Tag Archives: Falconry

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The Devil Uses What You’re Good At Against You

Meet Dakota (means friend)    Dak for short  A wild red tail hawk.  Incredibly he’s eating from my hand just 6 hours after being caught

I caught a wild hawk by using what he’s good at…… and using it against him.  Here’s how. [Note: Possession of any bird of prey requires a permit and falconry license.  They are not pets!!] 

A hawk survives by catching his food.  He has an unreal ability to see.  Their eyesight is phenomenal.  Put it this way.  They could read the print on this blog from four football fields away.  They use what they are good at (keen eyesight) to find and catch their prey.  I want to catch a wild hawk, so I will use what he is extremely good at …….. and use it against him.  Here’s how.

 

A Bal-chatri trap used to catch birds of prey

That’s the picture of the trap I use to catch a hawk (permit required remember?).  I place a hamster, or mouse into the cage. ( No harm comes to the bait animal on this adventure. )  The mouse will walk around in his cage.  This movement will catch the hawks attention.  What I usually do is drive the roads and highways looking for a hawk perched on a light pole or utility wire.  I’ll drop the trap out the car door and drive down the road for a ways.  Hawks instantly see the movement in the trap……. and begin their descent from above to attack their potential meal.  I’ve seen hawks try to literally tear the cage apart to get to their prey!

Notice the picture again.  See the nooses on the top of the trap?  As the hawk dances around on the cage, they entangle their talons in these snares.  Such great eyesight, but the focus is on the prey not on the trap with snares.  I only need a toe and this wonderful creature that was soaring high in the sky is now caught in my trap.

Notice the black snare around the leg.

Amazing how I used this magnificent creature’s outstanding ability (eyesight), but I used it to trap him.  That’s what got me to thinking.

What are you good at……… how are you successful?  Some folks are successful at making money, some are great around people,….. so many talents and abilities out there with you guys.  But what if the devil/ evil/ sinful human nature, (call it what you want, but you better call it cause it’s out there), what if the devil used what you are good at against you?

Here’s the trap.  Good at making money?….suddenly becomes greed.   Great interacting with people?….. suddenly becomes something inappropriate.   All the trapper needs is a toe.  Whatever is going on in your life that may be good can be used to trap you.  

Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers!  Psalm 141:9

So use your God-given talents and be what you are designed to be.  But remember, traps and snares are out there in this world.  Traps that will tie you down and keep you from flying high (spiritually).

In this case, the trap  caught a young red-tail hawk who is now my companion in the sport of falconry.  He already knows how to hunt, he will just have to get use to me being around him.  This is called manning.  There will be several blogs written over the next few days/weeks about my hobby of falconry.  How two very different creatures will bond together in a relationship that I’ve found so rewarding.  Hope you keep coming back to read, join in with me on  this adventure, and enjoy tagging along as we watch “Dakota” fly and be what God has created him to be!   

"Dak" the red tail hawk just hours after being trapped from the wild. He will be eating from my hand shortly.

Stay tuned…….  See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher and falconer

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Ready,…. Set,….. now Wait

Here is the picture of  “Shadow” the red tail hawk I trained for falconry a couple of years ago.  When I’ve completed the log house construction, (in a few months), I’m looking forward to getting back in  my hobby of falconry, which I’ve done for 18 years.

These birds are amazing.  The skills they use to hunt, the abilities they possess for flying, their keen eyesight, all make these birds of prey a creature of beauty to be around and fly. They already know how to hunt, they just have to get use to being around me.  Every bird I’ve used in falconry over the years quickly adjusted to flying to my glove, allowing me to “partner” with them on their hunting adventures. What do I admire most about hawks and birds of prey?  There ability to wait. Huh?

Take a look for yourself.  When do you normally see a hawk or eagle or other bird of prey?  Yep, you see them casually sitting in a tree or on a light pole.  Maybe you see them effortlessly circling high in the sky.  They are waiting.  Waiting on the next opportunity to catch a meal.

They are sitting on go.  The bird is very much prepared for the next move.   I’ve never noticed any of my falconry birds (ten different hawks and owls the past few years) act as if they are anxious, or fretful,………. or worried.  They just wait…….  I wish I could be more like that.

[Confession time] I get in a hurry sometimes.  I get anxious and even worried for what is usually no reason at all.  But I’m ready to go.  Get the show on the road, hit the trail, move it.  But what is truly necessary is for me to WAIT.

Last week we were full steam ahead on the log home moving and construction.  This week,…….. a delay.  Probably the first delay of many to come..  My construction guy in Colorado is building a house currently.  He will have to get finished with it before he starts mine.  There is a problem with the painting of his current project, and it’s pushing everything (including my log home project) back two weeks. (or more).   So, I got to wait.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

Waiting on the construction of my log home is a good physical example of my also waiting on God in my spiritual journey.  Don’t you sometimes feel like God could be moving at a faster pace in your life?  I mean if you could do this, or have this to happen, then you could go ahead and get this, that, or the other done.  I’ve even had times where I’ve suddenly felt closer to God, and that’s when I wanted to go out and DO something good.  But wait……..

God’s got a much better idea and plan for your life.   Wait on Him.  I’m not saying wait on the couch with a sack of ‘tater chips!!!  I’m saying that you and I need to be like “Shadow” the hawk.  Be prepared, be in tune, be sitting on go!   Opportunities are provided to us by God Himself.  Opportunities to show others His love, opportunities to Be a Christian in everyday activities.  But the most important opportunity is when our Lord and Saviour gives us a chance, or allows something to happen that helps us draw closer to Him.  Many times that involves waiting.

So, wait,…….wait on the Lord,……… then fly my friend, FLY!!!

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher

 

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Are those “Claws” Sharp?

That’s the most asked question about my hawks and owls that I fly.  And YES!! They are sharp.

hawk talons

 

The claws, talons is a more correct word, are sharp enough that I must wear a long thick leather glove. Sharp talons are vital tools that these birds of prey use to snatch and hold prey, protect themselves, and perch on a tree limb.

 

These talons and beak must stay sharp! The beak and talons are critical tools that these birds of prey use for their survival. Hawks have a way of sharpening their tools.  It’s by continually using them.  If you place a hawk in a pen, always giving it cut up meat (they don’t eat salads ya know!), their beaks will grow abnormally long.  This would require a manual process called “coping” to file the beak down to where it would function. My hawks must always be able to rip and tear their food.

What are your ‘tools’ that you must use on your spiritual journey?  I value my guidebook( the Bible), to keep me on path and to provide spiritual food.  To keep this tool sharp requires me to continually use it.

A new tool that I’m beginning to use more and more is my computer and the internet.  Yes, even in my wilderness, the internet is becoming a more valuable tool to reach out (to you guys) as well as a source of information.

If it’s on the internet it’s true right?  I’ll admit there sometimes is a fear in me about all this information on the internet.  But I shouldn’t fear this tool, but instead use a sound mind and let this power be used for God’s Glory.  My friend Derek at   http://derekouellette.ca/ has been a great help with advice about social media and the internet.

I have no spirit of fear concerning  those talons and beak.  But I do realize the power that these tools give this Red tail hawk. (I’ll show you my scar from wearing too short a glove.)

What tools do you use on your spiritual journey?  How do you stay sharp?

For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and of a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7