North Wales

Welcome to the North Wales Region

The North Wales Region meet on the first Tuesday of every month in the Robin Hood Pub, Helsby.

Notifications:
 · May regional meeting, we have a guest speaker showing dvd on hawking in America.
 · June meeting, we have a dog trainer covering all aspects of training (falcons or short wings).

The past year the region has grown in strength with many active falconers attending the region, although we have not had many guest speakers, as the members wanting to keep the regional funds to spend on field meetings.

As every year we have our annual belated Xmas party in March with the Landlord supplying hot buffet, witch is followed by the fund raising activities! Harry Robinson always buys the educational dvds!

In September and October we have "your bird in month". Kevin Simcox encourages the members to bring there birds along to the monthly meeting were he puts new anklets, tail mounts and gives the hawks a coping etc. But the members are encouraged to do there own bird! as many falconers buy a bird that has already got the equipment on and some have never had first hand expierance in casting a hawk (nothing like pining down a 3lb plus happy female retail).

The field meets we organised were on Llandegla, two groups a day. Many thanks to Mel Jones who took the gos group out, and Dave the keeper who always puts a smile on the face of the new member with there first pheasant or duck kill!

Ellis Phythian is a usual having a great season with his falcon (58 head of game so far), it is not unusual for his falcon to take 3 head of game on a field meet, even though it might be a couple of miles away once or twice a season. Nigel Evans is flying his first hawk (Redtail) in which it has taken pheasant, duck and a partridge on the field meets! Paul Harman has done well this season flying a male and female goshawks at pheasant and rabbits. I've tried this once with little sucess. Fair play to Paul.

We took members from the the South Wales region and the North Wales region to Cumbria a couple of times this season in which we caught 93 rabbits in 3 days. It is ideal to get good rabbiting ground to get your hawk fit fot the start of the season. Kevin Simcox and Colin Asquith were both flying female club goshawks. There were plenty of rabbits about. Gareth (legend) Thorne flew his first female goshawk under the watch - full eye of Colin in which it flew well putting a good few bunnies in the bag (if you fly a goshawk with John Simcox ALWAYS remember to put the tail guard on on a kill! or you will be called A STUPID BOY!!!)

Lets hope there are many more rememberble field meets as I was once told buy Terry Finnagan it good days hawking when you come home with your hawk and dog! Its a bonus if you catch your intended quarry.