I lost my passage redtail about 9:00 this morning. Resident redtail chased my bird over a tree line. Swung the lure all day all over the place... NOTHING! It has bells and field jesses on! Not sure if it kept going after the tree line or perched in it. No telemetry on bird. I won't make that mistake again.
Sorry to hear you lost your bird but it's good to hear you learned a valuable lesson. There are falconers that won't use telemetry on a redtail then lose their bird and put the blame on something else when there is a good chance they would have recovered their bird had they used telemetry. There are so many ways to lose a bird that has nothing to do with weight control to risk not using telemetry. I have also heard the expense as a reason not to use it. I guess they don't value their time in trapping a bird, training it, buying quail or the chance of losing an entire season of falconry. Good luck to you and keep swinging that lure. She will probably hang around the general area of the loss for a few days. If you don't get her back it's still early enough to trap another one.
Hey, pecmoney totally sorry about your bird. I'll be definately keeping my eyes peeled for her over here in southeast Missouri. Best of luck finding her!
"Falconry is not a hobby or an amusement; it is a rage. You eat and drink it, sleep it and think it. You tremble to write of it, even in recollection. It is as King James the First remarked, an extreme stirrer up of passions." --- T.H. White
Travis, For the next three days, go back to the field where she was misplaced and keep luring and whistling. RTs usually don't venture far - usually within a couple of miles from where she was. However, with the high winds we've have since yesterday, she may be further out. Drive the roads within that two-mile radius. Listen for crows and watch for mobbing too. If you have a source for pigeons, get one to use as a live lure (on false jesses and leash) in case she's resistant to return to your fist or lure. My apprentices have misplaced hawks overnight, and recovered them. Do what you can, but after a week, she'll revert back to her old wild ways and need trapping again if you find her.
Mike wrote:
I guess they don't value their time in trapping a bird, training it, buying quail or the chance of losing an entire season of falconry.
A very judgmental and UNTRUE remark to make, Mike. There are MANY veteran hawkers who do not use telemetry on their RTs, myself included. We've found and recovered our hawks the 'old fashioned' way -- by depending on our knowledge, not electronics. And I also know of hawks that were lost permanently in spite of wearing transmitters. NOTE: I'm not against telemetry - if one prefers to use it. But to insinuate that anyone who doesn't use it doesn't care about their bird is just ignorant, IMO.
A very judgmental and UNTRUE remark to make, Mike. There are MANY veteran hawkers who do not use telemetry on their RTs, myself included. We've found and recovered our hawks the 'old fashioned' way -- by depending on our knowledge, not electronics. And I also know of hawks that were lost permanently in spite of wearing transmitters. NOTE: I'm not against telemetry - if one prefers to use it. But to insinuate that anyone who doesn't use it doesn't care about their bird is just ignorant, IMO.[/quote]
You are DEFINITELEY WRONG on what I said. I said when someone uses the expense of the equipment as an excuse for not using telemetry they must not value their time in training, cost of food, and possible loss of a falconry season to be worth the cost of the telemetry equipment. Nowhere did I say or insinuate they did not care for their bird. When it comes to replying to my posts do not make SH!@t up or you WILL be called on it. To think you or any falconer that does not use telemetry has as good a chance recovering their bird as someone who does use it is plain ignorant, a disservice to aspiring falconers and self serving feeding of your ego.
A very judgmental and UNTRUE remark to make, Mike. There are MANY veteran hawkers who do not use telemetry on their RTs, myself included. We've found and recovered our hawks the 'old fashioned' way -- by depending on our knowledge, not electronics. And I also know of hawks that were lost permanently in spite of wearing transmitters. NOTE: I'm not against telemetry - if one prefers to use it. But to insinuate that anyone who doesn't use it doesn't care about their bird is just ignorant, IMO.[/quote]
You are DEFINITELEY WRONG on what I said. I said when someone uses the expense of the equipment as an excuse for not using telemetry they must not value their time in training, cost of food, and possible loss of a falconry season to be worth the cost of the telemetry equipment. Nowhere did I say or insinuate they did not care for their bird. When it comes to replying to my posts do not make SH!@t up or you WILL be called on it. To think you or any falconer that does not use telemetry has as good a chance recovering their bird as someone who does use it is plain ignorant, a disservice to aspiring falconers and self serving feeding of your ego.[/quote]
yes well I have telemetry for the birds now, but for a long time I never used it. I just put more time into training the bird. just because you cant afford $600.00 doesnt mean you dont care about your bird time and food either. for most of the season as well as all last season I have been flying my coop without telem because I havent been able to afford it. I now finally got the $ for a backpack and will be putting it on this week. what have falconers done for so many yrs without telemetry. it is called training and keeping an eye on what you are doing. yes telemetry makes it easier to find the bird but isnt a fail safe plan. I myself dont see a abbasalute need for it it is just a nice thing to have when you can afford it. so in closing you can think what you want but you are being called on your verbiage of how you are saying what you are trying to say.
