the chase june 2010

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

www.ukfalconryforum.com

Editors noteWelcome to the 3rd online version of THE CHASE.

As we put this edition together, we can reflect 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 fulfil 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 bothhome and abroad weren’t present - possibly this isdown to the current financial 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 benefit 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 Licence

by 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 withoutwritten consent.

The Editor and the UKFC Committee reserves the right to approve orrefuse 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

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

GULF TRIP 2010 - ARMTHORPE FALCONS

Gulf TW


5

At the beginning of October 2009, Bryn and I travelled to the Gulf for a 10-daytrip 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 fly 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 flown 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 wasrising,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 fly the 12 or so falcons in hand.

Each bird was dealt with quickly and efficiently, 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 just a 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

Trip 09Words & Pictures by Chris Southern, Armthorpe Falcons



From Dubai we flew in to Doha, Qatar, the temperature was starting to cool a little now reaching 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 skilledpractitioners. 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 ofwhat 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, friendlyand 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 ensureyou 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

6


MICROCHIPPING RAPTORS

Microchipping Raptorsby Edda Pohlandt, Falcon Veterinary Group, www.falconvet.co.uk

Microchipping has become the most reliable way ofidentifying individual animals and this includes birdsof prey. Rings can become illegible or can be takenoff. Microchipping has two advantages: it absolutelyidentifies 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 ithas been mandatory for years. All dog and equinepassports require the animal to be identified by 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 finding 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 certification means that the chip can beread in any country. This is important whentravelling over borders with birds or whenexporting /importing, so that any customs agencycan 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 anyscarring 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 flaps itswings. The bird is then scanned again to confirmthat the microchip is reading OK. The entireprocedure usually takes less than thirty seconds.

MICROCHIPPING RAPTORS

9

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 fibrosarcoma 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 difficult enough to locate andremove microchips in a dead bird, in a postmortem examination. The scanner scans quite alarge field and the chip is difficult to locateprecisely. 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 (Pfizer). 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.

DEFRAAt 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 officialinterprets as an '8'. Following equine and petpassports, there is no doubt in my mind thatmicrochipping will become mandatory for anybirds 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 nowlegally 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 difficult to prove that you legallyacquired 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 quicklyreunited with your bird as there can be no discussion.You are the owner and it does not matter for howlong the finder has had the bird in their care – theydo not have a claim upon the bird.

FinallyRemember 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 finally, microchips cannotprevent theft. They can only serve to identify theindividual bird and its registered owner.



APPLYING FOR A KITE LICENCE

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

The team headed by David Miller at the CAAis extremely helpful and will answer anyquestions you might have. Hopefully byfollowing their recommendations you willenjoy flying your falcon to the kite in a saveand responsible manner.

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

• 30m (above ground level) - if the site iswithin an Aerodrome Traffic

• Zone (which exist around most airfields/airports and extend out to a distance ofapprox 2 miles);

• 60m (above ground level) - for all other 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 flying isestablished for the purposes of aviation safety.Therefore, any other factors (e.g. proximity toroads, 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,if 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 KingswayLondon 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


11

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 Traffic 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 flight:

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 (3fig) ................. Northing (3fig) .................

FULL postal address of site

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

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

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

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

Contact telephone number at site (if available)

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

Date/s of flight/s

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

Daily Period (in local time) From .................................................. To .................................................

Height (in feet) above ground level of kite/s

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

Kite lighting, if flying during hours of darkness (the period from half an hour after sunset until half an hour

before sunrise):

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




Has the landowner’s 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..........................................................................................................................................................


13

Directorate of Airspace Policy Airspace Utilisation & Off-Route Airspace - January 2010Kite Flying LegislationCurrently, Civil Aviation legislation applicable to kite flying 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 flying of kites (kites are classified 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 flown at a height of more than 30 metres above ground level within the aerodrome trafficzone of a notified aerodrome during the notified operating hours of that aerodrome. (See Note below)

Article 164(2)(c)A kite must not be flown 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 inwriting of the Civil Aviation Authority and in accordance with any conditions subject to which that permission may 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 sufficient time. However, this notice requirement is flexible and 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 beennotified as Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D or Clasee E airspace;

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

'Notified' 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 defined as a non-powered driven, heavier than air aircraft.




Rule 52 The Rules of the AirA kite while flying 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 ofat least five candela and showing in all directions, the white light being places not less than 5 metres ormore 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 ligtsreferred to in sub-paragraph (a), groups of two lights of the colour and power and in the relative positions specified 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 flashing 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 flying 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 CivilAviation Publication (CAP) 393.

