Getting any young hawk going is a natural and important factor in their early development. Although in my experience it is not as vital as some may stress.
It is still a natural process and one that is more essential in nature where survival is the key to their future.

Young eagles are no different to any young creature, their development and learning potential is in its most accelerated at any point in their lives.

For my young eagle, hares excited him and fired his natural instincts. First he needed to develop his skill of flight to enable him to take on the wily skills of many a large brown hare he may encounter.

As with many young creatures he was filled with a “gung ho” nature and took many wild risks which later would be honed with skill and experience.

This photograph was taken by my friend and fellow eagle enthusiast Geoff Surtees. We were up on the moorland of North Yorkshire and G’Kar took on many hares with Geoff’s help. In those early days most showed him a clean pair of heels, but he adapted his tactics until he was finally successful.