Story and photos by Joseph Richards
Under a cloudless West Texas sky, a determined hunter watches his dogs working the brush. On his leather glove rests a female red-tailed hawk scanning the surroundings. Whether it’s in pursuit of rabbits or squirrels, hunting with dogs is time well spent in the outdoors, and a small, but dedicated cohort of falconers have paired this tradition with flying their trained raptors.
This year marks Tyler resident Dennis Hurley’s 14th falconry season. Coming from the Pineywoods of East Texas, Hurley primarily hunts Eastern gray and fox squirrels with his female red-tailed hawk. After receiving advice at a falconry meetup on running dogs for squirrel hawking, Hurley acquired his first dog – a mid-sized mutt named Gizmo – a decision that has amplified his experience in the woods and abroad.
“I noticed by adding the dog to the team, I was having to do less work, but we were catching at a higher rate,” Hurley said. “Typically, one out of every seven chases I would see my bird catch. With the dog, it’s about every four chases. My catch rate went up because the squirrel would be less likely to come down from the tree.”
Hurley recommends to other falconers looking to add dogs to their hunting team to get a dog that is trainable, has a strong prey drive, and respects the bird.
“It really doesn’t matter the type of dog – some breeds are bred to do certain things. Any mutt will work as long as it has a strong prey drive and is trainable,” Hurley said. “For falconers that are primarily concerned with hawking squirrels and rabbits, you can really get the family pet involved as long as they have that strong prey drive and respect the bird.”
Enthused by his success in the field and three years after adding his first dog, Hurley acquired a wire-haired Jack Russell shorty named Radar.
“I wanted to add a dog to get into tight spaces – especially holes where squirrels or rabbits might get into,” Hurley said.
Hurley knew that his bird had accepted the team when he noticed her following the dogs through the woods. The dogs work together to circle and keep the squirrels treed. If the squirrel leaps to the ground, the dogs chase it back up the tree to give the hawk a second opportunity to catch.
“I have found that the bird not only learns this behavior but, in some ways, depends upon it,” Hurley said. “The team is the dogs and the bird. I am there to facilitate the hunt, control the catch, and keep the bird safe as well.”
Even though his team primarily hunts squirrels in the Pineywoods, Hurley and his team travel to Lubbock every year for the annual meetup of the Texas Hawking Association – a conservation-oriented organization that serves as an advocacy group for the sport and ethics of falconry, birds of prey, and their quarry.
Serving as the editor of On the Wing, THA’s official publication, and participating in the annual meetups has allowed Hurley to meet other dedicated falconers such as Matt Reidy, Texas Parks & Wildlife biologist and director at large for THA.
“Falconry is hunting wild game with a trained raptor,” Reidy explained. “What’s really cool about falconry is that it brings together all kinds of people from all walks of life. You can’t put a finger on who is a falconer. It can be anybody. Getting out with falconers, being in the field daily, and seeing the hunting is where it starts.”
Observing Hurley’s team at the annual meetup in Lubbock, Gizmo and Radar navigated through a mosaic landscape of rustic tractor equipment and thick brush – an environment suitable for a number of cottontail inhabitants. The dogs detected the familiar scent particles of a rabbit under a pile of debris. Smaller in size, Radar disappeared under the cover and flushed the rabbit – a blur dashing in the opposite direction. The hawk leaped from her perch and descended with talons extended. The trained raptor’s speed and strength seemed effortless, and the chase was over in seconds.
“For people that are wanting to get involved in falconry, you have got to love the outdoors and hunting,” Hurley explained. “It’s really neat when you see a good hunting team working together and getting to see how man’s best friend comes beside you to hunt in the field with a team.”
