FALCONRY: Are they going to ban harris hawks and eagle owls in the U.K.?? 

Very interesting, frustrating when people speak with fork tongue. Sounds like the emails were a power thing, typical .

Your right Dave Invasive Species assessment my foot, defo on the radar. Sadly, Govt bodies and organizations such as the RSPB see themselves up as the doyens and arbiters of these matters. Unfortunately, historically and currently a great many of their notions are driven by the popular ideology of the day rather than science. It is interesting to note that many "rewilding/reintroduction schemes" backed by these folks are either abject failures or the cause of unnecessary suffering to the species they are "helping" because of poor application for the same reasons (sea eagles, the over protection of Badgers and resulting harm to hedgehogs etc. spring to mind). For Falconry: a license, logbook, microchip system (and compulsory telemetry use, which people should do anyway) might not be so bad, I am not keen on over regulation but if that is what it takes so be it.

Hi Dave Let's hope they don't make us give up our Harris hawks I would be out of a job as a pestie. There is an answer get all the breeders together put up the price of a Harris hawk then the people that don't use telemetry would soon stump up the money and start tracking there birds if they take loose them. Anyway great video as always Let's hope for the best.

After 20 years of shooting and pest management, I finally gave up my firearms because of all this attitude of hassle and banning everything. I spent the last 7 months looking into what it takes to look after a Harris's hawk, they won't be happy until all turn vegetarian and have nothing to do but work

Falconers/exhibitors here on the other side of the pond here in the USA are dealing with the same sort of things as well. Regulatory agencies want to be against us instead of work with us. Frustrating and upsetting. Love your content Dave

Hi Dave. This very thing that you were discussing has happened with Indian Ringneck parrokeets in South Africa. They suddenly needed an invasive species permit. This basically shut down the pet trade in the species, breeders were stuck with too many birds, some pet owners were afraid of the law and so inevitably, many birds were released. They now fly in flocks over my sister's house in Pretoria.....

SOunds like they're going to use drones for some nefarious purpose and dont want falconers taking the drones out.

Intere video as usual. I felt at any minute you were going to explode with rage at the nonsensical government lackys and their contradictory approach to dealing with honest people trying to make a living and doing everything right by complying with some very unworkable laws. Well done on keeping your cool. I wonder did you go out the back of your house after making the video an have a good scream at the sky in frustration.😂😂😂

I know some evasive specious that are in UK and they don't stop them coming.

Hi Dave, I am in the states, EVERY YEAR FOR 15 YEARS our falconrey club does a display of all our birds for a large shool for special children. Last year we raised over 10,000 dollars it a great event people from all over the near by states come. Thier are rides for the kids and food and and many other things to draw people in. How ever new directors have taken over. I have just been informed do to the fact that we tether the birds they would not feel comfortable for the public to view this. They will alow us to come but we will be away from poblic view. IT IS CALLED BIRD OF PREY DAY. i have been a falconer and breeder for over 40 years and it just gets crazier every year.

I went to see the Eagle owls nesting about ten years ago in dunsop bridge.... They were great..

Thanks for sharing, Defra are asking around for voluntary registration of the birds we keep. Nature England have expressed the opinion that they think falconry in the UK should not involve ANY non indigenous species. You can see the lines being drawn to some extent.

They are preparing for when the Dutch & German DOC industry stops producing and we here in the UK follow suit. That is when you are going to see the wholesale release of all manner of raptors. Harris hawks and eagle owls will be undoubtably the greatest in number. I see the release of these birds now, especially with the rising cost of living and people having purchased these birds for all the wrong reasons, initially.

100% license falconry always said this stop the numptys flying birds and loosing them wouldn’t hurt us would benefit us serious falconers

Here in BC we have to fill in a raptor report each year. Which birds we have obtained which we have and which have been moved on, The status of each bird, Alive or passed , where they came from where they went . Each year we have to update the report whether it changes or not. With out the report they will not renew your permit.

Lurchers came to existence as the laws at the time stated you couldn't keep a pure breed sight hound unless your were royalty or landed gentry, so these dogs were cross bred with collies or terriers to avoid this, but the resulting dog could equally, or better in some cases, do the job of the pure bred dog. Now Lurchers account for a very large proportion of the dogs that end up in dog pounds. That worked out well. NOT

A bit of topic but I was at a farm permission today getting rid of some feral pigeons and rats I was stood watching some pheasants and in the corner of my eye I spotted a hare I asked the farmer if it had escaped from another farm but he said no we are full of them I’ve never in my life seen a hare so my eyes lit up and I was thinking can’t wait to get a falconry bird ( not decided which one yet )

If the government was genuinely interested in safeguarding native species they'd look at the ridiculously lenient penalties for gamekeepers killing buzzards in corvid traps at the behest of landowners.

No 'waffling', nice to hear your thoughts...ya, after they spend a year 'studying', they MUST DO SOMETHING, else they'll be seen as goldbricks. And, getting rid of Harris's ?? How invasive are they? I know that they can be excellent hunters, but... YOur discussion about what will happen if they are suddenly 'Ill Eagles', people will feel forced to head the the edge of a woods, and off they go!

Is the eagle owl really an invasive species to the UK? Weren't they native until they went extinct by humans?

DEFRA are crazy these days, why don't they just bring back the bird log book and all birds chiped so there traceable and they know were all the bird are.

More taxpayer revenue being spent on critical issues, great to hear. Nice job though, cruising round various falconry centres/zoo's. We now await the badly drawn up legislation in several years.....