Claim OwnershipThe Fat Bird, Ugly Dog Podcast
Subscribed: 18Played: 504
Subscribe
© 2025 The Fat Bird, Ugly Dog Podcast
Description
The goal of this podcast is to present alternate viewpoints on falconry. Topics covered range from training philosophy, husbandry, and health of birds and bird dogs to conservation and management of raptors, their main prey species, and the respective habitat that they rely on. In addition, I’ll cover-off themes related to hunter ethics, fair chase, and access to public and private land. I’ll outline efforts that falconers can make to contribute to all of these topics of conversation.
80 Episodes
Reverse
Kyle Perrin returns to the show to update us on how his season has progressed with his black spar. After briefly reminding listeners of Kyle's falconry situation, he and I discuss the africanus breed - a dog that has originated in Southern Africa. We then talk about Kyle's experience working at a falcon hospital in the middle east. I then query Kyle about Callie's previously unexpected desire to chase fur, and whether that behavior has persisted. We then turn our atten...
In this episode I welcome Anton Muller back to the show. After briefly reminding listeners of Anton's background and learning a little about his lanneret's name, we discuss how a captive bred lanner could be developed to bring about the traits that Anton so appreciates in the passage birds he flies. We then turn our attention to what has transpired in Anton's falconry since we last spoke. We briefly talk about the propensity for passage lanners to come with a set of preferences related to pre...
In this episode I am joined by Francois Breedt. After briefly reminding listeners of Francois' background, he describes how the "Falconry Gods" intervened and brought was he anticipated would be a very good season with his four-times inter-mewed female Peale's Scottish peregrine cross to an end. Francois explains what he anticipates he will do in response to the setback, and he talks about his dog work plus his most memorable day in the field.
Cam Coley returns to the show for his first update. After briefly reminding listeners of Cam's falconry situation, he and I talk about the progress that he has made with his new English setter pup. Cam then tells us which one of the two options he was considering when we last spoke - going strait to flying wild quarry or opting to transition to Phase II of the Perfect Pigeon approach. We then discuss the use of bagged quarry in South African falconry. Cam had indicated that it was his i...
Andre Cilliers returns to the show with another update of his season. After giving the listeners a brief reminder of Andre's situation. We then talk about what changes the rainy season have brought about and how more water on the landscape has affected his falconry. Andre then clarifies what South Africans mean when they talk about a "vlei system". We then turn our attention to Andre's update beginning with his passage lanner that he had acquired when we last spoke. We...
Kyle Perrin flies an imprint black sparrowhawk. He joins me this week to talk about his bird, his dogs, and his desire to pursue helmeted guinea fowl, catching them on the rise after a long, open slip. Kyle explains why he chose to fly a black spar, including how he manages his hawk to ensure she remains feather perfect. He also gives us some insight into the main differences between the African goshawk and the black spar. Guinea fowl can be flown all year round and Kyle talks abo...
1Ed Pitcher joins me to announce that he and Ricardo Velarde have given me permission to read and publish "The Flying of Falcons" as part of the Fat Bird, Ugly Dog Podcast. We begin the episode discussing Ed's use of mantras to guide the way he develops and flies his birds. We then focus of two mantras that Ed used in the book, and now regrets to some degree - the first is “being touched by the Angel of Death”, a metaphor he used in the chapter about a female prairie falcon called “Amos"...
Anton Muller, known for his expertise in hawking with lanner falcons, joins me to talk falconry in the Free State Province. After introducing himself, Anton talks about his farming practices, and how an experience with a spotted eagle owl influenced his decision to fly lanners. We then talk about his hawking grounds, his preferred quarry. Lanners naturally make use of thermals to gain pitch, and Anton talks about the way that they do so. Anton describes how the loss a particularly good peregr...
In this bonus episode of South African Game Hawker, I am again joined by Andre Cilliers, Thean Prinsloo, and Scott Mc Farlane Chase. I talk to each of them about their flights of the day, and their plans once the meet is done. Andre's birds connect, his dog earns a good rest day, and he ducks out a day early as work interrupts his falconry. Thean continues his strategy of putting game up under his falcon opting to provide as many opportunities as he can. Scott has a clear se...
