Falconry: Playing to a raptors strengths

[@markdanielczyk944]

I agree with Red-tailed hawks, we live in an area that has Subdivisions, rural farm fields, and gravel pits, the Red-tailed excells in all areas. It's so cool to watch the hawks just hovering on the rim of a gravel pit riding the air flow. When I become a falconer, the Red-tailed is my bird of choice.

[@Sunsaintsandwaves]

Love this one. Thanks, Ben!

[@Moraprecisionreloader]

Another good video BEN.

[@UmarAmriyev]

Best podcast

[@billanonymous7613]

Thank you ben for all of your time and for making these videos, as well as your falconry podcasts. I am an aspiring falconer in Alberta canada and i have been listening to your podcasts while at work trying to learn as much as possible and have found this to be a great resource. Keep up the good work man!

[@19Roguesparky]

Its like trying to use a monster truck to race nascars

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

Great way to put it

[@michaelgerowjr.1299]

American Stock cars are pretty fast, huh Roguesparky😂. Great comparison

[@lanekobel6006]

Hey Ben! Long time fan, I was wondering if you could discuss the breeding and selling of falconry birds. I have always been curious about the economy behind it but it isn't well discussed or reported. You could go into how well Harris Hawks or non-native birds work in places like the UK, how hybrids are bred, the business in the middle east, and the ethics behind it.

[@xoaster]

Could you explain how you train them to soar up and wait on?

[@dericfranks9346]

Hey Ben, I would love to see a video about duck hawking with a redtail. I live in an area with lots of small farm ponds that would make excellent close slips for any hawk. I haven't been able to get a Harris yet but we have lots of redtails here and they are pretty easy to trap. I have seen redtails in the area feeding on mallards during the winter so I know they hunt them from time to time here.

[@lanekobel6006]

Hey Ben! Another video idea is discussing the similarities and differences of the falconry culture in places like Mongolia, the Middle East, England, and the Americas.

[@iananderson9496]

Ben, since it’s molting season, could you make a video about all about feathers and molting? Primaries, secondaries, molt diet, activities or lack thereof, etc

[@robynwright3613]

Hi ben realy love all the videos, they are very useful. Can you do a video on the best manning techniques for accipiters?

[@BelowTheGold]

Very interesting as always. Ben I have an unrelated question…. I’m just curious to know, If you could go hawking any where and with any bird, where would you go and what would you fly?

[@ricardovanleeuwen7675]

I car hawk my big falcons ( gyr/saker/lanner hybrids) on crows first time I successfully hunted birds of prey and now getting the hang of it really

[@georgeblanco436]

100 percent with every single comment. If you get a RTH to wait on there is nothing they cannot kill. Coops on quail perfect match . Look at your game option and pick from there .

[@yvonnerogers6429]

👍🏻

[@theheresiarch3740]

What about particularly generalist birds who have a wide array of prey species? E.g. gyrfalcons are known for going after Snowshoe Hares in the wild, but falconers using gyrs or Gyr crosses never target ground quarry at all. Even weirder, I've had discussions with them online and I've had them insist that either the bird is incapable of doing it or that the bird will hurt itself in the process, but you can literally go to the far north and watch gyrs demolish hares in their natural habitat. Another example is Cooper's Hawks. I've watched with my own two eyes - on multiple occasions - as a Cooper's Hawk hit a grey squirrel like a thunderbolt. Cooper's Hawks similarly have over 300 known prey species and their diet can be as much as 30% mammalian. But, again, most falconers I've had this discussion with say that the bird can't be used against squirrels.

[@Sunsaintsandwaves]

Can falconry be good exercise?

[@kristensorensen2219]

#66👍👏👏🎉❤❤

[@matthewsasser7712]

Hi ben how's it going, im just 14 and 1/2 but I would love to learn how to do all this. I live in Rexburg Idaho and if you and maby talk to me or suggest someone that I can talk to to help me that would be great, thanks 😊

[@BHURBAK]

Sooooo much talking ,,,, waste of time dude...😢😢😢😢