Owning a Hawk

>>2363407
i think this whole hawk thing will work out for you better because you live in UK

>inb4 OP is a fag
>inb4 bait

Don't get a fucking hawk you dumbass.
If this isn't bait, get a dog, a hunting dog, and put yourself to good use. Become a social member of society with a Setter (maybe even an English setter *wink* *wink*) and learn to hunt birds.

This will not only get you a great companion, but may give you a good skill (ie- hunting) which'll help you impress a lady, as well as other people.

Jesus though you sound like a total fag please dont get a hawk.

>>2363407
>so that I would have a friend

Raptors have zero desire to be your friend, and are pretty much mindless hunting machines. They're solitary by nature, outside of breeding season, and will not form any kind of bond with you outside of viewing you as a food machine, and possibly a mate during mating season.

Harris hawks are more social, but that's not saying much when you're talking about raptors.

Raptors really are assholes.

>>2364299
While I may be a total fag, I don't like dogs.
>Become a social member of society with a Setter
But that's exactly the opposite of my goal

>>2364322
I can believe that they're assholes, but from what I've read a bond is pretty essential. All the manning etc is to ensure that. Still, that would make it a waste of time if true.

>>2364419
Okay if you want to be a waste of space your entire life, still, don't get a hawk. If you don't like dogs, then get a non-predatory bird.

These birds might actually wanna be your friend or, even better, get a small critter like a rat. Just please for the love of God don't train yourself to get a hawk just to pussy out a month or two in. They are NOT good 'pets' or companions.

>>2364419
It's not a bond of companionship, just one of trust. You are just a food machine. All that training is just so the hawk will give up its kill in exchange for tasty tidbits. There is no love. If too hungry, the hawk flys away forever; no fucks given. Too full, hawk fucks off to do other things. They aren't vindictive, aren't even capable of it. Aren't capable of friendship either.
If you get an imprinted bird that considers you it's mate, that's even worse. You just have a screaming bitey bird that can't understand why you don't behave like a bird. And it WILL scream. And lash out. All the time.

>>2364561
>This

>>2364561
>ou just have a screaming bitey bird that can't understand why you don't behave like a bird. And it WILL scream. And lash out. All the time.
>bird realises his waifu don't real
We all know that feel.

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OP should move to Mongolia so he can train golden eagles to fuck up wolves

>>2364561
This is really insightful. Thanks for your post. I will still discuss it with a professional of some sort but it does have the ring of truth and would put me off. Perhaps the book romanticised it
unrealistically.

>>2364682
That would be fucking cool

>>2364419
>All the manning etc is to ensure that

No, it's not to create a "bond". It's to condition the raptor to not fear you, and to view you as an easy source of food.

>>2363407
They are in no way "Pets" and should be viewed as a hunting instrument. Falconry is a long and stories tradition. Here in burgerland keeping raptors in captivity is highly regulated and falconers are subject to incremental licensing based on personal references, testing, facility inspections, and difficult to obtain apprenticeships.

>>2366410
I've always wanted to hunt and we're not allowed to have guns in Bongistan so it seems like a fair idea, no?

>>2364748
You did romanticize it.

I worked for years with a raptor rehabilitation center in the USA. I also trained particular birds of prey (specifically one golden eagle and one bald and one red tailed hawk) for flying presentations/traditions at the university I attended associated with the rehab.

These are nothing like pets, and more complicated than a firearm. They show less intelligence and affection than a corvid or parrot and most of the training and "bond" stems from a very basic food rewards system. Less complex in "emotion" than positive reenforcement with dogs. Their motivation is on a completely different plane than hunting dogs.

If you have more questions in stuff like facilities required to keep one bird of prey (specifically hawks, owls, or eagles. We only ever had a few falcons that had small issues we re-released within days), feeding, or rudimentary training I can assist.

>>2366647
I know of people who most definitely hunt in the UK without the need of falcons or with firearms.

I'm interested, what are compound bow laws in UK?

>>2366663
I'm not him, but do you know what it's like to get a falconry license in the US? A member of my family used to do it and I always wanted to but never had the opportunity/money/time till more recently. It seems like its practically impossible if you're not incredibly lucky though and have family or very close friends who do it already

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>>2363407

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Falconer here op ask me anything

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can you train an owl to hunt tlike a falcon or eagle?

>>2366706
Do you feel any kind of mutual attachment? Does the bird, as many have said ITT, see you only as a food source rather than sharing any kind of kinship?

How does raising a hawk differ from a falcon, if at all?

>>2366663
I'm not sure on the laws, but I'm pretty certain that it's legal to own one provided it's for the purposes of archery or hunting. I doubt I have a keen enough eye for marksmanship though.