In this bonus episode of South African Game Hawker, I am joined by Andre Cilliers, Thean Prinsloo, and Scott Mc Farlane Chase. I talk to each of them about their flights of the day, and their plans for Day 2 of the meet. We also get some insight into some South African cuisine and translation of a few Afrikaans words. I hope you enjoy this episode and the glimpse it provides into a South African falconry meet.
In this, the third episode of South African Game Hawker, I am joined by Cam Coley. We begin the episode talking about Cam's new pup, and we find out just how much Cam spoils his dog. We then learn a little about Kwazulu- Natal, the province that Cam lives in. Cam follows this by describing the landscapes he hunts in, and the main species of quarry that he pursues with his hawks. Cam has both a winter falconry season and a summer falconry season, and he talks about his falconry cal...
Andre Cilliers joins me again this week to talk about his personal game hawking circumstances. We begin the episode talking about the landscapes in which Andre hawks and the quarry available to him. We then talk about Andre's annual falconry calendar. I ask Andre about the preferred long-winging aesthetic in South Africa relative to that of North America. We then turn our attention to the circumstances surrounding the death of one of Andre's birds, and he tells us how the South Af...
This episode marks the start of a new series, South African (SA) Game Hawker. Thanks to Andre Cilliers for suggesting that we follow the northern hemisphere version of game hawker with a South African edition. Andre and I are joined Cam Coley and Francois Breedt in this introductory episode. Before asking the guys to introduce themselves, we begin with a geography lesson to give listeners a sense of country. We then turn our attention to the SA regulatory framework, an...
In this final episode of Game Hawker Edition, Matt Mullenix joins me to finish out the second season of the Fat Bird, Ugly Dog Podcast. Matt and I begin the episode talking about Matt's mindset as he continued to hawk his American Kestrel, "Coco", after having lost his merlin to a Cooper's Hawk. Matt then tells us about the benchmark he uses to evaluate the degree to which he is doing his hawk justice (Intended Quarry Per Hunt), and we discuss how far below and above that benchmark one ...
Heath Garner returns to Game Hawker Edition to round out his 3-episode series. After a brief reminder describing Heath's hawking circumstances, he and I talk about the mystery book that Heath received just after he returned from the NAFA meet. Heath then gives us an update on his approach of removing his dog from the field to encourage better pitch from his falcon, "Finn". He also describes progress with regard to his bird's beak injury from a collision with hog wire fencing. I incorrec...
Corey Roelke is back to finish off his 3-part series. He begins the episode by telling us about "Hela" and her new litter of pups. Then we talk about how the season finished for each of his three peregrine falcons, his plans for each of them, and his plans for next season. Corey talks about why he chose to fly three birds and the relative risks of flying ducks despite the presence of avian influenza. We finish off, discussing the relative importance of consistent hunti...
Jeff Broadbent returns to wrap-up his Game Hawker series. I provide a synopsis of Jeff's accounts of his season told in Parts 1 and 2, and then we discuss progress of his recent addition to his team, "Captain Jack", his English setter. Jeff then describes the events of a particularly disastrous day for him and his hawking partner, Arnaud Van Wetter. We then turn our attention to Jeff's plans for next season, including some change he intends to make. Jeff then offers his opinions on the ...
In this episode Dale Guthormsen joins me to finish out his three episode contribution to Game Hawker Edition. After I briefly remind listeners of Dale's hawking season, he and I discuss this season relative to others he has experienced and what he intends to do differently next season. We then turn our attention to a common theme that I've been talking about with guests on Game Hawker Edition; the relative importance of keeping a hawk within a narrow range in body mass and the idea of m...
Steve Chindgren joins me for the last episode of his 3-part series of Game Hawker Edition. We begin the episode with a brief discussion of what each passing season means to Steve who is now in his 70s and still hawking hard. We then talk about the attributes of a good falconer as passed down to Steve from his mentor. Steve tells us why he switched from flying in the mornings to flying in the evenings, and we talk about the tradeoffs between managing for hunting weight versus hunting tim...
Well, the UK falconry season wrapped up for Simon Tyers on January 31, and he returns to the program to give us run down of the changes he made at the outset of the season, whether he believes they were of value, and what changes he might make for the 2025/26 season. I then ask Simon about his views on the importance of maintaining consistency among three aspects of gamehawking - the location where one hunts, the weight of the hawk, and the time of day. We then turn our attention to the proce...
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States