Falconry (Swiss Stories 2016, by Annick Ramp) - Swiss Press Award
Annick Ramp
On a falcon hunt with Daniel Kleger (peregrine falcon) (pictured), Christian Hüsler (goshawk), and Steve Schwab (goshawk). The three hunt for crows by car, releasing the bird from the moving car as soon as a suitable crow is in sight. The bird is then recaptured (with the help of a dead crow that is thrown around, or with food). If the bird has killed a crow, the falconers run to the scene as quickly as possible and care for the bird. The birds are equipped with a transmitter, which makes them easy to locate if they get lost. To calm the birds, the falconers cover their heads with a hood. At the end of the hunt, the birds are fed crow meat.
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
3rd place
Photo / Swiss Stories
2016
Annick Ramp
As agricultural pests, carrion crows are shot in droves. But falconry, letting birds of prey go after them, offers another way, as shown here, somewhere between Olten and Aarau on January 17, 2015: hawks and falcons are hidden in a car, which is brought alongside a flock of birds in a field – and then everything happens very quickly. The Swiss falconers bag around 600 carrion crows annually.
