SC - 12th C. Mediterranean questions and OT Aargh!

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

>From watching the local red tailed hawks striking the local birds, in flight
they tend to snap the neck as they grab the body from above at a significant
difference in velocity, which causes a sharp jerk. Whe they strike squirrels and
rabbits, they tend to snatch them in the center of the back and carry them to a
feeding spot to finish them off and eat them. I do know from reading about
hawking in either smithsonian or natural history in the 80s that the proceedure
is to have the hawk bring the bird or mammal to the owner, who snaps the neck if
it isnt dead, and then the hawk gets a  tidbit as a reward. I understand this
tends to be either some of the pluck or a small chunk of meat from a paw from a
critter. I would probably guess that things haven't changed much in the past few
centuries in hawking...
margali

Philip & Susan Troy wrote:

> Actually, I wonder if this has to do with not rupturing the abdominal
> cavity, which, I gather, affects the ability to hang the game. How does
> a hawk despatch small game? Or does it just pick it up it bring it in
> alive? I know birds of prey tend to disembowel small mammals pretty
> quickly, but I'm not sure what their training imposes upon their nature.
> Has anybody done any hawking?
>
> Adamantius
> --
> Phil & Susan Troy

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