Hunting with the Harris buzzard it does not always give the desired results, in terms of quality and quantity of prey. It is a type of hunting art that also involves the use of a team of three, four or more Harris at the same time. This bird of prey unleashes attacks from above, collaborating with all team members.
La Harris's buzzard, Also called Harris's hawk, is a bird that belongs to the Accipitridae family, even if in reality it cannot be considered neither a buzzard nor a hawk. This bird is in fact the only parabuteo, that is "similar to a buteo", "buzzard" (Parabuteo unicinctus, (Temminck 1824)).
The name "Harris's hawk”Comes from the literal translation of the English“ Harris Hawke ”. This animal has in common with the buzzard only the dimensions: its length varies from 45 to 58 cm and the weight from 600 to 750 g for the male, while the female specimens is between 700 and 1200 g. The male, as in all diurnal raptors, is smaller than the female.
Harris reaches sexual maturity at the age of three; it feeds on small mammals such as mice, hares, wild rabbits, or birds and, if forced by environmental conditions, does not despise reptiles, insects or carrion. Attacks can be divided into three modes: dive (from above), direct (capture in flight) or indirect (throw-in). In particular, direct attacks with in-flight capture are quite rare.
Harris's buzzard is native to the American continent (Arizona, Texas and Argentina).
Over time this bird has been nicknamed wolf hawk, since it is the only accipitrid to live in families composed of even 7/8 individuals, and to hunt in packs. Generally it is the male, much more agile than the female, who launches the first attack on the prey, only to be joined by his partner, larger and more powerful, who puts an end to the hunting action. There Harris's buzzard it does not have a lightning bolt like the goshawk, but the long wings allow it greater precision in sudden turns.
The hunting technique that sees the use of the Harris is based on the fact that this bird can also perform the task intended for the search dog: this raptor, in fact, being very intelligent, is able to track and capture game in complete autonomy. . Both male and female can be used indifferently. even if a heterogeneous couple or team will guarantee better results Harris's buzzard it is considered among the absolute simple but, consequently, the results are not always satisfactory: it happens to return home with an empty game bag or with inedible prey such as a rat, a crucian carp, or a lizard. From an economic point of view, hunting with Harris' buzzard is inexpensive.
This method of hunting with the Harris can be carried out in any environment, even if semi-wooded environments with open areas mixed with thickets and rich in vegetation with tall trees, are recommended, as they grant elevated perches to the raptor, which give a considerable advantage to the raptor both for the attack, both for the surprise effect, and for the attack speed from above. L'Harris it can be used throughout the hunting season, at any time, with the help of dogs. In order to get the best results, it is preferable to fly at least two Harris in pairs, in order to make the most of the predatory biology of this species. The choice, on the other hand, of a team of 3, 4, 5 or more specimens, is definitely the best, also because you don't need the help of dogs.
Harris training is of the classic type: call to fist, whistle and worn out; the team must be trained at the same time so as to immediately create a strong bond between them. The prey that can be hunted are the following: Pheasant, Gray Partridge, Rabbit, Hare, Minilepre, Partridge, Woodcock etc. Consequently it is not possible to train the Harris for every single species of game, but the experience and introduction to the prey will take place directly in the field.
For this reason it is necessary to allow the Harris to have direct experience in the field immediately, leaving them free to search, find and hunt their prey in complete autonomy. From this point of view, the ideal solution would be to take the Harris to territories very rich in prey for the first few times, thus giving them the opportunity to immediately have the first positive hunting experiences.
Once the training is finished, you can proceed to the actual hunt. Arrived on the spot they are released Harris in flight, which will immediately begin patrolling the hunting ground; the falconer must both help the birds of prey in the search, also trying to flush out the prey among the vegetation, and must know how to correctly interpret the behaviors of the birds of prey to understand if they have identified a prey. It is essential that the Harris always have high perches available from which to launch attacks: if the ground does not have the characteristics listed above, it will be necessary to bring artificial perches (very high poles) carried by hand, as this raptor prefers swoop attacks. , starting from a high point. Even if hunting with the Harris's buzzard will not fill the game bag, the spectacle that will be witnessed will certainly be wonderful.