Clients rabbit hawking on a Shropshire hillside
HAWKING NOMADS - a walk on the wild side with Steve Wright
Falconry and hawking are among the earliest forms of hunting. Before shops and supermarkets became rife you either grew your food or you caught it. With a lot of land tilled by hand, horse or oxen, fields were small. Crops were less advanced than they are now and harvesting techniques a lot less efficient. In consequence there was barely enough to feed the family through the winter - let alone any livestock. This meant that all surplus animals were slaughtered at the start of each winter and the breeding stock was turned out on the common land to fend for itself. If you wanted fresh meat it had to be caught.
Small running and flying game could be trapped or snared but this was not very exciting. The bow and arrow was not suitable. You would spend all your time looking for lost arrows or making new ones. The hawk or falcon was a better option - an arrow that could turn corners - and come back if it missed! In joining Steve Wright on one of his hawking parties you are stepping back in time and walking in the footsteps of our forefathers. Hawking is a timeless pursuit that brings you in touch with the hunter/gatherer that lurks in us all.
A typical day starts at about 10.00 and you are given a hawking glove immediately. This is very much a hands-on experience. The hawks are unloaded from their travelling boxes and the jesses changed over to hunting "furniture". Telemetry recivers will be mounted on the hawks tails and, with the bells jingling, we can set off. Accompanying us will be a dog or two and a box holding a couple of hyper-active ferrets.
At first we walk over the fields, giving the hawks the chance to get used to this new falconer on whose fist they are perched. The dogs zigzag feverishly across the ground, seeking the elusive scent of game. Hopefully they will quickly find a pheasant crouched under a hedgerow or a rabbit clamped down in a patch of rough grass. Miraculously they freeze. This is our chance to position ourselves and the hawks to best advantage. Once all is set the dogs can be sent in to flush the quarry and the chase is on. With luck it will result in a kill and the hawking bag will be a little heavier with "one for the pot". If the hawks miss it does not matter. The game will be there for another day and this is subsistence hunting. With natural selection the best are supposed to get away.
Your day will be spent gently walking the hills and fields, slipping the hawks when game is found, and calling it back to your fist. Seeing the countryside through the eyes of a hawk, and aided by the nose of a dog, will reveal wildlife you might never have expected. Tracks and signs of deer, fox and badger will be pointed out. There will probably be a lunchtime break while we and the hawks recharge our batteries. This may also be the time to change animal personnel so that we have fresh ferrets and dogs for the afternoon session. At the end of the afternoon, as the light begins to fade, we draw things to a close. Pleasantly weary, and with tomorrow's food caught, it is time to feed up the hawks and put them away for the night. You have taken a walk through time and through some of our loveliest countryside.
Where and when we hawk
Our hawking season in England runs from October 1st to January 31st. We manage to sneak another three weeks up in Perthshire from the middle of February until the end of the first week in March. Our home base in Warwickshire is near Stratford-upon-Avon but we also have access to first class hunting land in Shropshire, Cerediggion, Hertfordshire and Perthshire. In addition we are true nomads, taking the hawks to clients own land for special days.
Warwickshire: Throughout the season.
Shropshire: We are fortunate to have hawking on Caer Caradoc and the adjoining Wilstone Hill above Church Stretton. This is top class hill hawking (see the photo above). Accomodation is at Long Mynd Hotel in Church Stretton. This relaxed, country hotel offers a warm welcome, comfortable rooms and an excellent restaurant and is highly recommended. It is an ideal venue to bring favoured clients or just for a perfect mini-break. B+B is from £50 per night with mid-week discounts. Only 3 hours from London and 1 from Birmingham.
We are in Shropshire from October 16th - 24th 2008, and again from January 14th - 24th 2009.
Perthshire: This is fast becoming a favourite destination. We can offer you spectacular countryside and plenty of sport. Thanks go to the local landowners who have made us very welcome.
The dogs have marked an occupied warren and clients wait, with hawks ready, for the ferret to flush out the rabbits.
Stay at the Strathardle Inn, Kirkmichael. Tim's laid-back presence behind the bar and Catherine's superb cooking provide a most hospitable welcome. There are two local distilleries to visit if bad weather stops play. B+B is just £35 and the hotel is only 30 minutes from Perth and 90 minutes from Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness airports. Tel. 01250 881224, visit www.strathardleinn.co.uk or e-mail bookings@strathardleinn.co.uk
This year we will be in Kirkmichael from February 17th - March 7th 2007
Hertfordshire: There are a limited number of days available from January 25th - February 11th 2007, on a large estate near Stevenage. Early booking is essential to avoid disappointment. Obviously a convenient day for London-based clients.
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Costs
Daily hawking rates are £145 per person at and £125 in the week. Multiple bookings of persons/days will be at £125. This does includes a pub lunch but not other meals or accomodation unless you are buying a voucher as a gift, when these extras can be arranged. A non-returnable deposit of £25 per person is required.
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Booking
ALL BOOKING MUST BE DONE THROUGH STEVE WRIGHT INITIALLY TO ENSURE AVAILABILITY OF HAWKING AND ROOMS. ONCE THIS IS CONFIRMED YOU SHOULD DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE HOTEL.
Contact stevewright.falconer@virgin.net. or tel. 01789 415437.
CLIENTS COME HAWKING AT THEIR OWN RISK, NO LIABILITY IS ACCEPTED FOR INJURY TO PERSONS, OR LOSS OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, WHILST HAWKING.
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BRINGING IT TO YOU
If none of the above venues and dates are convenient, and you have access to open countryside, we will bring the hawks to you. Farmland with plenty of rabbits or, a well-stocked estate are ideal.
Make up your own party of family and friends. No experience is required and our well-trained Harris Hawks will make even the complete beginner look competent and feel at ease. With our hard-working ferrets and renowned "Hawkwise" Brittanys we will ensure you have a day to remember.
Costs: £400 per day (up to 4 guests) or we will quote for larger parties. Additional travel charges where venue is more than 100 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon.