[MR] hawk hunting links

[C. Brian Towey]

> Notice I don't say "tamed". I don't believe that they can ever be tamed,
> merely persuaded to hang out with us, possibly for the fun of the hunt.

I once had the honor of caring for several Great Horned Owls and a Barred
Owl. They were our school mascots. We could put jesses on an owl and carry
it on our hands, but we couldn't let it fly free.  If we did, the owl would
head for the wild.  Falconers I knew thought that owls are stupid, since you
can't teach them to hunt.  These birds weren't dumb.  If anything, it's the
reverse: hawks will collaborate with their human captors, but owls are
always plotting their escape. 

Oh, and if you ever get the chance to work with raptors, don't make the
mistake of trying to hood an owl as you would a falcon.  One of our owl
keepers (not me, thank God) found out the hard way.  An owl will just die if
you hood it.

Your servant,

Charles Fleming