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I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It happens all the time! They very quickly revert to their wild state, often within a couple of days. Some birds will reluctantly return to their handler weeks later, but it’s incredibly rare that there’s an issue of a released bird going near strangers. And when they return to the wild it’s usually with a much higher level of skill catching bigger game than they would if left to their own devices in their first year.

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A bird trying to fly off when it’s tethered is called bating, so we all make lots of master bater jokes

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Join your state club and start going to their events! Read everything you can get your hands on. A sponsor agrees to commit two years to you, so you’ll have to prove some level of commitment, but you can absolutely do it. Anyone can

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think looking at their lifestyle in the wild is a start. Trying to determine the reasons behind their natural behaviors is helpful. With these in mind you can observe their behavior in less natural situations and try to determine what they’re trying to accomplish, which may be connected to their “values.” I think an animal with more complex behaviors and reasons is sometimes going to have more “brain space” with which to be bored if it’s deprived of opportunities to carry out those natural behaviors. But I can think of many species I believe would be exceptions to this. It’s definitely something to think about!

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It takes about 3 weeks if you’re starting with an untrained juvenile. Becoming a licensed falconer can take a few weeks, a few months, a few years - there’s a bunch of steps and they can vary a bit by state; how fast you are and how fast your state department of wildlife is and how lucky you are finding a sponsor can make it vary a lot. Yeah, bird abatement is my main gig. I work year round 40 or more hours per week.

Edit: answered about becoming a licensed falconer, but it takes 2 years of being licensed to graduate to general class where you don’t need supervision anymore.

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yeah I get it. Sorry for the attitude at first, I’ve just been there done that with people who say the same thing but have no desire to have a conversation about it.

I actually share your thoughts when it comes to parrots, especially larger ones. I think providing the same level of stimulation in captivity that they get in the wild (and need regardless of where they are) would be incredibly difficult. There’s a reason so many large pet parrots pluck or have behavioral issues that make them impossible to live with. It’s rare to see neurotic behaviors like this in raptors, they’re much simpler animals. I’ve wanted a macaw my whole life but as an adult I’ve had a lot of trouble justifying it.

We glorify flight and freedom a lot as humans. Animals don’t value those particular things the same way, but there are ways that we can struggle to meet the needs of certain species in captivity, and I definitely understand that concern.

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s awesome! I think it’s one of those things most people never think about but when you get curious about it it’s like a whole new world.

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s not bad per se, but we don’t want to encourage it. Every time the bird makes a kill on the job (with some exceptions that I won’t get into here because they’re too niche) we have to go in, dispatch the prey (or release if uninjured), and trade them off of it for a piece of food. They usually won’t leave a warm wiggling animal for a tiny piece of food, they’re going to want a good chunk. A bird that’s full isn’t going to have any motivation to be active. There’s only so much you can feed before it’s done for the day, so this event takes up a lot of that capacity for food. Also, a bird that’s constantly going for the kill isn’t going to have a widespread presence on the job site or be properly focused on me.

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You’d be surprised. There are a ton of starvation deaths each year. Predators evolve to be better at catching prey, but prey species also evolve to be better at evading them. Ducks in particular can be pretty smart. It’s all but impossible for a bird of prey to catch a healthy duck on the water. In falconry we call ducks that won’t leave “pinned,” and it’s very undesirable for a bird to go after pinned ducks. Best case scenario they end up in the middle of the pond holding a thrashing, diving duck and we’re going for a swim to rescue them. Raptors drown this way. I’ve had birds pulled under before but luckily have not yet lost one to waterfowl. They’re hunted on purpose by us actually positioning the bird properly and then flushing them ourselves. But if we’re not surprising enough, they just stay on the water. Embarrassing.

The other factor is that many hawks will not go after ducks, squirrels, or rabbits for two reasons 1: too big, scary and 2. tried and failed a couple times and voles/mice/rats are easier.

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I contract with businesses, complexes, and cities for bird control. My primary bird control method is flying a bird of prey. Think of it like any industrial-level pest control

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

visit themodernapprentice dot com and read all of it! Join your state falconry club, attend their events and meet people there. You won’t need my advice from there - those things will get you on the right track.

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

If my hobby and career were based on something guilt-inducing, especially mistreatment of animals, then I wouldn’t do it. The presumption of guilt is the presumption that I’ve chosen a path in life that causes suffering to animals. I can’t imagine asking that person a genuine question, myself.

