The day after our first hunt I came home to a batey bird. He looked like he just wanted to get out and do it again. I knew he would be overweight after all he ate yesterday, but I figured I would weigh him and see. He was pretty heavy at 38.9 but he was acting so good. My instincts were telling me that he was fine. His crop was empty and he had cast the squirrel bones from yesterday already. Besdies, we had been flying free for several days now and his fist response was almost always perfect. I took him low for his first flights because I wanted to make sure I didn't lose him, but I had been trying to slowly build him up and find him a comfortable range. I felt pretty good that I wouldn't lose him with a short flight around the yard and vacant lots so I went for it.
I can't tell you what made me loose that bird. It went against everything I had read and everything I had ben taught, but I just had a feeling that this bird got it and just wanted to be out and hunting. He wasn't going to take off.
There was a squirrel right behind the mews that he had been watching. I felt for sure it wouldn't move far as it hadn't moved while I was right there in the mews talking to Rebel, so I figured that if Rebel's weight was okay, I would go right back and take it. Well, he was high so I walked back to the mews with every intention of abandoning the flight and putting him up for the evening. For whatever reason, I released him at the door.
Instead of taking off after the squirrel behind the mews, he angled off to one of his favorite perches in the live oak where the kids zip line runs. I was scratching my head thinking I had chosen poorly when I saw another squirrel in the bed by the neighbor's house. I ran for it screaming "Ho! Ho! Ho!" (hope the neighbors don't think me and the Mrs. are having marriage trouble...) but he didn't follow. I went back towards Rebel shouting and beating on the tree in which I had treed the squirrel but nothing. Laura had come out to watch and she said "Um, Honey... I think he has one right here!" Sure enough, Rebel had found a different squirrel in the tree adjacent to him and was already diving. He missed his first attempt and drove the squirrel straight to ground. The squirrel ran right past me to another tree and out of nowhere a blur took him an inch from the base of the tree! It was awesome!
I swear I heard the impact as Rebel collided with squirrel, tree, and ground in that order but almost instantaneously! Definitely no fear in this bird despite a bite that was worrisome from the day prior. I ran to his side and dispatched this squirrel as well. He mantled a lot more over this one as in retrospect, I think he felt a little cheated from the one the day before. I let him eat it all. And he did eat it all. Started at the head and moved on down. Even ate the tail! He left two feet on the rear but hat was it. I have never seen such a HUGE crop!
And that led to another first for me. I got footed. Yup. Me with my special bird and our special connection... I got footed. Right index finger and thumb. I was reaching in to secure him to the leash when he grabbed me. They say that a grizzly has a mighty roar, but I can tell you that no grizzly ever made a sound like the one that sprang from my throut that evening. That HURTS! Needle sharp claws through your fingers with vice-grip strength... not something I am looking to experience again.
He finally let go and I decided that I didn't really want to see if Hawk tasted like chicken after all, so back to the mews we went. It was funny because he was so full that he had to keep moving his head and nexk to try to pack down all the food in his crop. This is one awesome bird.
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