I didn't enter my bird on squirrel, I took him to the woods, pulled vines, shook trees. A squirrel presented itself on a limb & stood there tail twitching looking at me, as if it was saying " what's the reason for disturbing me ". The answer came quietly & quickly. Solomon came from nowhere, hit the squirrel & carried him through the trees to the ground, where between us we dispatched it. For a brief moment, whilst the squirrel was sitting on the limb looking at me, I was thinking.... " Solomon was caught on a B.C. with mice as bate, perhaps he's a mouse hunter ". He wasn't close to me when I got the squirrel out on the tree limb, so I didn't know if he had seen it or would hunt it. I have seen birds that I assume were reared on ground quarry & wouldn't look up a tree. The owner tried to resolve this by tying a dead squirrel by the head to a piece of string & throwing the other end of the string through a fork in a tree, then pulling the squirrel up the trunk of the tree whilst calling the birds attention. It somewhat worked, he released the bird soon after & trapped himself another redtail.
Post by Falcon Boy on Oct 31, 2006 10:15:09 GMT -5
I've tried everything except a live squirrel so far, dragging them, feeding them, etc. Mine atleast acknowledged one yesterday! Check his training log for more info, his name is BB
Falcon Boy Apprentice Falconry Administrator
Ethics make the individual, not the other way around.
my 1st and 4th redtail both chased squirrels on their first hunt. It was pretty much how manok described it, they just kind of picked it up. THey were both slow to start taking high perches though. My 2nd RT i started taking out in the woods never looked up. I chased a squirrell through a dozen trees one day and he never saw it or just didnt care, so i shot the squirrel with a .22 when it fell out of the tree the hawk just looked at it. I got the bird on my glove and carried him to the squirrel. He hopped off my glove and onto the squrrel. I cut open the hind quarters and let him eat. After shooting a few squirrels he started realizing that they were falling from trees and he acquired a taste for them. He then slowly got better. I might add this turned into one of the best squirrel hawks i've flown. My third RT and my HH's I have used the squirrel on a string trick. I toss it in the tree with vines on it then i take bird out and start pulling vines tree to tree. When i get to my bait tree i pull the vines and the string and i scream my head off. Usually with all my birds i have used a .22 at some point to get then entered and build confidence. I didnt use a .22 with my 3rd RT and one of my HH. I just used that squirrel on a string thing.
i think if you have place like that where squirrels are just running around unafraid it will be easy to get her going. All my places you have to shake squirrels out.
I suggest taking a dead one with you and if she doesnt chase the live ones then pull the dead one out and let her feed on it in the field. This will help make the connection and start the pattern of going to the field to find and feed on squirrels. Once they see squirrels as a food source they will chase them. I dont think any RT is untrainable on squirrels! Its just a matter of building confidence and developing a pattern.
wow i know thats frustrating! Have you fed him on a squirrell out there? Like a simulated kill. I would try giving him some dead ones at the end of the hunt. If he still doesnt chase, maybe its a weight issue. I just cant imagine a RT thats super keen not chasing a squirrel after he is already identified them as a food source.
Post by Falcon Boy on Oct 31, 2006 16:34:43 GMT -5
He has been given one dragged squirrel a few weeks ago, and i had 2 dead ones i pulled off the tree and he hit them when they hit the ground. I have been feeding squirrel the past 2 feedings [he's overweight and missing a meal today to be at weight for tomarrow] and he might be getting the hint. He was fat yesterday and he headbobbed and squatted at one, then ignored it. Time will tell with this little guy. he has till my winter break to chase, then he gets trasnferred to a rabbit hawker friend if he is not chasing squirrels.
Last Edit: Oct 31, 2006 16:35:15 GMT -5 by Falcon Boy
Falcon Boy Apprentice Falconry Administrator
Ethics make the individual, not the other way around.
i see. I think you are on the right track. Sounds like a good plan. I guess he has been down to hunting weight for a while? I think that fatten him up and redropping will get his head right. I just walked in from the yard. I was loading my two HH's to go hunt and i saw a young squirrel running through the trees in my yard. My hawks saw it too. I turned them loose and they had it in about 7 mins. They cornered it in the top of a big dead oak, my most aggressive bird flew str8 up at it and pounded him right in the face. God i love this stuff!!!!!!!!
Post by HawkingRage on Oct 31, 2006 21:08:52 GMT -5
great info guys. i was suposed to go out squirel hawking for the first time with my bird last sunday. unfortunatly my work changed my schedual and i didnt get to go out. here in pueblo there really isnt any place you can go legally and hunt tree rats. my friend in the hawking club told me he knows of a place near colorado springs and offered to take me there. ill work on that again in the next few weeks, this weekend we have a field meet. so we will see. my bird loves squirel and pretty much wouldnt eat anything but this summer.
what are your thoughts on a 26 oz hunting wt tiercel rt? keeping in mind he is a head hunter.
i say squirrels beware. most my RTs have hunted around the same weight 750-780gr. I never once had a problem with squirrels with any RT. I recommend some chaps though.
what are your thoughts on a 26 oz hunting wt tiercel rt? keeping in mind he is a head hunter.
THats about the same weight my MRT is, mines got some decent feet though. Just use wider than normal anklets and assist on the kill quickly. I would not fly a MRT on foxes, only greys.
Last Edit: Nov 1, 2006 11:16:15 GMT -5 by Falcon Boy
Falcon Boy Apprentice Falconry Administrator
Ethics make the individual, not the other way around.
The first 3 yr i flew MRT, i didnt have chaps just wide anklets like FB said. I never had a bite that required attention. RT's are tough and have beefy squirrel catching feet. We have some fox squirrels here and they share some of the same habitat as greys.
FB I still think your bird had a bad exspierence with a squirrel that might have turned him off?? Maybe when the leaves come off the trees it will help. There isnt any rabbit spots where you are at?