Hawk Heaven | Gregg Hake and Zach Travers Falconry Blog

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Home About Hawk HeavenGregg Hake and Zach Travers Falconry Blog Feeds: Posts Comments 2013 Falconry at the HighlandGames

December 2, 2013 by Gregory Hake

You never know how people will react to an up close and personal encounter with a raptor. This toddler couldnt stop smiling no matter what my red-tailed hawk, Artemis did. The next fellow wasnt so amused. He was probably 65 and 275 pounds but he jumped and might have wet his kilt a little when Artemis bated (jumped) in his direction. You gotta love people!

If you havent had a chance to learn about falconry, look into your local falconry association or drop me an email and Ill point you in the right direction. I belong to the Georgia Falconry Association and have loved every minute of my participation in this ancient sport.

Thanks, Myron, for capturing this moment!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged falconry, gregg hake, Highland Games, red-tailed hawk, Stone Mountain | 2 Comments

Artemis and GreggHake

September 30, 2013 by Gregory Hake

Artemis is my current hunting partner. My brother-in-law and I trapped her last year in northeast Georgia and this will be her second hunting season with me. We trapped her at 1,575 grams (3.5 pounds) and she managed to get a piece of my brother-in-law when while we were removing her from the trap, which to a falconer is a good sign despite the inconvenience.
Artemis proved from day one to be spirited and tough as nails.

Manning her was a snap as she ate from the glove on day two and then quickly took to flying on the creance. I am looking forward to training and hunting with her this year and will keep you informed on her progress.

The photos below were taken at the Scottish Games in Blairsville, GA.

Photo 1: Artemis. Isnt she a stunner?

Photos 2 and 3: Gregg Hake giving Artemis a drink during the falconry presentation.

Photo 4: Gregg Hake and Artemis, a Red-tailed Hawk.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged falconry, georgia falconry association, gregg hake | 4 Comments

Georgia Falconry Association AnnualPicnic

September 29, 2013 by Gregory Hake

The Georgia Falconry Association event was a big success, raising necessary funds for the club, introducing many to the sport and offering club members and their families a chance for fellowship and storytelling.

Nathan Masters slingshots were a big hit and Johnnys Barbecue put on a great spread.

It was a privilege and an honor to host the event and I wish my fellow falconers a successful 2013-14 hunting season!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged falconry, georgia falconry association, gregg hake | Leave a Comment

North Georgia Falconry Event Come JoinUs!

August 19, 2013 by Gregory Hake

Gregg Hake is pleased to host the annual Georgia Falconry Associations fall picnic on his property in Dahlonega, Georgia. Stop by if youd like to see some amazing birds, meet some fascinating people and learn more about falconry!

http://www.eventbrite.com/org/1344126481?s=16763879

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged falconry, georgia falconry association, gregg hake | Leave a Comment

How to Become aFalconer

July 17, 2013 by Gregory Hake

It would be a mistake to assume that falconrys rise in popularity is associated with a relaxation of the barriers to entry to the sport. Falconry is perhaps the most regulated sport in the United States, and while one need not be of noble birth to access the sport as in days on yore, those desirous of becoming falconers must still overcome a variety of obstacles in their path.

To begin with, every aspiring American falconer must secure a hunting license. This license will allow you to grab a gun or a bow and have at the small animal kingdom, though while it is necessary, it is not sufficient to set a bird of prey after wild quarry. Your states DNR office will have information on how to get a hunting license.

Next, you must pass a lengthy and challenging written examination in which your knowledge of falconry rules, regulations, ethics, practices, avian anatomy and avian health will be tested. This test is also typically administered by your local wildlife agency.

As soon as you have the license and test under your belt, you are ready to find a sponsor, who will be in charge of supervising your two year long apprenticeship. (I warned you that it wasnt easy!) Trapping season begins in the fall, so you would be wise together all of this out of the way by sometime in August.

Next, youll have to build your housing for your bird. This isnt something you will find at the pet store, and the regulations describing what is acceptable are fairly specific, though they do allow room for interpretation. I found it useful to discuss my ideas with my sponsor and other falconers in the local falconry club (which I joined straight away), while simultaneously pouring over the books and blogs on the topic. One particularly helpful site is The Modern Apprentice.

After you build the housing youll need to contact the local DNR to inspect it and if youre lucky, youll have an agent who understands the peculiarities of our sport: its specialized facilities and associated equipment. Be careful that you dont push your request too far into deer season as most of the field agents are out in the woods for most of the fall.

After that, youre good to get started. Youll have to trap a bird, which will be the topic of another post and start the manning process. Manning, incidentally is the process by which you get the bird used to you and used to flying back to you on command.

Once the manning process is complete you are ready to take that fateful step of releasing your bird in the woods in pursuit of its prey! And if all goes well, youll be well on the road to becoming a master falconer, which by the way, takes seven years!