I was speaking of those that could afford it. When I've heard this excuse for not using telemetry they have said they don't want to spend the money not because they couldn't afford it. Most do find it is a good idea once they lose a bird.
I'm with Migisi and Dirthawker on this one. I'm beginning my 5th season of RT falconry. In over 200 hunts there's only been 1 occasion when I felt that telemetry would have helped. That time it took me almost an hour to find my hawk, even though he was only 60ft away (eating a squirrel) that whole time. I would definitely use telemetry on a falcon or an accipiter but it just seems like overkill for an RT, at least the way that I hunt. Apart from cost, there's got to be some added risk to the bird (catching on branches) and the absence of telemetry certainly focusses the mind on proper weight control and lure-bonding.
Give a man a fire, make him warm for a day. Set a man on fire, make him warm for life.
When it comes to replying to my posts do not make SH!@t up or you WILL be called on it.
Personally, I found your lecture on telemetry - in this particular thread - at this unfortunate time in Travis' falconry career - to be admonishing, insensitive, and unhelpful. I'm calling YOU on it.
To think you or any falconer that does not use telemetry has as good a chance recovering their bird as someone who does use it is plain ignorant, a disservice to aspiring falconers and self serving feeding of your ego.
When your bird flies off with your transmitter, and the batteries die, or the antenna rips off, or you find the transmitter at the bottom of a creek, what will you do then - without your gizmos and gadgets? You'll have to resort to.... (gasp!)... old-fashioned FALCONRY techniques.... just like ignorant ol' me.
I believe that if you have the extra money for telemetry, sure, fly your RT with telem. But, I find flying with out telemetry more traditional and personal. You know that if you are out on a hunt with your bird, and you lose her, that she is at her peak physically-ready to hunt, strong, and healthy. The bird came from the wild, and if it goes back into the wild, it will go. I may shed a few tears (like I did when my second FRT was lost) but you gotta know deep down that the bird is at its best it's (most likely) ever been in the wild. Kinda hard to grasp..at least for me..lol..but when you use telemetry..it's almost like your bird is at a disadvantage of leaving you if it truely wanted to...argh. kinda hard to think about!
pecmoney-Still keeping my eyes peeled for your bird over here. Keep in mind that even seasoned falconers will lose birds. I've lost a bird before, and so has my sponsor and his other apprentice. You aren't alone on the whole "losing birds" thing!. I'm HEAVILY trapping now, so I'll be looking more than ever for an immy, so I may just come across your bird since I live pretty close to the Mississip. and all! Best of luck to you, pecmoney!
If you need any help at all, PM me!
Bridget
"Falconry is not a hobby or an amusement; it is a rage. You eat and drink it, sleep it and think it. You tremble to write of it, even in recollection. It is as King James the First remarked, an extreme stirrer up of passions." --- T.H. White
That time it took me almost an hour to find my hawk, even though he was only 60ft away (eating a squirrel) that whole time.
Ooo, the panic that overtakes us when our hawk is out of sight. But you DID find him, didn't you - without flipping a toggle switch. (Glad you did. ;D )
and the absence of telemetry certainly focusses the mind on proper weight control and lure-bonding.
Even still, unforeseen stuff happens and birds are lost. It's the risk we all take when we fly our birds (can't lose em if ya don't fly em). Telemetry is no guarantee that a bird will be recovered. It just means that you'll be able to track 'em -- until they fly out of signal range, or you run out of daylight, or you run out of gas...
REPEAT NOTE: I'm NOT against anyone using telemetry, if they want to.
Hey if you guys are going to have a heated debate please learn how to use the quote thing properly...
Drives me absolutely nuts.... every single time.
[quote] All your missing is a little friggin "/"
All your missing is a little friggin" / "
Telemetry Rules.. If you can get it get it. If you want to keep your bird you'll want it.
It is worth the money. I would of lost my current falcon several times already without it.
I did not fly telemetry on my RT's and Kestrels and you can yell at me for the honest reason that was that I could always go and trap another one. I did loose one of the best RT's I had because of that very reason.
But hey.. I went and trapped another one. He was chased off my resident Hag RT's. Similar to pecmoney
I will tell my apprentices that if they want to keep their bird to get the telemetry. It will not be a 100% doubtless retrieval but it increases your % significantly. ( It mainly depends on the users skill )
If you really want to keep your hawk. Utilize every advantage you have. If you plan on using it later.. learn how to use it now.
I am not arguing with anyone, but, if you ever fly a falcon, you will want to use telemetry. And if you don't have the money for the receiver, just buy the transmitter so you can use someone else's receiver. I use telemetry on my birds even if I know they are close flying birds. My female HH has been soaring up to 1000 feet and a couple of times she has come down a long way away from where we started and I have had to use telemetry to find her. Just depends on how you are flying your bird.