Just to throw my two cents worth in. If you are in an area that you know has tree rats then you may take a more laid back approach. I've found if I run a squirrel into an area that doesnt host any means of moving the chase further I take this oppertunity to rest for a few min.. If you have a steady bird thats not prone to getting bored then just sit down and be still. After waiting a few min I find that just about the time I catch my breath so will have the squirrel and it will often think the coast is clear and stick his head out to get a look around and find himself staring into the feet of a RT. Ive caught several squirrels while taking a break. No slingshots sling marbles through the trees, no firecrackers, smokebombs, chainsaws, or any other potentially dangerous and illegal methods. If this doesnt work just move along those smart ones are your breeding stock.
P.S. Dont laugh about the chainsaw Ive heard of it being done.
personally i like to use a slingshot with a smoke bomb. Or sometimes i use a chain saw to cut the tree down. Its the last time the bushy tail will use that nest!!!!!! Also a shotgun works well too.
Actually im just kidding. My birds just go nest to nest and rip squirrells out of them. If one does elude my birds in a nest or hole i just move to the next tree, because there are only about a billion squirrells in the woods here.
And i have to agree with whoever said persective changes with experience. We have all done desperate things at some point. Hell i once caught a squirrell with my bare hand as it hit the ground at my feet. I lunged for it and actually caught it. Unfortuneately my bird seized the opportunity as well and binded with my hand. As i look back i wonder what the hell i was thinking.......can't let him get away?
Post by Master Yarak on Sept 5, 2006 18:04:15 GMT -5
It would seem to be the norm that the bird prefers to eat them on the ground. The only ones my bird ever ate in the tree were babies. Even though it had a good crop it came down for more on the lure. Once she even brought the baby down with her. She has killed more than a few in the trees but she has always brought them down to eat them. Yarak
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away
exactly....mine always bring them to ground. I think they can just handle them better on the ground and maybe they feel safer too. I have also had them eat babies in the nest and flying squirrels as well
Okay. That's interesting. See, if my bird killed in a tree, she might come down to the lure just fine. But I'd be panicking like hell...lol. And how'd you get a fat bird down that doesn't want to come down?
Post by Master Yarak on Sept 9, 2006 18:01:23 GMT -5
Once the crop is filled the birds hunger has yet to be satisfied. It has not begun to digest.....yet. Don't wait 20 -30 minutes by then it will be far less responsive. My RT is a greedy food prostitute. Yarak
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away
How in the hell did I miss this thread? I always carry a slingshot (or paintball gun) when squirrelhawking! I will also shake vines, throw rocks, yell, scream, cuss, prod, poke, kick brush, blow calls, push over dead trees, light smokebombs, climb trees, etc.... I will do anything that I possibly can to give my bird as much as an advantage as possible. To me, that's your job as a falconer! Make yourself useful! You'll never outwork your bird, but try to. I see it as a team effort; she covers high, and I will try my damnedest to cover low (knowing damn well that she's doing a better job covering both areas than I will ever do just covering one).
And a slingshot is just a flushing tool. If a squirrel holes up in a nest, and my bird has lost it, I'm gonna shoot that little bastard out of the nest! That's my job! Do dirthawkers really flush a rabbit, watch it dive into a pile of trash, or a hole, and then not re-flush it because they may have to use their hawking sticks? No!
And if a slingshot is "unfair" or whatever, then what about a dog?
Bleh, I've got more bitching to do about this thread, but I hate typing, and that's enough for one night.
Paint ball gun, smoke bombs? Better not let a Game Warden see that. Don't get me wrong I pull vines, throw sticks at nest and push down dead tress. Even that could be viewed as harassment by law enforcement in some areas. I just think flying projectiles/smoke bombs are a little overkill and it is easier to move on and find another squirrel. Course ..I try to be somewhat fair in my hunting. Got to give the squirrels somewhat of a chance. An I bet that I can put just an many squirrels in the bag as someone else doing all that without using Slingshots,Dogs,Paint ball Guns,or Smoke bombs.
I used to think i knew some things. But i'm not so sure anymore.
Paintball guns, smokebombs! To be honest with you, I could probably count the times I've used either of those on one hand. But I'll still use them if I can. And there's always a slingshot in my hawking bag. Do I use it everytime I go hawking? No. I usually don't have to. But I have a real problem with walking away from a chase and saying "oh well", rather than getting one more flush for my bird using a slingshot.
Of course I also fly one of those big dumb females, because my sponsors tells me they're the best for squirrels... But hey, what the hell does that guy know?
Post by Tiercel78 on Sept 10, 2006 20:48:18 GMT -5
So.. you can't walk away from a little squirrel that beat you out to it's cover. Just cause he did it that time doesn't mean that he will do it the next time. I just don't see the reasoning of riping down a destroying habitat. Dogs are fine I have no problem with that. Slingshots are reasonable but I just don't care to use them or endanger my bird anymore than I have to. I have a lot of friends that use both and it doesn't stop me from hunting with them. I like watching my bird think and problem solve. That doesn't mean I won't do my best to keep the hunt moving along. I try my best to not knock down dead trees and good cover. The reasoning... because if it is there I know where to head to increase my chances of a catch. I guess it is more tactics than anything, trying to figure out how to approach known squirrel cover to increase my chances. If you have been huntingvery long and paying attention then you know that the squirrels head to favorite hides. So if the squirrel beats me out that day then he wins and he gets to live another day. That doesn't mean his survival skills will not be tested by my bird and me another day. Not only is using some of your hunting tactic more than likely illegal. It blows all meaning of Fair Chase out of the water. Think about how falconers would be viewed by the normal public if someone would of seen you performing those acts, not to mention a Anti. You may not care but I bet many falconers don't want to be viewed as a hooligan running around the woods with a paint ball gun and a bird. Just cause I don't agree with everything you do doesn't I dislike you. I know from the company that you keep that you are a good falconer. I also am very aware of who you sponsor is and I respect the guy very much he is a grade "A" falconer. Though, that being said he is not the God of squirrel hawking. It doesn't mean you are the poster child cause you are his apprentice either. Reason why I said that is that you can onto this thread with guns drawn like you where going to change anyones mind that didn't agree with you. This brings me to your last statement. "The big dumb hen part". I have never.. ever .. made that statement in my life. An I assume you are referring to my like of males for hunting. Thing you have to remember is that I'm not flying Eastern Fox squirrels. I have Greys and the males handle them just fine and (my opinion) is that they get to them faster. Which is important in the type of terrain I fly.
Last Edit: Sept 10, 2006 21:00:26 GMT -5 by Tiercel78
I used to think i knew some things. But i'm not so sure anymore.