By Gregg Hake

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged apprentice falconer, Apprenticeship, falconry, Greg Hake, gregg hake, gregory hake | 1 Comment

Jagged Oarsmen

May 5, 2013 by Gregory Hake

Jagged Oarsmen
A Haiku by Gregg Hake

Deep in the spring wood,-
jagged oarsmen hushing sounds
of passing shadows

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged falconry, gregg hake, haiku, poetry | 2 Comments

Summer Molt

May 4, 2013 by Gregory Hake

Summer Molt
a Haiku by Gregg Hake

In the jess-less molt:
springtime regeneration
plumage made anew

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged falconry, gregg hake, haiku, poetry, summer molt | 2 Comments

A Fitting Farewell

May 27, 2012 by Gregory Hake

Part of the joy of falconry is getting to know your hunting partners, the majestic birds of prey that make the sport possible, interesting and unpredictable. I trapped my first bird, Lexi, three years ago as an apprentice and while I had three successful hunting seasons with her and am now a general falconer, something in me said it was time to say goodbye.

In general parting is such sweet sorrow, and releasing a hawk youve cared for night and day over the last three years is no exception. She served me well. As a gesture of thanks, one that she will never understand but that I am nonetheless compelled to share with you in the hopes that it inspires in you a newfound respect for these remarkable animals and this endlessly entertaining sport, I would like to share the short story of her release with you.

My brother-in-law, Zach Travers, and I had just released his male red-tailed hawk, Heath, with little fanfare. Heath was a mellow fellow, and though we had removed his anklets and jesses (he was now free), he sat on his perch at the edge of the wood for a quarter of an hour before deciding to fly off. Lexi, as usual, was much more dramatic in her departure.

No sooner had we removed her anklets and jesses, than she flew aggressively away. She perched in a neighboring tree some 25 feet up, roused and surveyed the scene. Though I had gradually increased her weight prior to her release (done as a precaution to give a newly released bird a fair chance at reorienting to life in the wild), I thought Id offer her one more meal from my glove.

I pulled out a defrosted quail and gave the call Lexiiii, huuup! that on hungrier days would bring her down from anywhere in seconds. She turned her head, but looked away dismissively, like a supermodel turning down a dance request. I called once again, but it was clear that she was going to stay put. Not to be out-maneuvered, I told Zach that I was going to toss the quail up to her and see what happened.

I readied my throwing arm, thinking to myself Nobody puts Baby in a corner! and lobbed it vigorously in her direction. The quail somehow missed the many branches between my position and hers and reached its zenith 6 inches in front of her and to the left. In a swift, powerful and possibly defiant move (I just know she was thinking youll never best me!) she snapped up the quail with her left leg, pulled it under her and gobbled up her last supper served by her doting falconer.

As with most falconers tales, the photographic evidence of this incredible event is scant, there were few, if any reliable witnesses and though it sounds unlikely, improbable if not downright impossible, it really happened.

If you dont believe me, just ask Zach.

Posted in Birds of Prey, Falconry Facilities and Equipment | Tagged Apprenticeship, birds of prey, falconry, general falconer, georgia falconry association, Greg Hake, gregg hake, gregory hake, jesses, red-tailed hawk, releasing a bird, zach travers | 6 Comments

Scottish Festival and HighlandGames

June 17, 2011 by Zach Travers

Well, its been a while since my last post, but with hunting season fast approaching I wanted to start posting on here more regularly. I went to an event last weekend that I wanted to share with everyone!

Falconry Presentation at Scottish Games

The event was called The Blairsville, GA Scottish Festival and Highland Games. If you ever get a chance to go to this you should take it, because its a great time. There were different vendors offering Scottish food and wares, along with a multitude of booths representing the many Scottish clans. Apart from all these great things, the location cant be beat. Blairsville is in the North Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains, and is an absolutely scenic location.

There was a good turnout from our club, the Georgia Falconry Association. We had several falconers there, including myself and this blogs co-author Gregg Hake. The birds there were varied both in species and in size, including four Red Tailed Hawks (two male and two female), an American Kestrel (the smallest falcon in North America), a Harris Hawk (the only social raptor), and a Saker Falcon (native to North Africa). We had a booth set up at the entrance to one of the main fields, and it seemed like there was a nonstop flow of people really interested in the birds. It doesnt get much better than that! You can visit their website at http://www.blairsvillescottishfestival.org/

Saker Falcon

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Blairsville, Festival, gregg hake, gregory hake, Harris' Hawk, kestrel, Red Tail, Saker Falcon, Scottish, zach travers, Zachary Travers | 2 Comments

Shakespeare and Hawks

December 13, 2010 by Gregory Hake

From De Arte Venandi cum Avibus by Frederick II, Image by Wikipedia

I found an excellent blog post today, called Shakespeare and Hawking, on Shakespeares widespread use of birds as symbols, metaphors and for characterization. Shakespeare mentioned birds more than any other animal or object and his mentions of poetry point to the fact that he had a working knowledge of the sport.

Once strictly available to the noble class, falconry is now widely enjoyed by people from all levels of society around the world. In the United States, falconry is one of the most regulated of sports. Those interested in falconry will quickly discover the relatively high barriers to entry, including a challenging written examination and a two year apprenticeship, but if you are interested in nature, hunting, birds and the great outdoors, they are well-worth overcoming.

I encourage you to check out the link and discover more about how and why these magnificent birds of prey captured Shakespeares remarkable imagination.

Posted in Birds of Prey, Heritage | Tagged bird, falconry, Greg Hake, gregg hake, hawk, Hawking, Literature, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (UK Parliament constituency), Ornithology, Shakespeare, Tempest, Tom Blenkinsop, United States, William Shakespeare | Leave a Comment

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