The Fat Bird, Ugly Dog Podcast
The goal of this podcast is to present alternate viewpoints on falconry. Topics covered range from training philosophy, husbandry, and health of birds and bird dogs to conservation and management of raptors, their main prey species, and the respective habitat that they rely on. In addition, I’ll cover-off themes related to hunter ethics, fair chase, and access to public and private land. I’ll outline efforts that falconers can make to contribute to all of these topics of conversation.
The Fat Bird, Ugly Dog Podcast
76. South African Game Hawker with Andre Cilliers (Part II)
Andre Cilliers returns to the show with another update of his season. After giving the listeners a brief reminder of Andre's situation. We then talk about what changes the rainy season have brought about and how more water on the landscape has affected his falconry. Andre then clarifies what South Africans mean when they talk about a "vlei system". We then turn our attention to Andre's update beginning with his passage lanner that he had acquired when we last spoke. We then talk about the foils of hawking Cape francolin, and a focus that Andre specifically outlined as a goal for this season - a "waiting on" flight over grey francolin with his dog solidly on point. Andre describes the downside of a falcon confident that it can catch and kill whatever is flushed beneath it regardless of whether the quarry flushed was intentional. With July half over, I ask Andre if he intends to extend his hawking season or put his birds up as he typically does when the days get hotter and his work days get busier. We conclude the episode with Andre offering two some personal insight into the value that falconry can bring to a game hawker with good perspective.