Forinstance, taking a 700 yard slip, missing the jack and flying all the way back to the glove over andaround all sorts of trees, buildings and, in somecases, parking lots, back to the glove for no reward.And..... do this all day long. Why? Simply becausehe knows another slip is coming and that is hisreward. He also knows that I will take care of himat the end of the day. He will get his just dues -- afull crop of good red meat. Once I realized thatfood was not JH's primary motivation to hunt, as Isaid, 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 nothinghappens. On the occasion when he has gottenstubborn, taking his time to return, I have foundthat if I start hunting going away from him hecant stand it and comes back. With rehab eagles Iwill take very few people in the field with me, forthe obvious reason of keeping them wary of peoplebut once it was clear that JH was not going to bereleased, more and more folks wanted to see himfly. 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 tohis right he would not even look at it. So what Idid was to put people on both sides and walkedslightly in front of the group, and dropped hisweight just a touch...that did the trick. It was noteasy though. It took weeks and I was dragginganyone I could out to go flying. Jackhammer hassince gone on to be in two different TV programsfor National Geographic and Nature. The first onewas Raptor Force in which JH carried a camera onhis back which Cordi and I were both surprised he

tolerated. Well, he did up to a point. On the lastday of shooting JH landed on a hillside andpromptly removed the very expensive camera.Enough was enough! And just recently JH was inMoment of Impact, another PBS production forNature, which just aired in April.

Receiving rehab eagles is a challenge, mainly because I never really know what Im getting. Someare young passage birds that were not making it ontheir own that I train just like any freshly trappedbird. Others are a little different, having beenhandled in what, I would say, is a non falconry kind of way, all for their own good and, dependingon what they were suffering from, ranging frombeing 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. Oneinteresting thing that happens, without exception,is that when eagles are being treated or recoveringfrom some sort of injury they do not moult,sometimes for two years or more. The main reasonis stress; they are not happy and, therefore, do notmoult,. Now, eventually they will to some degreebut when they come to me they have generally notmoult,ed. As they are put into the training processwhich is one that is designed to cause as little stress

as possible, they settle down remarkably fast andare content. I know this because they start tomoult, the mews will look like a pillow fight took place inside it.

Its funny how a mere chance encounter withsomeone or something can set your life on acourse that shapes who you are and how you live your life. I cant say that if I had not beenapproached by the wildlife film maker while flyingmy red tail and offered an eagle that I would haveever flown an eagle or be, in fact, writing thisarticle. But I am very glad it happened, a journey that continues today, and I would like to think thatI have given more than a few eagles a secondchance to be wild.

If you would like to read more about my eagleexperiences I invite you to go to my website:www.joeatkinsonseaglejournal.com



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BUILDING A RELEASE PEN

Building a Release Penby Neil Davies

Materials for construction a 25m x 20m pensuitable 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 arerequired: 100m x 1m x 25mm galvanisednetting roll for the bottom, to keep out smallground predators, and 100m x 1.5m x 50mmGamenet 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 withanti-fox grids and wings ( see diagram 1).

Two-strand electric fencing system is recommendedfor 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.comwww.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. Ametre wide path should be cleared prior toconstruction of the pen. The path should be wideenough to include pop-holes with wings and

allow you to walk both inside and outside theperimeter fence for daily inspection once thepoults arrive. All branches overhanging the track should also be removed to discourage poults fromying out of the pen before they have becomeacclimatised and to prevent easy access formammalian predators.

Step 2Create a twisting feed ride through the centre of the pen running north to south to allow plenty of sunlight for the poults.


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PRODUCT REVIEWS

I was always weak at English when atschool. I blame theteachers. I left witha grade D and havenever forgiven MrsWhite. The reasonlies in the fact thataside from theusual analysis of An Inspector Callsand Of Mice andMen I spent a lotof my time

creatively writing about shing, Barn Owls,Pipistrelle bats and setting traps for beetles. One of Mrs Whites major complaints (I am reading thereport now!) was that I spent too much timefocused on rst hand perspective anddescriptions which others may not share.I think The Imprint Goshawk Breeder wouldtherefore throw the miserly Mrs White inparoxysms of epic proportions. Thankfully sheknew nothing of the country and she certainly knows nothing about Goshawks. The same cannotbe said of the Author. Now in its second editionand built upon nearly a decade of successfulGoshawk breeding, this book should be of interestto any falconer.Like Mrs White, the falconry world can be asnippy, snide and is often full of mal-adjustedopinions. If ideas and various approaches do notmatch the tried and tested means then they arecast on hollow ground. From the outset this book (like my attempts at descriptive writing) is clearly only one mans successful approach to acomplicated 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 theaspects how an Austringer may want to approacharticially inseminating (AI) a Goshawk. Startingwith the general outlay of what AI means, thenfocusing on the specics of choosing stock, basicimprinting, male and female behaviour, through tothe technical aspects of semen collection, storage,insemination and incubation. This is an honest, nononsense book and is a superb rst step for any would be breeder.Having spoken and watched Lee talk about boththe book and the type of AI he carries out, I canguarantee that this is as close to the authors voiceas your likely to nd. Often secret processes arekept from us regular falconers by judicious editingand spin. This is not one of those books. I can seethat this is an initial framework onto which Leewill build books about Goshawks, AI and thesuccess (or failure) of his introduction of new bloodlines into the UK fold.I make no bones about it. I have no real experienceof Goshawks, preferring their much smallercounterparts. But what is refreshing about thisbook is that it throws up as many questions as ittries to answer. In terms of practical application,this is not in any sense a recipe. So unless yourealready 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 theauthor 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 CraneAs recomm


