eevy24012
Stryker
Years ago I was a licensed falconer and did this for about 10 years. I trained/ flew/ hunted all types of raptors but primarily Red-tailed Hawks like this one. This little guy's name was Stryker, and he was my second bird as an apprentice. I trapped him on my birthday 11/14/1998 on a frontage road off Interstate 81 near Natural Bridge, VA. He was a "passager" in falconry jargon which means a bird that was hatched the previous spring. Most people wanted very large females that would fly at 40 ounces, the theory being they would be more aggressive and handle larger prey. This one flew at 28 ounces, but he had heart, attitude and agility that would serve him well in hunting rabbits.
I had him a few months and arrived at the first falconry field meet of the year in January, Stryker had caught more game than all the other birds of apprentice falconers combined, and they all had large females. I ended up flying him 2 seasons, keeping him in a mews over one summer (called intermewing) and that is when he molted into his red tail, the juveniles have a brown one. This photo was taken in a field where we typically hunted rabbits after my job in the evenings. There is now a Wal Mart and Lowes in this location.
I released Stryker back to the wild on Leap Day, 2/29/2000 and never saw him again. I felt that part of falconry was successfully hunting a wild bird and then releasing it back to freedom where it could have youngsters and choose its own fate. He was my first to release, and was a beloved hunting partner, so I had tears in my eyes all the way driving back home from where I let him go. Going down the road Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” came on the radio...how fitting! I always think of this bird when I hear that song now. It is possible for this type of hawk to live 30 years, so I hope he is still out there somewhere producing more of his type each season. I flew a lot of birds after him, but Stryker has that something special that tells me he very well could still be with us despite the unlikelihood with the dangers of the wild.
The statistics for Red-tailed Hawks survival: 70% of a given hatch does not live to see 1 year of age. 95% do not live to see 5 years of age. The ones who get past those hurdles obviously have the skills to potentially live a very long time, but they face the possibility of poisoning from the game they eat, electrocution on power poles, struck by vehicle, shot by hunters, predation by Great Horned Owls at night, and a myriad of other situations beyond their control. 27 years old is the oldest know wild one via tagging.
Stryker
Years ago I was a licensed falconer and did this for about 10 years. I trained/ flew/ hunted all types of raptors but primarily Red-tailed Hawks like this one. This little guy's name was Stryker, and he was my second bird as an apprentice. I trapped him on my birthday 11/14/1998 on a frontage road off Interstate 81 near Natural Bridge, VA. He was a "passager" in falconry jargon which means a bird that was hatched the previous spring. Most people wanted very large females that would fly at 40 ounces, the theory being they would be more aggressive and handle larger prey. This one flew at 28 ounces, but he had heart, attitude and agility that would serve him well in hunting rabbits.
I had him a few months and arrived at the first falconry field meet of the year in January, Stryker had caught more game than all the other birds of apprentice falconers combined, and they all had large females. I ended up flying him 2 seasons, keeping him in a mews over one summer (called intermewing) and that is when he molted into his red tail, the juveniles have a brown one. This photo was taken in a field where we typically hunted rabbits after my job in the evenings. There is now a Wal Mart and Lowes in this location.
I released Stryker back to the wild on Leap Day, 2/29/2000 and never saw him again. I felt that part of falconry was successfully hunting a wild bird and then releasing it back to freedom where it could have youngsters and choose its own fate. He was my first to release, and was a beloved hunting partner, so I had tears in my eyes all the way driving back home from where I let him go. Going down the road Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” came on the radio...how fitting! I always think of this bird when I hear that song now. It is possible for this type of hawk to live 30 years, so I hope he is still out there somewhere producing more of his type each season. I flew a lot of birds after him, but Stryker has that something special that tells me he very well could still be with us despite the unlikelihood with the dangers of the wild.
The statistics for Red-tailed Hawks survival: 70% of a given hatch does not live to see 1 year of age. 95% do not live to see 5 years of age. The ones who get past those hurdles obviously have the skills to potentially live a very long time, but they face the possibility of poisoning from the game they eat, electrocution on power poles, struck by vehicle, shot by hunters, predation by Great Horned Owls at night, and a myriad of other situations beyond their control. 27 years old is the oldest know wild one via tagging.