I Put a GoPro On My Falconry Trap (AMAZING Footage!)

It has been tough to get good footage of the Red-Tailed Hawks and American Kestrels on the trap, so I put a GoPro on it! Check this one out, very interesting!
*I am a licensed falconer through the State of Ohio. It is a state and federal offense to tamper with or transport a bird of prey without proper licensing and/or permission from state or federal authorities. It is also illegal to injure or kill any bird of prey in the USA.

[@stone90wall]

Another cool video Brandon! Keep'em rolling!

[@AngeloRosario-yt5rs]

Nice vid. Good Camera footage!📸 Thanks for posting!

[@FinsandTalons]

@@AngeloRosario-yt5rs Thanks Angelo!!

[@tobybarclay1651]

Viewing in Suffolk, UK. My brother trained two kestrels that were recued after falling out of a nest on my father's hospital and no access to nest area (mid 1960's). Neither did more than flying to the lure but he was no expert! I have never met anyone who has taken prey with a kestrel but no doubt they are out there. The merlin is the smallest BOP that is trained for hunting over here. Great videos, nicely done!

[@FinsandTalons]

@@tobybarclay1651 Thank you for watching! Good to see so many viewers from across the pond. I've been hearing that the American Kestrels are much "gamier" than the European. Take care!

[@johnlindsay8630]

Thank you, fellow Faulconer keep up the good work

[@FinsandTalons]

@@johnlindsay8630 Thank you and good luck this season!

[@stephenhartnell4628]

Good watch 👍

[@FinsandTalons]

@@stephenhartnell4628 Thanks Stephen!

[@rookbirdblues]

European Kestrels make good display birds because you can train them to hover on command and they fly like dynamite at the lure! They can be persuaded to hunt with much effort but are not as gamey as American Kestrels, they like to eat worms and voles. I have heard of females in falconry catching woodpigeons, which are very large pigeons native over here. I have a feeling that it took a lot of work, though. People in the UK fly them because they love the species and they're an iconic native falcon! Great educational bird.

[@FinsandTalons]

@@rookbirdblues Sounds like a fun bird. I'd like to see one hunt one of these days, especially hovering while hunting.

[@rookbirdblues]

​@@FinsandTalonsDespite their name, there are some parts of Canada where they occasionally appear thats right at the edge of their range, which is kind of cool. They're a fun little bird, great characters

[@FinsandTalons]

@@rookbirdblues Awesome!

[@tollesbury1]

From Essex in the UK. Loads of Kestrels here. Much larger than yours. Great video👍😎

[@FinsandTalons]

@@tollesbury1 Welcome and thank you!

[@harrishawklerinDE]

I just came across this video via FB and I'll explore your channel. I'm from Wisconsin but a falconer in Germany. We cannot hunt with kestrels here because nothing in their Beutespektrum (prey range?) is legal to hunt here. I've been curious about trapping falconry birds from the wild (also not legal here) and how it's done. I appreciated your video showing how it works.

[@FinsandTalons]

Awesome and welcome! That's interesting, are there not house sparrows there? Or they are there but not legal to hunt?

[@harrishawklerinDE]

@@FinsandTalons We have house sparrows but they are protected. I believe the smallest birds with a hunting season in some states in Germany are magpies and pigeons. We hunt those with our FHH but our main focus is crows.

[@FinsandTalons]

​@@harrishawklerinDE Ohh ok

[@jeramiahcsizmadia7752]

Hey Brandon! Watching from Antarctica!

[@Conan_Obrien]

Very interesting. Been learning about falconry for a while now and theres no end to the fascination. Can you do a video about how you made the trap? Curious about how you tie and attach that (fishing?) line. Are they like slip knots and you hope theyre big enough for the hawk's feet to go through but small enough to cinch closed?

[@FinsandTalons]

They are premade wire snares from a falconry supply company. They just go through the top of the trap and loop through themselves to tie into it. Some have used heavy fishing line, but the fishing line gets matted down and kind of nasty over the years. I prefer the wire. I will set them at different size openings so I can get kestrels and also Red Tails.

[@DE-uq5qu]

Dan from Saskatchewan, Canada. Trapping season opened on the 15th here. Looking for a big RT to hunt SS hares.

[@FinsandTalons]

@@DE-uq5qu Welcome Dan! Wow that would be awesome to hunt! I'd also love to ice fish up there - Do you do any ice fishing?

[@DE-uq5qu]

@FinsandTalons I usually make it out a few times a year.

[@barryforster-r3k]

Put two nest boxes twenty-five yards apart kestrel had six chick's tawney owl had two so unusual at the same time. Newcastle upon Tyne England.

[@Tonyhawkin]

Tony from MA 👍

[@poice7935]

European kestrels are not as keen hunters. I've heard of people having more success with American kestrels on starlings and sparrows than a native European kestrel (I'm uk based).

[@FinsandTalons]

@@poice7935 Gotcha. That's the first I've heard of them, thank you for that. I've seen some American Kestrels that are killing machines!