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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Coming up next month:Deaddogs Hawking Vest

by Kevin Massey Britbraid Falconry Furniture nded...Gamehawker CadgeReviewed by Neil Davies

Having previous used a heavy home made woodencadge which was showing signs of wear. I decidedId invest in one of Carls Gamehawker cadges afterreading several positive reviews on the forums.

So armed with my money I headed to the MidlandGame Fair and found Carls stand at the fair.

Unfortunately, Carl didnt have any of the cadgeson the stand, but he said hed had several in stock in his workshop and would get one delivered to mefor the Tuesday Free of charge!. Excellent, freedelivery too, not bad - I thought!So handing over my 40, I headed off around theFair. About an hour later I had a phone call fromCarl, saying he had got one of his work colleaguesto bring one into the show for me - I thought tomyself that was great service and later thatafternoon I collected my cadge from theGamehawker stand.

During the season, I couldnt fault the cadge. It issimply, 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 fromGamehawker 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&Pwww.gamehawker.net

THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UK FALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010 27


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TIME FOR A CHANGE

THEFALCONRY & RAPTOR

FAIR IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE?BY BEN CRANE

Generally, I would say that most falconers arepositive creatures. The idea that you can let a

feathered, ying animal free and be more or lesscondent it will return, is by denition, positive.This is why it is with great sadness that the 2010Falconry Fair in Shropshire turned out to be amaligned, soured, shadow of its former self.

From the United Kingdom Falconers Clubperspective this years fair was easily the worst of the last 5 years. The local newspaper reportedattendance to be around 15000 people, by my estimation it was more like 1000 per day.There are a multitude of reasons why this is thecase. Most signicantly the Festival of Falconry held in Reading raised the bar for what falconers atgrassroots level should expect from events of thistype. The festival clearly showed that at the righttime of year, at the right location and with all thefacets of falconry catered for, the spirit of why wecontinue to practise this sport.There were some positives to be seen, the displaysand 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 futureevents 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 wehope to put in place this summer.

We are holding our rst annual summer bash onthe 10th and 11th of September at a little campsiteon the coast of Wales. There will be hunting,various falconry events and more importantly anopen invite to all of those who wish to help plan,give advice or be part of a new festival/fair to beheld in late August 2011.

This will not be easy; we dont have the funding fora start. But it will be a positive step in the rightdirection. What we need is a new falconry eventthat represents us all. One that is not a money spinning venture with not atmosphere, but ratherone that is representative of the strong falconry traditions he UK has to offer.

If you wish to help or be a part of the organisationthen feel free to contact the UK Falconry Clubwith your suggestions.


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THE UK FALCONRY CLUB AT THE FALCONRY & RAPTOR FAIR

THE UK FALCTHE FALCON


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THE UK FALCONRY CLUB AT THE FALCONRY & RAPTOR FAIR


NRY CLUB ATRY & RAPTOR


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I was lucky enough to meet Iain Crowder through another forum and understood that he had lostsome of his ying ground. My ying ground looked as though it may be suitable for Iain to y, andI 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 withdogs, I was a little apprehensive, but need not to have worried, Rufus worked with the dog asthough 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 differentstory. I am lucky that Iain has done a wonderful job with Rufus, but we still needed the bond, anddespite experience with other Birds, I found myself wondering from time to time have I done theright thing. I can now say I have, Rufus and I have a bond that I thought he would only ever havewith Iain. At the moment he is down to moult, but prior to this I have had some wonderful ightswith him, and to watch him fold his wings from say 500 feet, is amazing. We have rabbits comingback 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 wellmannered bird.Allan Gates

Rufus Golden xSteppes Eagleby Allan Gates

MEMBERS BIRDS


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Brithawk BraidedFalconry equipment

order from Zoe Jones07743 573 755

Quality, hand braided falconry furniture made in Britain

Falcon fitted with Brithawk braided furniture


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