Tried a different style hunting in Ireland

My wife and I spent two wonderful weeks in Ireland in late May and early June. At Ashford Castle located in the ancient town of Cong in Galway County we were able to go on a one hour hunt using Harris Hawks. Loads of fun and one of the highlights of the trip. There is a falcon school on the castle grounds and we were taken into the forest with my wife and I each having a Hawk to hunt with. Beautiful , intelligent raptors, it was amazing when they would come swooping back to your upheld arm. These birds are surprisingly lightweight with the male I held weighing about 1.7 pounds and the female my wife hunted with weighing a little over two pounds. Had some nice videos in of the birds in action but don't know how to upload them.

That is super-cool!

that WOULD be fun, need to find one to go after illegals

Dang cool!!

Cool!

Damn that’s awesome….I love raptors! What and amazing life experience! Envious!

That's really cool. I had a chance to hunt with a Harris hawk about 10 yrs. ago and loved it.

Did ya have a pint or two!

Nice pics!

Harris is one of the coolest and most relaxed raptors to hunt with. That is awesome Sir

Per night! LOL
Drank some Guiness and really enjoyed Smithwick's an ale that was a little lighter.

Was the hunt successful? What type of game? Rabbits?

We were hunting in a forest area and they would fly about 30 or 40 feet ahead on tree branches until you called them back by lifting your arm and holding it horizontal. One time they both took after a pigeon but it managed to get in the open and escaped. The game was squirrels and field mice. Mine got a mouse. Some others scurried into holes in tree bases or roots and the hawks would try to get them out. Even when they didn't score it was fun to watch them go after the game.

Smithwycks is a guiness product, they are best mixed, half and half. Cuts the heartiness of the guiness quite a bit.

Ireland is a cool place. We wanted to go to ashford castle but it was unavailable to us

Very cool

Very cool....

Awesome!!

That's badass!