Post by shockingbyu on May 16, 2013 22:45:49 GMT -5
Would the measurements 5.3ft wide x 8.5 ft long x 7 ft tall be big enough mews for a red tail? I live on a small property and that is one space i have come up with, So would it work?
You might have a problem with the width. At 5 foot 3, just about any way you tether the bird in the mews it would likely hit its wings on the side when bating.
Post by shockingbyu on May 17, 2013 16:07:35 GMT -5
The law says that the bird has to be able to fully spread its wings and if my red tailed hawk was approx 48 in wingspan then 48/12 = 4 ft so it should have approx 1 foot when it is wings are open to fly when it is bating.
Ok so do you have a hawk with a 48" wingspan? Are you going to trap a hawk and measure its wingspan before you decide to take it? Have you ever seen a hawk bate? They don't just sit still and spread their wings.
You don't have 1' of clearance in that ideal situation you have 6" on each side. And that's if the hawk stays on the perch perfectly in the center. and just spreads its wings. Ideally you want minimum of 8' long by 8' wide by 8' tall. And if you want to quote the law, and refute the advice given, why are you asking for advice??
Definitely make the mew a minimum of 8'x8'. Bigger if you have the space and the money. It's been made a minimum of 8'x8' for a reason. Once you're around the birds more, it'll start to make more sense.
Post by shockingbyu on May 20, 2013 9:23:37 GMT -5
I wasn't correcting you i was asking you about the law. And i have no clue about any of the things you talked about. I'm just a 14 year old kid who is trying to become a falconer. i have never seen a hawk bate in my life.
I wasn't correcting you i was asking you about the law. And i have no clue about any of the things you talked about. I'm just a 14 year old kid who is trying to become a falconer. i have never seen a hawk bate in my life.
Hi Shockingbyu.
I would wait on the mews until you have a sponsor. Then they can best advise you. You may be better off with a kestrel , again this is somthing you sponsor will be able to help with.
Redtails do need a lot of space. Sometimes what the law states and what we do with these birds ethically conflict. Because falconry is so regulated and looked down on by animal liberation groups tis very important we not only comply with the law but we do absolutly what is right for the bird.
Post by shockingbyu on May 20, 2013 9:37:49 GMT -5
I have a sponsor and I have took the test for the second time on Friday,(it is a pain)And so when i get my results if i passed then i am planning on building the mews during the summer when i am out of school and i don't have to worry about school.
I wasn't correcting you i was asking you about the law. And i have no clue about any of the things you talked about. I'm just a 14 year old kid who is trying to become a falconer. i have never seen a hawk bate in my life.
Ok well I apologize if I seemed rude. It was not my intent. I am just so used to people asking questions on the forum and if its not what they want to hear they start saying things like/ "well I read in book somewhere that its ok" or "another falconer said".
Its a matter of, Letter of the law vs intent of the law. The law says the bird with fully extended wings, can't hit walls. Intent is they don't want the birds wings hitting the walls. A hawk will bate for basically 2 reasons #1 they want to get to something (a perch, a squirrel outside the mews, ect). Or #2 they want to get away from something (a person, a dog/cat ect). The latter can make the bird quite frantic.
Even If the hawk is tethered he will have some room (law also says your bird needs access to a bath pan, so the leash has to be long enough for the hawk to get into that bath pan). That slack in the leash allows the hawk to move and it will hit those walls (with his wings fully extended) If its scared enough that could even lead to a broken wing.
Believe me nothing puts a pit in your stomach like seeing your hawk injured.
We just want the best for any falconry bird. Not just our own.
Even if your sponsor says you may fly a kestrel, do you see flying a red tail in your future. If so you should really consider a 8x8x8 mews. Just my opinion on that.
I have a sponsor and I have took the test for the second time on Friday,(it is a pain)And so when i get my results if i passed then i am planning on building the mews during the summer when i am out of school and i don't have to worry about school.
Good luck with the results of your test. What does your sponsor say about the size of the mews ? Out of interest which state are you in ?
The rule of inspection is based off the birds you may have as an apprentice . The state biologist or agent of DWF isn't there to base the inspection on Red Tailed Hawk or Kestrel, They are there to inspect a facility large enough to cover both . You may decide to fly either or , in your apprenticeship and the inspection stands for the duration of your license . From What I learned in my apprenticeship alone with 2 different RT , bigger is always better for the Wellfare of the hawk. Especially during the off season . My mews chamber is 8x8 inside , If I had it to build over again , I would go 10x10 minimum. Listen to your sponsor and take it slow . It can be a heavy responsibility for a 14yr Old , especially if you've never been on a hunt or Seen a Hawk Bate . A Hawk Bating is comon for wild trapped Raptors . Its the action of them jumping ( sometimes repeatedly) off a perch or the glove while tethered or confined . Generally some stimuli in their field of vison stresses them or encourage them to " Bate" . Its hardly ever straight out to the longest point and the hawk would definitely hit its wing tips on that narrow of a mews . I would encourage you to contact other falconers in your state and go visit their mews and their hawks. Try reading through the past threads on this site about Mews and go to www.themodernapprentice.com and study through that site as well. We can Never learn it all or enough .
It is good to have an end to Journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the End. - Ernest Hemingway
Not sure where you are located, but here in OR we do not have to build a mews suitable for either species as an apprentice. This is my first year and I plan on flying a Kestrel. I built everything specifically for a kestrel- there's no way a RT would be comfortable with any of my supplies. But since I am flying a Kestrel, my facilities inspection was passed based on that. Next year when I plan to fly a RT, I will have to build a suitable mews and get the appropriately sized items as well and have them inspected.
