Interesting falconry experiences in china with my

I had split with my ex over 7 years.But I did have accompanied him to some interesting falconry hunting and trapping. I also liked these activities. But my priority had been to work to earn a better living for my daughter and to support my mum.
Falconry in China. One time in November. We went to a city close to beijing. A falconer has a minivan, there aren't any seats inside the minivan already, everywhere was dark. So the falconer/owner put a bench right behind the driver's seat, and from the back door, they would put the goeshawk together with the people. In order to keep the bird quiet, the bird would have a hood covering its eyes.
Post Comment

Comments (17)

What would be the huntee? Guess?
What exactly did you go hunting for? What comes to mind is pigeon or pheasant? I used to go pheasant hunting but we used shotguns!

Yes, even birds have to relieve themselves and they aren't too picky where!! hee hee The ones here in La Verne use my car all the time! ha ha ha ha

A very interesting blog!
Once we started, one of the hunter will keep the goeshawk on his arm,still covered the bird's eyes, in order to keep the bird calm down.
another two guys would use sticks to disturb or tap the corn sticks piles, we would search all the area together with some hounds. Then after a while, there might be something running fast out of the corn sticks pile, and the hounds would get very excited running behind the huntee


the huntee were wild rabbits. Everyone would run in the cold winter morning on the fields, I would always fall behind. It was nice only except for the cold weather. As it would be very damp in the field,so that once you stay outside long enough,the total of your body would feel very cold. I always try to wear warm down jacket before hand.
And at this time, once the rabbit run out of the corn sticks, the bird's hood would be taken off, and set free from the guy's arm. So the hounds would run in flocks and the bird would chase after the rabbits in the sky.All the hunters would run together with everything.
The birds need starve the whole night before hunting. Or they will fly away while you set them free in the sky. So the hungry bird now saw the running rabbit,that means food,solving its hungry problem, so that the bird would do its best to catch the rabbit. Also as you know, goeshawk has very good eyesight than human beings, while they flew above in the sky, they can catch the running animals very fiercely.
SO!!

It was a wascally wabbit!!

Elmer Fudd, 1939 or thereabout!
So we kept on searching on other fields. Then as we marched on, all of sudden there ran out 2 rabbits, one of them ran into a hole in a dam, and we searched along that area, and waited there. The hawk is also waiting, as soon as the rabbit stepped out of the hole, I think the hole might be too shallow. the hawk caught the rabbit, in about 50 meters away from the hole, one claw in the rabbits bum, as soon as the rabbit looked back, the hawk's other claw caught right through the skull of the rabbit. Then the hunters and the dogs were all excited stood around the rabbit and the hawk. At this kind of time, the hawk will bite some meat of the rabbit, and depending on the time, the hunter will allow several bites, then continue with the same hawk to do hunting.
What an expense/pomp for killing a little rabbit.
I think so!For falconers it is a fun obviously. I will talk about a lot funny things about the chinese falconers later on.
Usually after catching the 1st rabbit, the time will be already in the afternoon, you could imagine, running all the morning on a farming field, chasing after rabbits, or searching along the piles of the corn sticks, then you naturally feel hungry. The stomach will feel pain already. I never went all out when running. Even so, I feel hungry. I would say: I am hungry. And my ex would answer back: you are always hungry! I got some cereal bars from him, take some bites, and feel much better. I like the dry fruit type cereal bars very much. later when I go to Emirates, I like the same type of cereal bar from Carrefour a lot.
But falconers would not have food like what I do. They seem to be very touch that they don't need food for lunch. Anyway, we would continue hunting. As when we finished some fields, that means we searched all the area of the fields,then we would use the shaky minivan to another fields to start searching for the rabbits.
tough, not touch
Other falconers who are mainly peasants would use a country truck to take their hounds with the total group. People will be seated in the minivan. And the bird would stay in the minivan too
We went to a much more open area with more area of corn fields this time. And we used sticks to disturb the huntees again. Well,this time, we disturbed some pheasants. As soon as the goeshawk were taken off the hood, the goeshawk shot directly towards the pheasant. But pheasants escaped much faster, even I ran at a speed which made me not able to catch my breath, till I caught up with all the falconers spot, the goeshawk was in the sky, and the pheasants kept their lives disappeared. So the falconers would take out a piece of lamb, holding in hand, calling the goeshawk. Goeshawk hesitated whether to fly away or come down for a meal, finally, it gave up the idea of escaping,once it flew on the hand of the falconer with lamb in hand,it would bite some lamb meat and calm down. Once the goeshawk got fed, it could not be released to do hunting again.As some goeshawks would fly away, and never come back.
Here in America, we do not do that. Now I know why a lot of our society is depressed. lol
Finally it is late in the afternoon, around 4pm,all the hunters gathered again,and arranged inside different transportation tools. We headed back the peasants house.

The village are scattered with one storeyed house, with enclosure walls in front of the house. So mainly all the peasants got a yard. The one we stayed in is the same sort of yard. The owner kept some hounds in one side of his yard. We began to cook. We need get some vegetables and some meat to make some dishes. And indeed the falconers cooked very nice beef stew.

In the evening, they fed the bird with some fresh meat also. And they also trained the birds by holding the fresh meat in a falconers hand, calling the hawk with a special sound.
There are some wild stone chickens near the falconers area. sometimes when they find the stone chickens, they also use the goeshawk to catch them.
Post Comment - Let others know what you think about this Blog.

About this Blog

by peonyjenny
created Apr 2014
563 Views
Last Viewed: Apr 25
Last Commented: Apr 2014
peonyjenny has 86 other Blogs

Like this Blog?

Do you like this Blog? Why not let the Author know. Click the button to like the Blog. And your like will be added. Likes are anonymous.

Feeling Creative?