Many moons ago, I rec'd a call from a farmer I knew on the mountain. He had been cutting hay after a big storm and ran over 2 young Red Tail Hawks with his haybine. When I got there I knew the one would not make it right away. The other one looked stunned but not injured, they were still in their down stage and had obviously been blown out of their nest. They were close to the tree line. I had brought welding gloves etc for the rescue. I thought poor wee guy he looks fairly harmless, and neglecting my heavy welding glove I reached down and the hawk immediately leaned back on its wings and sunk its talons into my hand, one piercing through the meat of my thumb. Had a Hola Crap moment. I was hooked literally. Anyway I took him home probably illegally and proceeded to care for him. I named him Merlin and built him a suitable cage, and necessary gear, hood, jesses etc. This hawk would have died or been lunch for some predator, so I studied as much as I could and got up to speed as best I could and cared for him. I would like to try again, and understand some folks get around the legalese by raising hybrids which are not wild birds so the rules are different. Anyone have info on this, looking for a new friend as in Red Tail preferably.
I grew up on a farm and always wanted to try catching a Red Tail to raise for falconry. But when folks bought (fall of '61) hog prices were around $20 /100wt. Spring of '62 hog prices dropped to around $9/100wt. Needless to say we almost lost the farm. Took more than ten years to recover. Wasn't until I graduated H.S. and got a job things started to look up. But to get back to the subject, watching a bird that size and majesty soar and swoop is awe inspiring .
I caught a few owls and Hawks over the years worked with a guy that had a livences to own them some days I think he went home and made love to his birds and not his wife kind of on the weiro side but I have always liked how they trained the birds
Never had a Falcon or Hawk, but did have a Pygmy Owl for a few years! Found him in my upper field after a really nasty storm, he must have hit something and got a head injury. We nursed him back to health and he would hang out in the house up in the rafters of the living room! He would come down and sit on my shoulder and he wanted to go where ever I went! Miss the little guy, one day he wasn't in the house, we think he might have got out and didn't come back, maybe another bird got him, IDK! Great little companion though, very personable, lots of personality, and a bit of a clown! He could also sink his talons into your finger, or shoulder if he got surprised, so you had to be careful with him! He was also very noisy, making a fuss when ever he wanted something, or wanted attention! We have lots of Owls around our place, always a bunch of Hawks, and several Bald Eagles! It's always nice to see the raptors around, says things are healthy in the area, and all is right!
odd thing for me... had a very large raven come around our place... kept landing on the top of my old 82 toy 4x4 PU... when I went to buy some news rubber for it... looked out the store window will waiting in line to order my tires... and the raven landed on the pickup again... looked my way... then left... odd...
I worked with the first USAF falconry Unit at RAF Upper Heyford in England as a as a cadge boy when I was a youngster... became a member of the British Falconry Club and later the North American falconers association and was licensed in NC.. Raised kestrels, sparrow hawks, a cast of red tails, and a barn owl... that being said it has been over 30 years since I worked any hawks or falcons...