Pheasant hunting with the Goshawk

Unlike other raptors, the Goshawk employs a less spectacular flight mode than other raptors. What this bird cares about is the amount of prey it captures. Its main feature is flight in confined spaces in areas with a high density of vegetation.

The goshawk (Accipiter gentilis, Linnaeus 1758) is a bird of prey belonging to the Accipitridae family. They are medium-sized birds of prey and their length is about 46-63 cm, with a wingspan between 89 and 122 cm. An adult goshawk can weigh up to 2,2 kg and females are generally larger than males.The wings are short, wide and rounded at the tips, while the tail is quite long. These characteristics are typical of the specimens of the genus Accipiter and do not allow a great speed in flight, but a considerable mobility in confined spaces.

Goshawk adults have grayish-brown (or slate-brown) plumage in the upper parts, dark cheeks, white eyebrow, while the undersides are white with a dark brown lateral border.
The legs are yellow, as is the skin of the beak. The iris, initially light yellow in young birds, becomes more and more red with age, until it becomes cherry red in older birds.

The only difference between males and females, as far as the coloring of the plumage is concerned, is a shade of blue in the upper part for the former.
The presence of trees over the age of 60 is the fundamental requirement for a habitat favorable to goshawks in Europe, as they will be used by the birds of prey in question for the construction of their nest; a further requirement is the presence of medium-sized bird and mammal species. Goshawks have the ability to adapt to any type of forest.

For reasons still unknown, the spread of the goshawk in North America is limited to forests close to their natural state and its presence is comparable to that of the grouse in central Europe. In Italy it is stationary and nests in the Alps and in the upper Apennines.
The goshawk hunting technique consists in flying close to the ground, or by starting the attack from a position not visible from the prey or by chasing their prey on the ground looking for them in their environment. The prey is seized with the paws and then killed: the claws of the first and second toe are very strong and enter the flesh of the prey, killing it. Its favorite preys are squirrels, hares, micro mammals and various birds. Once the latter have been captured, the carcasses are devoured on the ground or on the lower branches of the trees, but not during the breeding period, since the Goshawk divides the food with the young in the nest.

The flight of the Goshawk is agile and fast, since its wing structure consists of a powerful, space-saving beat, assisted by the tail that acts as a rudder: the way of flying and its body structure allows it to hunt in the arboreal areas and in spaces very narrow.
A hunting technique with the Astòre is that of the pheasant, the latter being considered the most classic of falconry. It is a not very exciting hunting mode, less spectacular than others, even if the results in terms of captured prey will give more satisfaction than that practiced with the use of the high-flying Falcon.

The Pheasant is an easy prey, having a linear and not particularly fast flight. The only difficulty lies in the complicated management of the raptor, rather difficult in forging the correct synergy between falconer-dog-raptor.
This method of hunting with the Goshawk is considered uneconomical, because it is influenced by the use of the dog, the latter essential auxiliary for a good result, unless there is the possibility of having hunting areas with abundant game available. which can also be flown by the falconer himself.
Pheasant hunting with the Goshawk is practiced in all environments frequented by this prey, with the advantage that the bird of prey is able to fly easily both in open environments and in wooded and rich vegetation. It can be practiced throughout the hunting season at any time, unlike the falcon which can only be used in the morning at sunrise or sunset.
The training of the Goshawk is the classic used in falconry for the low flight and the introduction to the prey. The ease of finding pheasants for training / training, at the appropriate game farms, makes teaching even easier.
This raptor does not require any particular physical preparation, even if, obviously, with a well trained and muscular goshawk you will have better game bags.
Pheasant hunting with the Astòre is considered a miniature version of hunting with the Quail Sparrowhawk: the search for prey takes place on foot with the pointing dog with the Astòre in the fist and hooded. When the dog stops a prey, the bird of prey is escaped and unhooked by the geti to be later launched once the pheasant has fled.
Unlike other types of hunting that see the use of other birds of prey, which offer more spectacular flights, the one with the Goshawk is a mode that pays more attention to the quantity of prey hunted. Even if it may seem less spectacular, the pheasant hunting technique with the Goshawk remains fascinating, as well as all the techniques with the use of birds of prey: the most beautiful thing that can be witnessed is the synergy and the relationship that is establishes between the falconer and the raptor.