Permission for flight 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 sufficientnotice 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-copymay be taken from a map held by a library (under the permission from the OS, which allows the CAA to takesuch 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.

14


A LIFETIME WITH EAGLES

When I was asked to write an article about myexperiences 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 ofmy 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? It’s simple...... eagleseat falcons. I don’t consider flying eagles a ventureover to the dark side. I believe I am just a falconerwho enjoys a good flight, regardless.For the last 20years I have primarily flown passage eagles thatneed some help getting back into the wild. Howmany I don’t 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 don’tfeel 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 offthe 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 magnificentcreature should live in the house where we, mostlymeaning 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 manyhours 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 Lifetimewith Eagles

by Joe Atkinson, Vale, Oregon, USAPhotos: Cordi Atkinson and Mark Williams

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


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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) myeagle was going to launch and fly it down! Ientered the patch and nothing happened. Myexcitement 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 thejack that had no place to hide. With its ears pinnedand back legs reaching out beyond its nose, thejack 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 everylikely spot that might hide a jack rabbit. (Just forthe record, we say jack rabbit but, in fact, it’s 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 myplan was to go full circle and end up above theirrigation canal that ran through the valley. I

Author with passage female Golden Eagle


would come from the back side of the canal andpeek over the top of the hill just enough to see ifany ducks were there. From this position I couldlaunch my eagle, giving her a good advantage andhead start on the ducks below. This was aninteresting flight and she actually took a few ducksin this manner. But on this day I looked to see ifany ducks were in the canal and, seeing none, I saton a rock outcropping to rest and enjoy thepanoramic view from my vantage point. It was atmoments like these, sitting there with my eagleresting on a rock right beside me, that she wouldlaunch off the hill and go into a soar. Watching herroll off the rock and seeing the air lift her up, I feltI was flying myself. For me these moments weretruly spiritual. But today we both sat on the edgeof the cliff enjoying the view below. There I sat,drifting off with my thoughts, when suddenly myeagle turned abruptly, spread her wings and startedto hiss. I looked slightly over my shoulder at myeagle who was clearly freaked out by some horriblemonster and I thought, I don’t want to lookbehind me because it has to be bad. My eagleregards everything, and I mean everything, as food

and to further add to my now building fear, I hadnever seen her afraid of anything. So whatever wasbehind me had to be really bad for both her andme! I couldn't run away because I was sitting on acliff, so with no other choice, I slowly turnedaround! And there, crawling up a rock behind us,was a rather large tarantula. I was, to say the least,relieved. Tarantulas are harmless and very coolcreatures but apparently my eagle was not soinformed and flew off.

Training passage eagles for release has been anadventure because the vast majority of the eagles Iget have been handled, at least in their minds,badly. They have been netted, examined and givenshots, along with a whole assortment of things thatare intended to help them but, of course, theydon’t know that. All they know is that stuff keepshappening to them that frankly pisses them off. My job is to say please forget all that because I ama nice guy plus I have all this really great food foryou...... and they don’t buy it at first. My point isthat eagles that I train have a long list of thingsthey don’t like about humans. For the sake of thisarticle I will compare two eagles, one a passage


Jackhammer with Jack Rabbit



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 wasbecause he was like a machine when it came tocatching jacks. He wasn’t 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 ofthe ordinary, but that all changed the second hecaught his first jack. For years I hunted in anindustrial area that was a mixture of hugewarehouses and ever shrinking hay fields, prettytypical of California’s 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 withjacks. 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 andflushing jacks for it. I don’t 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 don’t 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 thatdid 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 quicklyreturned to his jack. I can’t 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 truckunhooded, 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 simplythe 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 wasto 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, we’ll see. I have netted tonsof birds of all kinds, including many eagles, howdifficult can it be? The net was big and had a longpole attached. I figured, no problem…… I waswrong! There were five other eagles in the flightbut it didn’t 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



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 cleanlymissed 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 thinkwould 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 attackthem. Not a good picture and... I must train him!

My first challenge was to win JH’s 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 onlyget 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.


