I started re-reading Harry McElroys book again last night and he deals with the coopers hawk. He states that they can be encouraged to carry by having them to low to the ground and recommends a shelf perch or box at about shoulder height.
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
As for thoughts on wall perches casuing carrying... i doubt it.
All wild caught birds are going to want to carry what they catch. They have had to keep thier kills away from rivals and predators the whole of thier life.
The kestral is not going to be any different i would assume. You will have to be carefull on your first make ins, and train the bird that you are not going to steal from it.
While i think having birds on low bow perches may HELP in this case, i don't think its the driving factor. I think, training the bird you aren't going to steal from it is. In fact quite a few books i have read say to approach the bird teathered to a bow perch from a low position if the bird gets upset. Then you gradually work towards approaching on foot. Again, kestrals shouldn't be any different, and i don't think a wall perch would be a deciding factor...
Any of the more experienced guys have any thoughts on this?
Not a more experienced guy ! But was just reading about this on Kestrelfans..... One person was using high perches as he had cats and the bird would not settle down on a low perch. He just had to spend some extra time practicing making in and working with the bird. But the bird was calmer in the house. So it seems to be a trade off in some cases. I plan to have both low bow perches and a higher shelf perch and see what works for my bird. For initial manning lower perches will be used. I have 1 cat and 1 dog and want my bird to be calm around both. But it will also be housed in a separate room at night or in my bedroom and not left alone with the other critters.
" Insanity takes its toll..........please have exact change"