[redtail]

New Year has always been a busy time for me with hunting days and hawks - Guests coming out taking up Christmas Gifts of a day out with my hawks.  Yesterday was no exception and two people were with me for what turned out to be a good day - Crisp - cold -with the lightest sprinkling of snow and no wind to speak of.

First off I exercise my dogs and we were hardly into the woodland when the JR flushed a fox - quite rare for her as foxes are not usually on her list of things to do.  My Saluki however has them high on her priorities and piled in.  From out of the blue a strange dog (Barvarian Mountain Hound) joined in which seriously upset my hound and in the melee the fox escaped down a convenient hole.  MY guests were not at all fazed, but I was busy seeking the owner of the dog for I was on private land with a contract which excludes all others.  Owner and dog were found, checked for injuries, for there was blood then they were politely asked to leave and we carried on. I think the dog owners were shocked that thier dog bred and trained to follow a blood trail had joined in on the fox.  Just goes to show!  Two rabbits in the bag one to each dog, then back to take out the Gyr Falcon 'Piglet'  (gyrs are greedy feeders).  Out into the big fields where the falcon was put into the air and soon made his way up to wait over me at a relatively low height of 200 feet. My guests were then sent off around the hedgerows to hopefully find game.  Soon a pheasant was located and once the falcon was in the right position the bird was flushed and down came `Piglet like the clappers.  He knocked the pheasant down flat about 100 yards from the flushing point with the cocky going flat out over me. I fed him the head and put him up again, which was normal but instead of flying another pheasant ran along the hedgerow.  All grist to the gyr and he caught it straight off the fist and I hadn't even seen the pheasant - I was expecting him to go off and head up to height. 

With two pheasants in the bag we changed hawks and took a male Harris 'Ty' through the woods.  He follows obediently for miles through the trees, this only interrupted when he goes off and catches something.  He and my JR work together following each other. She will push rabbits out of thick cover for him and then stand close - but not too close - while he deals with his quarry. With this system we rarely go home empty handed. Today their joint effort put two rabbits and a squirrel in the bag.

We had a really good day - rare it goes that well - guests were pleased - especially as they went home with a brace of rabbits and a brace of headless pheasants.  Today I go again this time with a friend. Little more snow so maybe we will find some more bunnies.  This time two Harris Hawks but no falcon.

This is the retirement I dreamed of. 

[Rosemary]

Lucky you! Have a good day today too!

[doganjo]

One of my pups is going to a falconer on an estate near Kircudbright on Monday.  He is going to have the life he was bred for.  He will be trained to the gun too but won't need to retrieve as Ray has a spaniel for that.  I've been promised a day out with the dogs and the birds when he is reasonably trained - next season sometime probably.

[sandy]

Nice to have interesting things to do when you retire, I hope to be still doing this B&B stuff and hope to get out a bit more with the dogs and of course our new pup.
I feel I have spent nearly the whole of Christmas in our Kitchen...........loved watching the puppies and will enjoy them as they grow, 8 weeks is not long and I know I will love it.

[HappyHippy]

It sounds like a fantastic way to spend a day 
I'm so jealous !

[CameronS]

Salukis are brilliant dogs, i love them,not often you hear of them.
sadly we don't personally own one we have mainley, labs,cockers,pointers,vislas, with a westie and a rottie thrown in amongst. The kennels where i work, breed and show them, there is a litter or 4 at the moment, so cute.

[redtail]

Strewth,

I couldn't find this post and thought I had upset someone, emailed admin and Rosemary said
'Its there with replies - looked again and there it was .. Maybe it's the drink

Had a good day today too.  Harris Hawk 1  Rabbits 0,  Saluki 1 Foxy 0

Wo-hoo for tomorrow! Harris, Sakeret and Gyr.  Have to be careful with Sakeret - he will attack a woman if she gets between me and him.

Its love Jim - but not as we know it.



Cameron -so many people think the breed is thick The Saluki has a good brain, sometimes too good as they are aloof and treat people with disdain so prevalent with their Bedu breeders.  My bitch's grandmother was taken to Dubai and mated with the top stud in the Royal kennels so she is a snooty thing and if she could speak she would either be very imperious or just ignore me.  The litter you mention - are Saluki's?

Doganjo  Your pup ought to have a really good life.  Falconers are generally much kinder to their dogs than keepers.  I have seen keepers on very posh estates almost beat their dogs to a pulp.  My girls breeder is more than pleased she does what she was bred to do - run hard.
As of today her score is 43 foxes caught 42 killed.  Rabbits - lots - squirrels 1.  She had been chasing with no luck for ages and caught one before Christmas.  She does not retrieve, usually stands over her kill for a while, then gets bored and moves off.  If she is holding a rabbit she will drop it in my hand but the squirrel she ate - whole.

[Rosemary]

Sounds like they aren't as delicate as their appearance suggests! 

[CameronS]

Yes the litter is saluki's 3 boys and a bitch, one of the pervious litter is now in iceland doing touring shows. The pups, mother, grandmother, and sire have all recently qualified for Crufts, last year their sister from another sire, came Best in Breed.

[doganjo]

That would be Gideon Djalal Lhilal.  I don't like seeing the ribs on a dog so Saluki's are not my favourite, I'm afraid.

[redtail]

That would be Gideon Djalal Lhilal.  I don't like seeing the ribs on a dog so Saluki's are not my favourite, I'm afraid.

I'm not too keen on a dog thats all ribs and no substance. A really hard fit dog of virtually any breed will show ribs but I base my dogs weight and fitness from the hip bones. The greyhound people like to see the fur just break and stand off the hip bone when the dog is at its right weight.  You only see the ribs when the dog is running or when it stands and pants after a long run. When coursing was legal I have seen hounds run over two miles on Salisbury Plain change hares several times and come back no panting and ready to run again.

[redtail]

Yes the litter is saluki's 3 boys and a bitch, one of the pervious litter is now in iceland doing touring shows. The pups, mother, grandmother, and sire have all recently qualified for Crufts, last year their sister from another sire, came Best in Breed.

Well bred then!  That is a nice small litter.  I am considering breeding from mine this year.  It was planned for last year but the oestrus timing meant a winter litter. My worry is a large litter and no finding proper homes so I am dithering.

[doganjo]

That would be my worry in any breed. That's why I have always waited till I have a few people wanting pups before I mate my bitches.  That was my last litter anyway.  She's not having any more after that Caesar and I only have a dog other than my two older bitches.

[redtail]

That would be my worry in any breed. That's why I have always waited till I have a few people wanting pups before I mate my bitches.  That was my last litter anyway.  She's not having any more after that Caesar and I only have a dog other than my two older bitches.

I have people queing up for a pup from my JR and she needs to have a litter of 25 to fill the orders BUT apart from the unsuitable people many of the other tend to melt away like summer snow and you end up with one or two.  I am too old to take on more dogs - by the time they reach maturity..........

[redtail]

Sounds like they aren't as delicate as their appearance suggests! 

They can be delicate at times and very sensitive, If you shout at them they tend to keep 20 yards between you and them and play the 'I can catch you but you can't catch me' game.  However they can run flat out of ground that would cripple a greyhound or a whippet.  Not everyones choice though - which is just as well.  Their most frustrating habit is the 1,000 yard stare as they look through you rather than at you