The perfect spot to start a young eagle. My planwas to launch JH off the fist, let him fly along theside of a small hill, and call him down. Well, thelaunch part went great. JH flew to the side of thehill, turned around but, at that exact moment, acoyote came trotting by, minding its own business.Without the slightest hesitation JH left the hillsideand slammed into the coyote. If you have ever seena tiercel Harris' Hawk grab hold of a large hare orjack rabbit by the head, you can visualize the scene.The coyote was doing somersaults trying to shakeJH off. Surprisingly, JH had the perfect hold on it -- one foot on the neck just behind the head andthe other foot on the poor creature’s nose. I saypoor creature because I like coyotes. As a fourthgeneration rancher they have never caused me or

our livestock any harm, but then we don’t havesheep! I started to run over to give help, mainly totry and save JH from losing a toe or foot or leg,and as I closed in on the two of them, the coyote,seeing more trouble coming, managed to breakfree and took off. JH settled himself and then tookoff in hot pursuit. Once again he flew the coyotedown and bound to its head and, once again, Icame up on the scene only to have the coyote breakfree and run off with JH once again in hot pursuit.The day ended with me tracking JH for six milesacross many different ranches until I found himtoo tired to fly and he just stepped up on my glove.Not sure what happened to Mr. Coyote but he hada great story to tell for sure.

It took me several more training flights before


Another pheasant in the bag!


23

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 flewoff 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 notjust 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 jackand 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 simplyloves to hunt. The few times when he has landed ina 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 hecan’t 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 atjacks that were flushed on his left side, away fromthe 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, mainlybecause I never really know what I’m 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 falconrykind of way, all for their own good and, dependingon what they were suffering from, ranging frombeing grabbed, netted or chased down, and variedgreatly. Those eagles are a challenge because theyare 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 stressas possible, they settle down remarkably fast andare content. I know this because they start tomoult, the mews will look like a pillow fight tookplace inside it.

It’s funny how a mere chance encounter withsomeone or something can set your life on acourse that shapes who you are and how you liveyour life. I can’t 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 journeythat 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



BUILDING A RELEASE PEN

Building aRelease Pen

by 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 indiameter.

• 10 Tanalised straining posts 2.6m long and10cm 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.ukwww.gamekeepafeeds.co.ukwww.basc.org.ukwww.scottishgamekeepers.co.ukwww.nationalgamekeepers.org.ukwww.gamekeeping.org.ukwww.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’ andallow you to walk both inside and outside theperimeter fence for daily inspection once thepoults arrive. All branches overhanging the trackshould also be removed to discourage poults fromflying out of the pen before they have becomeacclimatised and to prevent easy access formammalian predators.

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

25

WaterIf there is not a clean watersource adjacent to the pen youwill have to either pipe it in orhave water barrels placedwithin the pen. You can use anipple system to save water.

Electric fencing predator controlA simple two-strand 12v electric fencing systemshould be set 15cm and 30cm high and approximately30cm out from the pen wire.

It may be necessaryto spray the groundwhere the electricfencer is used with astrong herbicide toprevent vegetationfrom short circuitingthe system. Prior topoults being releasedin the pen run switchon the fence to deterpredators.

Pop HolesOnce poults begin to fly out of the pen, they veryrarely learn to fly back in. It is therefore essential toprovide some form of re-entry funnels or ‘pop holes’,complete with anti-fox grids and ‘wings’.

The wings will direct poults, which are travellingaround the outside of the pen through the anti-foxgrid and wire funnel back in to the pen. Use lengthsof old hose pipe to run the electric fence wire throughthese ‘wings’ to avoid the earthing of the current.

Step 3Place feedhopper anddrinkersthroughoutthe pen as wellas the central feed ride.

Step 4The minimumrecommendedheight for a release pen is 1.8m (6ft). Tanalisedposts 2.1m – 2.4m long and 7.5cm in diameterspaced about 3.6m – 4.5m apart, knocked firmlyinto the ground and capped to the required heightmake an ideal support for the straining wire. 10 foot long treated posts 3 feet into the ground,about 12 feet apart

Step 5Two strands of 3mm diameter straining wire, onenear the top of the poles and another half waybetween the top strand and ground level, runaround the pen and stapled in position will make astrong frame upon which to hang the wire netting.Two different size rolls of wire netting are required:a 1.2m x 25mm roll for the bottom, to keep outsmall ground predators, and one 1.2m x 50mm forthe top. Both should be fixed securely to thestraining wire (bottom one first) before beingoverlapped and fastened to each other. Many pensare now made with galvanised wire for the bottomtwo feet and Gamenet plastic netting above.

Dig a trench around the base of the pen betweeneach of the set posts, about 6 inches deep and 6inches wide.

Lay the first layer of galvanized wire into the trench,flaring out 2 or 3 inches at the bottom. Back fill inthe trench with soil.

Step 6Access gates should be carefully sited. Ideally youshould have two gates one being wide enough for a vehicle to enter the pen.