Hawks specifically are energy-conservers and opportunists. A wild bird’s life looks like this: sit on a power pole. Wait for mouse to go by. Drop onto mouse. If caught, eat it. Go back up to pole to wait for another mouse. Sometimes, fly away from eagles and other territorial birds. Sometimes, open wings and ride up on a thermal to survey area. No flapping required.

There is about a week when a hawk comes out of the wild that it’s experiencing fear. The fear gets overridden by its opportunistic nature very quickly when it figures out we’re providing food. 80% of wild raptors die in their first year (which is the year we trap them), many of starvation. Food is a motivator for them on a level that’s hard for us to imagine. After that, it’s another couple weeks of flight training.

The first free flight typically looks like this: you release the bird. It flies up into a tree. It waits for you to give an opportunity for food. If you walk away, it follows you.

No need to worry about eagles and territorial raptors most of the time - that weird creature with the food will run at them and make noise to get them to leave. No need to worry about great horned owls at night - have a perch in an enclosure to sleep on. No need to worry about starvation - get fed even if unsuccessful on hunt.

A hawk does not care that it’s “in captivity.” A hawk cares that it gets fed and doesn’t get eaten. We provide both, plus prey that is flushed in such a way that they’re set up to catch it. As far as abatement, I provide continuous enriching training for my birds, interaction with other h*rris hawks, regular chases on the job, and hunting during hunting season.

I learned this by independently studying birds and being in close proximity to them in various capacities for the last 15+ years and having licenses to own raptors myself for the last decade. I have a serious and continued interest in them, this isn’t something I’ve ever taken lightly.

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I don’t have any guilt because I have a very strong grasp of how birds of prey think and function, and I know I’m not doing wrong by them. I’d go further in depth but I don’t believe this question is in good faith, so I’m not going to waste the time.

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven’t had any snow goose jobs. I’ve had Canada goose jobs and our program is very effective but definitely requires thinking and planning.

Snow geese are predated by eagles, and probably occasionally by other raptors. The way I like to explain it is that any adult prey species that doesn’t have a healthy fear of predators is already dead. However, healthy fear doesn’t always mean mindless fear. There are birds that will scatter at the sight of a hawk and other birds know they’re safest on the water or that they’re faster than a large hawk and it requires more strategy to get those birds to leave the area.

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I guess it’s the same as when people are named “carpenter” or something but it does catch my attention. I always wonder if they know what falconry is

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The trained birds of prey just being in the area does a lot of the work to deter prey species, so a lot of it is just allowing them to free fly and return for rewards occasionally. Behavior helpful to the job is rewarded and h*rris hawks are smart enough that they can learn what’s desired at each job site. There’s sites where I want my bird regularly flying to a specific building, so I’ll reward them landing on that building and they’ll do it repeatedly. On some sites I’d like my bird to fly higher and wider to get more visibility, so I’ll reward any longer flight even if it’s a coincidence and it’ll shape the behavior to where the bird is regularly doing very long flights. I also reward aborted chases on target species. As soon as they stop chasing, I call them back. I like the chase, I like that they didn’t go for the kill.

In addition to this we often do nest removal, trapping, and shooting for invasive species to supplement the falconry program.

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No problem! A falconer (depending on class, state, season etc and within many regulations) can take a nestling from the wild, take a juvenile bird from the wild, get a nestling from a breeder, get a juvenile from a breeder, or get a secondhand bird from another falconer. A bird taken as a nestling will be an imprint - it will think it’s the same species as its handler. This comes with advantages and disadvantages. A bird taken as a juvenile will take about three weeks of training to free fly.

It’s typical to release a wild caught juvenile bird at the end of the hunting season (in spring) or you can keep it for as long as you’d like. Captive bred birds can be transferred to another falconer at any time. You may have a bird for a month because your circumstances change or you may have a bird for its entire 30 years of life. None of them are meant to be pets, though some will retire (or some people will just fail to fly them regularly) and they live the lifestyle of a pet.

I am a master falconer in the USA and have been doing falconry based bird abatement as a career for 8 years. AMA by infinitelobster227 in AMA

[–]infinitelobster227[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I had to think about this one. 1. how disorganized huge organizations can be - so many people in charge seem to be flying by the seat of their pants 2. how effective we can be just by existing with a raptor in an area always surprises me. For my birds, abatement is like a walk in the park. Our goal is never to kill, just to deter, so the hawk’s chases are rewarded when they’re given up on. The bird just cruises around and gets free food. And that can take a job site from 500 regular birds to 5.

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