You can, but their real advantage comes from above. They don't generally have that sprinter speed to catch game in short spurts. Having said that, I had a female that was just about the best bird I've ever had and could catch rabbits off the fist, but she was very, very fit at the time and the fields where it worked were very large and open giving her time to build up speed and catch up. Took me by surprise that she could do it, but she was very fit, and I also think one of those special birds that are a joy to fly. But it can be done.
Oh, and my friend uses a pole just like you described for his two harris' and it works great. Only thing he wants now is some kind of support in his belt for the pole because his arms get tired.