Next month: Building a Partridge Pen


BUILDING A RELEASE PEN


PRODUCT REVIEWS

I was always weakat 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 Calls’and ‘Of Mice andMen’ I spent a lotof my time

‘creatively’ writing about fishing, Barn Owls,Pipistrelle bats and setting traps for beetles. One ofMrs Whites major complaints (I am reading thereport now!) was that I spent too much timefocused on ‘first hand perspective’ and‘descriptions 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 certainlyknows nothing about Goshawks. The same cannotbe said of the Author. Now in it’s 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 clearlyonly one mans successful approach to acomplicated process.

The book itself it built upon the authors polemicobservations and is all the more informative for it.

There are roughly ten chapters covering all theaspects how an Austringer may want to approachartificially inseminating (AI) a Goshawk. Startingwith the general outlay of what AI means, thenfocusing on the specifics 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 first step for anywould 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 find. 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 newbloodlines 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 you’realready a successful breeder, this guide will allowyou to bolt on your own ideas and discoveries asyou move through successive seasons.

After all no hawk or falcon is a robot. As theauthor says “One thing is for sure, the encountersyou will have whilst trying to breed Goshawks willgive you a real insight and should been seen as aprivilege. It is about as close as you can get to natureat 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 Crane

As recomme

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Coming up next month:Deaddogs Hawking Vest

by Kevin Massey

Britbraid Falconry Furnitureended...

Gamehawker CadgeReviewed by Neil Davies

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

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

Unfortunately, Carl didn’t have any of the cadgeson the stand, but he said he’d had several in stockin 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 couldn’t 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&P

www.gamehawker.net



TIME FOR A CHANGE

THEFALCONRY& RAPTOR

FAIRIS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE?

BY BEN CRANE

Generally, I would say that most falconers arepositive creatures. The idea that you can let afeathered, flying animal free and be more or lessconfident it will return, is by definition, 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 year’s fair was easily the worst ofthe last 5 years. The local newspaper reportedattendance to be around 15’000 people, by myestimation it was more like 1000 per day.

There are a multitude of reasons why this is thecase. Most significantly the Festival of Falconryheld 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 first 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 first 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 don’t 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 moneyspinning venture with not atmosphere, but ratherone that is representative of the strong falconrytraditions 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.

TIME FOR A CHANGE



THE UK FALCONRY CLUB AT THE FALCONRY & RAPTOR FAIR

THE UK FALCOTHE FALCON

THE UK FALCONRY CLUB AT THE FALCONRY & RAPTOR FAIR


ONRY CLUB ATRY & RAPTOR


I was lucky enough to meet Iain Crowder through another forum and understood that he had lostsome of his flying ground. My flying ground looked as though it may be suitable for Iain to fly, andI invited him to come over with Rufus and Rolex his 09 Male Golden Eagle.

To watch Rufus fly over our valley and return to Iain with a blast from the whistle was amazing.During our flying session Iain asked me to get out my GSP, he assured me that Rufus was fine 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 wantedto put all his time into his young Goldie, well I nearly fell of my chair. He had visited my falconrycentre 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 flightswith 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 fly such a magnificent wellmannered bird.

Allan Gates

Rufus Golden x Steppes Eagle by Allan Gates

MEMBERS BIRDS

THE CHASE - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE UKFALCONRY CLUB - JUNE 2010

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order from Zoe Jones07743 573 755

Quality, hand braided falconry furniture made in Britain

Falcon fitted with Brithawk braided furniture


CLUB NEWS

Club NewsClub BBQThe UK Falconry Club will be holding a Summer BBQ in September 10th - 11th atRhosllefain, Tywyn, Gwynedd LL36 9ND. If any members wish to attend, pleasecontact Ben Crane for further details - [email protected] hope you can come along and meet the committee.

UK Falconry Club CommitteePresident - Ben Crane, Vice-President - Neil Hunter,

Chairman - Lee Featherstone, Vice-Chairman - Martin Whitley,

Secretary - Steven Lambert, Treasurer - Tommy Miles,

Membership Secretary - George Duncalf, Legal Officer - Mike Roberts,

Field Meet Officer - Kevin Massey, Assistant Field Meet Officer 1 - Joe Hatton,

Newsletter Editor - Neil Davies

Membership is now available onlineIf you wish to join the UK Falconry Club you can now apply and pay online at theclubs forum www.ukfalconryforum.com

Membership fees are per year and include Public Liability Insurance for Full &Associate Members:

Full Members £32, Associate Members £32 and Supporter member £17

Field MeetsWe are presently organising a number of UKFC field meets through out the whole ofthe of UK. We will post a list of date on www.ukfalconryforum.com in due course.

the uk falconry club supports the campaign for falconry

the chase june 2010

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