I was talking with a local Rehab'er this week and was told her BIGGEST concern with some Falconer's and some Rehab'ers are NOT Hacking back their birds correctly. They have received calls about problem birds in area to find the birds have been captured before, they must hack the birds back correctly. So please be aware of these problems. We DON"T need any BAD publicity or BAD opinions from the pulbic or DWF. This may make for a good discussion. How to correctly hack your bird back to the wild? Any good articles anyone, Emma Ford has one, shore their many others. Just be aware Big Brother is watching
The only information i have read about hacking a wild bird back to the wild is to stop handling it for a couple weeks prior to release. Feed through a chute or tray, and have as little contact with the bird as possible. Then you simply let it go in an area that will be able to carry another large raptor.
Yes your correct about the no contact part. What I've been told and read is to put an outside feed site on a pole or some place high, (Not on mew) place mouse or rat in a big bowl are tub, high sides, so they don't get out, and the bird still has to catch them. So the raptors may come and feed ( if they havn't got their wild hunting skills yet or their out of shape) in a couple of weeks they will stop coming, just spread the feedings out over time. It gives the new release time to hone there skills and not strave. They may return if wild Food supply gets low, ( in winter), so I wouldn't put the feed site on my mews.
Ok this is confusing. (BOB HOPE YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION)
wes, says that you have to actually HACK the birds back into the wild. Dunno if i agree with that, but ok.
Yarak says that in his experience, the birds will return to the wild no problem and hunt on thier own. Again, not sure, but ok.
Beebe is kind of in the middle. He says most birds will take back to the wild on thier own, unless the bird is kept for many years, in which case it may hold a territorial feeling for your home space.
Ok, so who is right? Ive never been in this situation, and we have a lot of experienced people saying something different. Yarak, beebe, and these rehabbers wes spoke to. (Im assumeing these rehabbers are experts)
Happy to hear I'm not the only one confused, I was told by a certified Eagle Rehab'er, she said the problem is more often with Owls. He said, They said, BeeBe said most, that is way I brought this subject up ^i^
The only absolute in the world is that there are no absolutes. The answer is all of the above. Like Yarak, i have slipped the leather, released teh bird and never saw it again. And that is the usual scenario. However, you need to be prepared to hack the reluctant releasee should that become necessary. I have had to do that on several occasions. What i do is place a hacking platform/box in the area chose for the bird. I'll release the bird and come back i a day to see if it's still there. Let's assume it is. By the 3rd day i'll call it to the lure. If she hits the lure, she needs to be fed. I'll put a quail in her box. check two days later. If she's still there, i'll feed again. (no more lure calls). I'll put another quail in the box in three days. Then at four days. You get the drift.
Post by Master Yarak on Sept 18, 2004 10:08:40 GMT -5
Once again I will be the odd man out. I am prepared to hack my bird out if needed. Gary B released a passage bird he had for 12yrs, it returned without any help. I have moved once since I have had my bird. Will she home on the old place or new, neither... they do not home. Territorial she is. That simply means the mew and wherever she hunts is hers. For 35 million years something like a modern buteo has been around. That is a while. Brain ingrams and basic instinctive drives cannot be removed through manning and hunting. I have been following the thread discussing operant conditioning and behavioral modification. That kind of applies here too. I really do not modify much of my birds nature. The things I have focused on are basic and simple. The lure, coming to the fist, sitting the perch, the giant hood and taking the hood. Ooby said something about getting the bird to open its wings on cue for easier physical exams. Training out bateing through understanding why etc. All these are great I have just never seen the need. I am certain of few things, one of them is that my bird would quickly revert back to a totally natural state if released. That is the way they are. Think about it like this. You reinforce all the desired behaviors you want. Why, so the bird remembers them day in day out. What happens if you stopped? As falconers we know not to reward unwanted behaviors. Mostly by ignoring them. Use your feeding chute never let the bird see you and watch how long it takes to change back to less manned state. Yes, if then you took the bird back out and began manning it again it would be easier and quicker than the first time. Point being is that it would become more wild and less manageable because you stopped interacting with it. From this I draw the conclusion that without human contact, It would return to its wild state. Yarak
Last Edit: Sept 18, 2004 10:10:17 GMT -5 by Master 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