Post by Master Yarak on Dec 13, 2006 9:42:29 GMT -5
This post could probably go in General section as well.
Why hunt squirrels? We have all heard "Hunt what you have available" Most but not all of us have either Grey squirrels or the larger Fox squirrels around us. There distribution is widespread. Populations tend not to cycle like rabbits. The prime habitat for these animals tend not to have things like barbed wire and transformers to contend with. Busy roads are rare as well. They are the most cognitive quarry we hunt equally as smart as rats. Why does intelligence matter in a quarry? It has an effect on the way the predator processes the experience. Basically, it makes for a smarter hawk. Squirrels are strong they are mostly muscle. There flesh is very nutritious. They don't panic and know there territory like you know your living room. Every nook and cranny of it.
The chases are hard to beat. The action takes place above you. You get to see every move the two animals make. Falconers always talk about the flights, many feel that is the mark of a great hunt. How many pheasant hunts last 40 minutes? Prairie Chicken flights? Ducks? rabbits? Apart from the telemetry chases they don't. Most of those hunts are over in a very short time. Some produce amazing flights from both predator and prey. Then it is over. You spend more time preparing, driving, setting up and flushing than whole flight takes. Not so with squirrels. Up and down, round and round, back and forth. Many squirrels are chased repeatedly before they are either caught or make it to safety. I have chased many individual squirrels for more than 20 minutes. Some even longer. Both animals stop and rest before one causes the chase to resume.
The three dimensional habitat and arboreal nature of squirrels demands great physical fitness from the hawk.
Straight line flights produce a certain flight muscle strength. Flying straight up produces another. The up stroke portion of the flight muscle is more developed in a squirrel hawk. Even the neck is stronger, not from looking up but from tearing and pulling the squirrels tough hide. This type of consistent hunting produces a very fit hawk indeed.
Now to be a squirrel hawker you need to have a squirrel hawk. Realistically, you have three choices. Depending on your permit level. Lets us look at them. Obviously, there is a Red-Tail, a Harris and a large Gos.
North American Goshawks do catch squirrels. They live with them throughout there range with only a few exceptions. They use speed and surprise and take almost everyone on the ground. This method places all the advantages on the hawk, it reduces the risk substantially. It is my guess that when they are taken they are taken by the hen. They are usually taken during the spring when the chicks are half grown and food demand is high. It also means smaller less experienced squirrels. In any case they will only comprise a small portion of the food intake of this species.
It is very unlikely that most wild Harris' have ever hunted a squirrel. There habitat is generally poorly suited to them. This versatile hawk can make a formidable squirrel bird. If we look closely at them we can see where there strong suit lies. Did you know it is only where game is scarce that they pack hunt? In suburban areas it is rarely seen. They are quite successful on rabbits, snakes, lizards, birds and rats in these areas. Where you find them hunting in packs they hunt the large Jack rabbits. Piling in one after another. that is the best way to insure it can be held down and killed. They are fast and maneuverable, they are smart and learn quickly the techniques to master hunting. Not a bad choice.
Red-Tails are not forest birds. They roost in the trees, sure but they tend not to hunt them. They too eat squirrels throughout large portions of there range much like a Gos. Surprise and death from above. They are not suited to to hunt everything. They tend to be generalists. They are very opportunistic. They are everywhere and unlike any of the other choices they can flown by an apprentice nationwide. They are not as fast as the other choices. Never the less they are my first choice. Hunting in the trees removes much of the advantage. Footing is not as precise and you don't usually have much gravity to aide the power slam.
Grip strength and impact power then become significant. Red-Tails surpass the other choices in this area.
Now for the most controversial part...risk. Anyone who practiced this sport long enough will have stories of injuries and death. How a Peregrine was killed by a wild Red-Tail. How Harris' was kicked to death by a Jack. How a Gos broke its neck on fence wire. A Kestrel choking on a bone. A Sharpie drowning with a grackle.
The list goes on and on. Are bites inevitable, unfortunately....yes. That is why I advocate TWO things;
A bird with big feet, and squirrel chaps. Most bites are superficial. Those that are not can usually be repaired if the birds feet are large and well developed.
Not everyone will become a squirrel hawker. Not everyone should. No one should chose not to be squirrel hawker because of the bite risk. A squirrel hawk will have no problems with rabbits. A rabbit bird may have problems with squirrels. It is very hard to teach a hawk to look up. Because of this if you intend to hunt squirrels
you should start with them and then hunt rabbits as well if they are available. For me squirrel hawking is my opium.
