A Fresh Start and a discount

Well after a long 6 months I've got a more or less all clear on my Lymphoma,Huge thank you to the clients who have bee3n understanding when I had to cancell the odd day due to being wiped out by the radiotherapy treatment, (and Bah Humbug is all I can say to the two that were less than understanding).
I'm mow back up to full function and playing catch up as well as starting to prepare hawks for the up and coming hunting season, we have two very exciting hybrid falcons joining our crow hawking team, and Barney and Harley are getting fit for Magpies, Monty the young GSP is coming on in leaps and bounds (Literally ) and will be aiding the two small falcons when the snipe come in.
We're also breaking in a new Landie as our previous much loved one was an insurance write off after being driven into by a suicidal ford KA, and two new falconry ponies, both ex race horses as there is starting to be more interest in our unique falconry from horses day.
Any how to celebrate my good health we are running a 20% discount on all vouchers purchased before the end of the month for people who follow my Blog , our face book page or follow @dartmoorhawker on twitter, just enter code lymph on booking

The Shaggy Pointers

I've been asked on several occasions why dogs future so prominently in what is a falconry centre.
  Well, firstly anyone who knows me knows that working dogs have always featured as a large part of my life,as workers and companions ,and if I'm somewhere my dogs are not far away.

Secondly dogs are actually a very important part of what we do at Dartmoor Hawking,the majority of our hawks hunt as well as doing our various falconry experiences, and we would have very poor days with out the dogs to find and flush Rabbits, Pheasants ,woodcock, snipe and hares for our hawks .

for the experience days they also add huge amounts of entertainment as both the Ginger thing and Little Will . I . Woof are big characters and are guaranteed to butt in at some stage to disrupt things.
  Thirdly on the odd time I have to camp up at the barn they make fantastic hot water bottles.
 so the dogs are very important to me, Mt right hand men, and constant companions . if you don't like dogs Dartmoor Hawking is possibly not the place for you

Snipe hawking

Well the snipe hawking season ended yesterday (we finished the day before due to the weather forecast for the 31st.
This has been the first season I've really concentrated on it and what a lot of fun it's been. Both the Barbary falcons made a good showing for themselves, with Barney, in his second season accounting for 16,and Harley in his first taking 9.
Its been tricky with no cold weather to concentrate the snipe, and the broken not falling till late so a lot of cover was around later than I would have helped.
It's been very interesting, the different attitude of the two boys,  Barney is well mannered laid back,  and no inclination To carry what he's caught, Harley it can be more of a case of light the fuse and see what happens, and any place a foot out of reach, is the perfect place to end a flight.

The support team definitely need a mention, at 2 Boris, the Ginger Thing has really come into his own as a falconry dog, and is very sane and sensible when working (to those who've met him at any other time I do promise he changes completely when working), we would have been lost without him, and we were joined (a lot more than we should have been)  by Will. I. Woof, who never got in the way or caused any problem and by the end was hunting and pointing independently, if a little uncertain.

It's been a great learning curve for us,  and with the ground work done this season I'm already looking forward to the next

A moment of fame

A great article in the western morning news