>>2366709
Only at night

>>2366698
Watch kill bill
Study Beatrix's efforts to study under Pai Mei.
Join a Hawking club. Shovel bird shit, help build mews. Carry game bags. Beat brush. Gut rabbits. Shovel more shit. Maybe get to go along and watch a taking. Get stitches. Ask for an apprenticeship about one hundred different times.

There's no way to do it alone.

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>>2366712
Taxonomically hawks and falcons are not monophiletic groups and hold no taxonomical validity, some belong to the eagle family while some belong to the falconidae family which is related to passeriformes and parrots, so i dont know what to tell you.
Second no, the animal wont see you as a food source, it will see you as its mate and sometimes friend if the species is more social, and also all amniotes can attach and have "emotions", the idea that they cant comes from very old fisiology understanding that stated only mammals could develop higher cognitive functions like emotions because these were processed in the neocortex, but nowadays we know sauropsids like birds and reptiles have a parallelic ans convergent brain structure called the dorsal ventricular bridge which accounts for their higher cognitive functions, while this structure is relatively small on reptiles on birds is kinda bigger and specially bigger in australaves (parrots, passeriformes and falconoideans) , particularily on corvids where is huge as fuck

>>2366663
Not true for example peregrine falcons are smart as fuck and they ARE related to crows and falcons since all are australaves, "hawks" from the falconidae family are all very smart, i do agree on that their caring is mot like that of say a cat, it requires patience and discipline from where i asume your comparative to firearms come from
>>2366709
Yes but its different, also strigiformes are all dumb dont know why folklore puts them as smart

>>2366741
Thank you, this is all useful and it gives me hope that it could be worthwhile. In terms of specific species then, could you compare the temprament of something like a peregrine falcon and a goshawk?

>>2366750
Peregrine falcons are smarter and also relatively more playful and friendly, they are very snappy and it takes longer to train them because of that, with peregrinesy you need some form of gps location system attached to their ring because once they are unwounded they will follow you by flying literally kilometers above you, by comparisons goshawks which belong to the acippiter or eagle family are kinda dumber and more "dull" but they are easier to train, like all accipiters it will follow you by standing over rooftops or street lights so you dont need as much precautions

>>2366754
Ok, you really seem to know your stuff. So then, if I wanted a bird that was quite large with a strong killing instinct and an attitude that would enjoy shared solitude, what would be the way to go? I'd like to really be able to share in its hunting habits, not in the same way as a person might hunt for the sake of bragging to other hunters or whatever but just something private that we could both enjoy. Something intimate.

>>2363407
Hawks do not bond and keeping them is a really expensive way to kill rabbits.

>>2366757
Parabuteo

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>>2366749
Probably the pronounced brow or bridge and "knowing" eyes. They resemble the prototypical old sage character, but I'm not sure which myth inspired which.

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>>2366765
He's a real qt desu this seems just right, thanks anon

>The Harris's hawk is notable for its behavior of hunting cooperatively in packs consisting of tolerant groups, while other raptors often hunt alone.
>Packs rather than alone
That's the opposite of what I wanted anon :(

>>2366773
Thats males

Fucking terrible idea to get a hawk, especially without an extreme amount of experience with them beforehand. Try volunteering at a raptor rescue centre just to see how shit raptors are. Yeah, that'll be the rest of your life.

>>2366647
You are fucking retarded.

When the fuck did guns become illegal in the UK?

>>2366647
>I've always wanted to hunt yet were to stupid to Google UK gun license.

>>2366896
>>2366901
Guns are dangerous and shouldn't be purchased, some people get severe PTSD just from shooting one, let alone killing with one. Using a bird of prey is much more natural and allows for disassociation

>>2366943
If you get PTSD from simply shooting a gun, you're not fit to do much of anything, especially:
1) Using/owning a bird of prey
2) Owning any pets whatsoever
3) Operating heavy machinery
4) Driving cars
5) Having/caring for children

Seriously, you would be one asshole honker away from a complete breakdown in the middle of a busy street if you were such a weak snowflake that firing a gun gave you PTSD.

>>2366956
>>2366943
To put it in perspective, my GF, who can't even watch the new aliens trailer or ride a ferris wheel without freaking out, can fire a pistol without PTSD (we did a Groupon deal at a local firing range).

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>>2366943
>>2366956

>>2366896
>>2366901
There is no way in hell I would get one given my mental health record

>>2367069
I know of a guy who got his license back after doing a stretch for armed robbery

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Do it. It's extremely rewarding, but make sure you do it right.

This is my red-tail (after a shower). She follows me around during hikes, from tree to tree. They may only see you as a vending machine, but they do also recognize you as a friend and protector. Amazing birds and an amazing hobby/lifestyle choice.

>>2367500
Thank you anon, this is really wonderful to hear

>>2364682
how can an eagle do that