Yarak
Why hunt squirrels? We have all heard "Hunt what you have available" Most but not all of us have either Grey squirrels or the larger Fox squirrels around us. There distribution is widespread. Populations tend not to cycle like rabbits. The prime habitat for these animals tend not to have things like barbed wire and transformers to contend with. Busy roads are rare as well. They are the most cognitive quarry we hunt equally as smart as rats. Why does intelligence matter in a quarry? It has an effect on the way the predator processes the experience. Basically, it makes for a smarter hawk. Squirrels are strong they are mostly muscle. There flesh is very nutritious. They don't panic and know there territory like you know your living room. Every nook and cranny of it.
The chases are hard to beat. The action takes place above you. You get to see every move the two animals make. Falconers always talk about the flights, many feel that is the mark of a great hunt. How many pheasant hunts last 40 minutes? Prairie Chicken flights? Ducks? rabbits? Apart from the telemetry chases they don't. Most of those hunts are over in a very short time. Some produce amazing flights from both predator and prey. Then it is over. You spend more time preparing, driving, setting up and flushing than whole flight takes. Not so with squirrels. Up and down, round and round, back and forth. Many squirrels are chased repeatedly before they are either caught or make it to safety. I have chased many individual squirrels for more than 20 minutes. Some even longer. Both animals stop and rest before one causes the chase to resume.
The three dimensional habitat and arboreal nature of squirrels demands great physical fitness from the hawk.
Straight line flights produce a certain flight muscle strength. Flying straight up produces another. The up stroke portion of the flight muscle is more developed in a squirrel hawk. Even the neck is stronger, not from looking up but from tearing and pulling the squirrels tough hide. This type of consistent hunting produces a very fit hawk indeed.
Now to be a squirrel hawker you need to have a squirrel hawk. Realistically, you have three choices. Depending on your permit level. Lets us look at them. Obviously, there is a Red-Tail, a Harris and a large Gos.
North American Goshawks do catch squirrels. They live with them throughout there range with only a few exceptions. They use speed and surprise and take almost everyone on the ground. This method places all the advantages on the hawk, it reduces the risk substantially. It is my guess that when they are taken they are taken by the hen. They are usually taken during the spring when the chicks are half grown and food demand is high. It also means smaller less experienced squirrels. In any case they will only comprise a small portion of the food intake of this species.
It is very unlikely that most wild Harris' have ever hunted a squirrel. There habitat is generally poorly suited to them. This versatile hawk can make a formidable squirrel bird. If we look closely at them we can see where there strong suit lies. Did you know it is only where game is scarce that they pack hunt? In suburban areas it is rarely seen. They are quite successful on rabbits, snakes, lizards, birds and rats in these areas. Where you find them hunting in packs they hunt the large Jack rabbits. Piling in one after another. that is the best way to insure it can be held down and killed. They are fast and maneuverable, they are smart and learn quickly the techniques to master hunting. Not a bad choice.
Red-Tails are not forest birds. They roost in the trees, sure but they tend not to hunt them. They too eat squirrels throughout large portions of there range much like a Gos. Surprise and death from above. They are not suited to to hunt everything. They tend to be generalists. They are very opportunistic. They are everywhere and unlike any of the other choices they can flown by an apprentice nationwide. They are not as fast as the other choices. Never the less they are my first choice. Hunting in the trees removes much of the advantage. Footing is not as precise and you don't usually have much gravity to aide the power slam.
Grip strength and impact power then become significant. Red-Tails surpass the other choices in this area.
Now for the most controversial part...risk. Anyone who practiced this sport long enough will have stories of injuries and death. How a Peregrine was killed by a wild Red-Tail. How Harris' was kicked to death by a Jack. How a Gos broke its neck on fence wire. A Kestrel choking on a bone. A Sharpie drowning with a grackle.
The list goes on and on. Are bites inevitable, unfortunately....yes. That is why I advocate TWO things;
A bird with big feet, and squirrel chaps. Most bites are superficial. Those that are not can usually be repaired if the birds feet are large and well developed.
Not everyone will become a squirrel hawker. Not everyone should. No one should chose not to be squirrel hawker because of the bite risk. A squirrel hawk will have no problems with rabbits. A rabbit bird may have problems with squirrels. It is very hard to teach a hawk to look up. Because of this if you intend to hunt squirrels
you should start with them and then hunt rabbits as well if they are available. For me squirrel hawking is my opium.
Yarak