Simon and Ray go lamping with a Harris hawk

When it comes to lamping with a hawk, the numbers bagged bear no resemblance to the enjoyment of the sport. It is all about the flight, the occasion and just being out hunting. Diesel weighs in at 1lb 5½oz — and weight is significant. There is an extremely small margin for error: too light and he would be too keen, too heavy and he would be sitting on the fist all night.
Like all responsible falconers, Ray Pickup fitted a tracker to Diesel that included some high-visibility straps. These provided a visual aid so that we could see Diesel in flight and would also make the recall easier. Then, Diesel’s bells were taped over to dull the ringing.
The flat topography of Suffolk is renowned for rabbits, and I have run dogs, dropped nets, stalked, shot and trapped on it for decades — I know the land quite well. Now I was looking forward to the experience of going out there with a hawk, regardless of how many rabbits ran out of sight. It promised everything — a good hawk, skill, stealth, speed, the anticipation of a flight when a rabbit was presented — but mainly the excitement of the unknown.
The night didn’t start too well. The rabbits were too lamp-shy, gone almost as soon as the lamp was switched on. So, to even the playing field I decided to move on, away from any disturbance with the lamps. I had to get the odds in our favour and find rabbits that were more obliging.

Our job was made even harder by the hunter’s moon, which was big and bright and made it difficult for us to get between the rabbit and its home. We managed it, but this was mainly because the rabbits were all “squatters” — as soon as the light went on they squatted instead of running away. This is never the case when I have a dog with me. And while the night’s situation might have been good for a dog, it was not so for a hawk, which needs movement to pick them up.
On several occasions we had to walk-up and this gave the rabbits the upper hand because whereas dogs can go into a hedge and pull a rabbit out, a hawk will not fly into the unknown and risk injury. Rabbiting with a hawk requires a completely different mindset for both the hunter and the human — and it meant a few rabbits escaped. We had to be patient. Our moment soon came. The lamp’s click echoed in the still air and there, squatting, was our rabbit, head down in the grass. Its ruby eyes looked back at us until we moved the beam slightly and, unnerved, it was off. Instantly Diesel’s wings beat powerfully into the night air and he covered metres in seconds. The reluctant rabbit ran but the bird’s talons connected. Rabbit down. Diesel mantled his prize, hunching his shoulders and spreading his wings over his kill. Ray had to twist his arm under the hawk to despatch the rabbit without frightening the bird and to give him his reward. After Diesel was persuaded to go back on his glove, I hid the rabbit in a bag.

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