Coming the new season our little hawk group whilst having a very bored moment and telling yarns of the 10lb Hare that got away ;D have had a little disagreement over Bells.
In the Queens English.....Is one when flying ones Harris Hawk to have a Bell on one leg and tail or both legs and no tail. I hope this makes sense gentlemen as it is a rather boring discussion through a very boring hawking time of year.
One would like to hear your views in you best English hand writing and remember one over here spells colour colour not color so please take note of your English frailties.
WHEN THE 'EAGLES' ARE SILENT THE 'PARROTS' BEGIN TO JABBER! SIR W.CHURCHILL
I can't give you any advice on this subject because I don't use bells on any of my birds. When I had my first RT many years ago, I used bells, but since then, I haven't used them on all the rest of my birds. I still have the bells and they sound very nice in my hawking box.
Well I always have at least one bell on my bird at all times ( that way I know what she's doing when my back is turned) Now this said I don't have the open country side that raptlvr has so when my bird is down on some game it helps to find where she is. As for where to mount the bell depends on the bird and spiecies gosses tend to wag their tails when they are down on game so a tail mounted bell tends to ring more. But this is all pearsonal tasted don't you think?
Post by Falcon Boy on Apr 24, 2006 11:59:51 GMT -5
I think it is more towards a personal taste. For my RT's i have used a bell on each leg, with my kestrel i flew without bells. For a harris, i have noticed they tend to wag their tail quite a bit more than the RT's i've had, but personally i dont like tailbells that much, everytime i see them i can picture the feather getting ripped out
Falcon Boy Apprentice Falconry Administrator
Ethics make the individual, not the other way around.
Yes, one agrees that it is all down to one's personal taste. However, it vexes one so when the tail bells ring louder than Big Ben. On one's royal falcon, the Lord Falconer likes to keep a single leg bell. ((well...there were 2 but 1 fell off and was replaced by an identity disk))
One did have a nasty experience with a cherished friend's lanner falcon. The dumb animal flew under a fence and caught its tail bell on the bottom of the fence. The feather was pulled out faster than one's Bentley. Therefore, after much consideration, one has determined tail bells to be vulgar contraptions and is much inclined to choose leg bells instead.
((heeeee...I have a jape for ye, what is a crĂȘche? - when 2 cars collide in Kensington))
I use bells when I'm squirrel hawking for sure. Few reasons really! I don't have to keep looking up to see where my bird is at while trudging through the woods. I can also keep my eyes open to look for squirrels and their hideouts. Plus being in Florida never know when you might run up on a Rattler. I believe that anyone that flies in the areas that I fly would have a hard time if they didn't use them. Even though the bird never really gets out of sight of me I sure do misplace him ever so often. Either just walking through the woods or when he takes game on the ground in dense areas. I know he isn't that far away from me and those bells sure help in tracking him down
Last Edit: Apr 24, 2006 17:07:49 GMT -5 by Tiercel78
I used to think i knew some things. But i'm not so sure anymore.
I do wish you ex-colonials would talk correct English. I think since we let you have your independence your English is awful.
'America is the only country that has gone from Barbarism to Decadence without civilization in-between'
'America was discovered before Columbus but it was Hushed up'
Oscar Wilde.
Regarding one's bells i think the sound of the bells ringing out in the English countryside gives one a sense of satisfaction of an American Bird that has become civilized and not Barbaric.
'I think i might regret this post.............
P.S Your spellcheck spells in a Foreign Language i do not understand, 'But when in Rome' i suppose.
'I can hear the USAF taking off as we speak' but its OK we have 1 aircraft carrier
WHEN THE 'EAGLES' ARE SILENT THE 'PARROTS' BEGIN TO JABBER! SIR W.CHURCHILL
This is an AMERICAN Forum. With the AMERICAN Apprenticeship program that breeds some of the best falconers in the world.
Now grappler I know you dont give a hoot about the USA but thats really your opinion and your entitled to it. I know your trying to start an arguement or debate with someone and mostly we've all been ignoring you. If you want to do that your more then welcome to start a thread on the "other" board.
If you continue to complain, snicker, joke about our country in every other post of yours im going to start to use my delete buttons. They pose no relevance to falconry and its really quite irritating. Keep it to ONE THREAD.
Post by birdguy888 on Apr 25, 2006 13:41:00 GMT -5
I agree Wolf; but I'll throw my two cents in anyway. I use 3 bells. One on each leg and one on the train. I'm sure we have all noticed that our birds are either left or right footed. They hold quarry with one while the other is on the ground for support while breaking into their freshly caught meal. What if you put the bell on the leg they are standing on the ground on? Little or no sound. That's why I use both leg bells. We can also agree that when our bird is breaking into its quarry, the tail is always being moved, jerked and bounced which will always ring. Here in Utah we have a lot of tall grasses and sage brush and other bushes and weeds. Bells can be a necessity in locating a downed hawk on quarry. However, I absolutely disagree with neck bells for the same principal that longwing mentioned. If a hawk is flying through a fence and catches the neck bell on a barb or a strong stick of a bush......snap goes the neck!
Must agree with Wolf, grappler. Are you trying to pick a fight or do, as you Brits say, have your knickers in a twist ? Stick to falconry related non-malicious threads. We may not be on the same side of the Atlantic, but we should be on the same side of our art form.
I too would like to wish Her most gracious majesty ( no disrespect intended, she is truly a gracious lady) a very happy 80th anniversary of her birth.
No need to further fuel the fire guys although it is appreciated that you agree with me. I just want grappler and others to take it to another thread if they've GOT to say somthing along those lines. I will not censor there opinions.. but if they have to say how they feel they should do it somewhere else.
Now there's no need to continue to talk about it. Lets get back on topic about the Bells.
I guess its English sense of Humour. It was actually us the Brits taking the piss out of ourselves.We do that alot, laugh at ourselves. Look into it and you will see it.
Read the last sentence about your Forces compared with our Piddly little Aircraft Carrier. I.E......You have done better than us since you defeated us (i.e The comment 'We let you have your independence was Rubbish).
Oh Dear! Its a crossed sense of humour again.
I will stick to falconry as i think its taken the wrong way.
Somebody English help me out here!
WHEN THE 'EAGLES' ARE SILENT THE 'PARROTS' BEGIN TO JABBER! SIR W.CHURCHILL