Hunting with hunting birds is an impressive sight! The grace of the birds rolls over. They can make up to 70 bets without respite. With all this, to develop a speed of up to 100 meters per second during an attack on prey. Stalkers have come a long way from hunting to fun of the kings. Then for a long time the hunt with the hunters was forgotten.
A bit of history
Hunting with hunting birds was carried out many years ago. The hunters used their helpers to catch game birds. But when firearms became widely used, this type of hunting lost its popularity.
Common List of Hunting Birds
Before proceeding to the recommendations on keeping and preparing birds for hunting, we will consider some of their species. As a rule, all hunting birds are raptors.
- Golden eagle is a large eagle. Its weight reaches 4 kilograms, it perfectly suits the role of a hunting bird. The wingspan of about 2 meters. Females are usually slightly larger than males. They have a dark brown color of feathers. The habitat is chosen by forest belts, mountainous terrain, and also settles in the desert.
- Balaban is a small predator, with a wingspan of 1.5 meters, it weighs a little more than 1 kilogram. The feathers are brown. Prefers to settle in forest-steppe areas.
- Peregrine Falcon is a representative of the falcon family, a medium-sized bird with a wingspan of 1.2 meters and a weight of 1.3 kilograms. Peregrine Falcon has a gray-gray color and will be an excellent assistant to you in sports hunting.
- Gyrfalcon is the largest species of the genus Falconia. Rare individuals that were white in color were considered the most expensive hunting birds. The wingspan reaches a length of 1.3 meters, and weighs 2 kilograms.
- The goshawk is a hawk bird with a brown or gray color, the individual weighs 1.5 kilograms, and the wingspan is 1.3 meters.
- No wonder the quail hawk got its nickname. Such an assistant will be simply indispensable in the hunt for quail. To be fast and agile, his small dimensions allow him. Adults reach a weight of no more than 300 g, and the wingspan barely exceeds 80 cm.
Bird keeping
First you need to buy a bird from people specializing in this topic or in a store, or you can catch a future assistant on your own. In order for the bird to serve you faithfully, you need to “pull” it out of its usual habitat and tame it. Many experts recommend taking stronger chicks or those fledglings who already know how to fly. At this age, birds learn more easily.
After the future hunting bird is caught, it is necessary to place it in a wooden box or in a special spacious wicker basket. Do not forget about the access of fresh air and a comfortable warm litter. The diet of a predatory hunter becomes finely chopped and pre-cleaned meat, into which a raw egg is added. As for meat, the bird of prey does not matter what type it is. The main thing is that it must be fresh and fat-free if possible. Bone impurities are added to the food so that the predator does not get rickets. Do not forget about the water. Many hunters love to take baths. If you have just such a bird, then you need to place a shallow basin where it is contained.
Hunting chicks are fed 2-3 times a day, and if you already have an adult, then 1 feeding will be enough. If you went hunting with hunters and before it was fed, the day will be wasted. A well-fed bird will not chase game. It is necessary to maintain strict control over proper nutrition.
It is necessary to keep the bird in shape so that it does not weaken, but also does not become obese. The definition of the presence of excess body weight is the keel on the chest. If it is sharp and protrudes, the bird is not full enough, and if the keel is not palpable, it is time for your pet to lose weight.
Take care of the rooster. It is usually made from a stump of wood, which will previously be upholstered with cloth. On this "chair" the hunting bird will sit well.
There are categories of hunters who molt. If your bird is one of these, then it will need special care so that it does not drop too many feathers. If this happens, she will not be able to help you in the hunt.
Preparation for the hunt
In order for a bird of prey to become your indispensable assistant, it must be tamed until it gets used to you. To do this, you need to feed it yourself, often wear it on your hand, using a hood that closes her eyes. After these operations, the bird will feel calm on your arm. When she gets used to you, you can begin to teach her to hunt.
Hunting birds for several days do not give food and make it impossible to rest and sleep. These days, the bird is most often carried on its arm. After that they teach you to eat with your hands, then let them go a short distance, controlling the flight with the help of a long cord, and lure with the help of the established call. It will be ideal if the bird flies at your call without the use of baits and leashes. Then the predator is taught to hunt directly, at first they use a special scarecrow (wabilo), and then live bait. The end of this stage of training is that the bird will not peck the prey, but simply bring it to the owner.
Practice shows that the chicks that were taken out of the nest are the easiest to learn, it is more difficult to do with young fledglings, and it is practically impossible to train an adult large hunting bird to help in hunting. However, even though the chicks taken from the nest are easily trained, they grow much weaker and slower than adolescents or adult stalkers.
It takes about 1 month for the bird to learn how to help you in the hunt. The life of feathered hunters often exceeds 10 years. If the bird has ceased to assist in the hunt, it means that it has served you its own.
Hunting Items
As for the equipment for such birds, it’s a hood, putters, a belt for which the hunter holds a hunting one (has a length of 70-80 centimeters), bells (so that you can find a bird), a leather glove that will serve as protection from claws, a wobbler (bait). Golden eagles need a special stand.
Hunting with hunting birds
First of all, the hunter should know that when a bird molts, it is unable to provide assistance in hunting. Usually hunting birds molt twice a year - in summer and autumn. The best time for hunting with hunters is early spring, late autumn and winter. The best time of day for hunting is considered morning or evening, before dark. Sneaking up on game, hunters set their hunting birds to theft.
It is not worth hunting in bad weather. If the hunt is for large prey, then greyhounds are also attracted. In one season, on average, a hunter with experience and a well-trained hunting bird produces about 50 foxes, and in 1 day - up to 10 pheasants and 50 quails.
Hunters nowadays
World competitions of hunters with hunting birds these days are held not only to preserve the ancient traditions of hunting, but also for sports interest. Hunting with trappers turned into a sport that is actively developing. Typically, the program of such competitions includes hunting for a hare, fox and wolf. According to the established rules and evaluation criteria, the best hunter with his assistant is selected.
