Dec 17 – Squirrel 11

Today after lunch, Rebel, Addie and I headed back out to Georgetown to meet a friend and fellow falconer from Florence.  He joined us at our favorite duck spot with hopes of seeing some great duck flights.  He also has a RT that he has intermewed one time.  It was a late caught passage bird last year that has been devastating on the squirrels but he would like to get it started on ducks, just as I am trying to get Rebel well wed to ducks as prey.

The day started off overcast and there was actually a light rain as we headed out.  By the time we got to our spot, however, the rain had completely cleared and the sun was breaking out.  It wasn’t too windy but there was a breeze and the temps had definitely come up in the last 24 hours.  I was a little worried about Rebel as he was still a bit big at 41.8 oz. and he never seems to do as well when it is overcast at all.  

It turns out that I had nothing to worry about.  Rebel was sharp as a tack right out of the hood.  We snuck up to our release point and Rebel went right into position.  Right as I was making in to flush, Rebel broke off and dove down on the pond.  I thought he was trying to self flush which would have been a pretty cool maneuver.  Unfortunately there were no ducks on the water so he flew on ahead.  We followed and watched him do a bit of soaring over the lake to get his bearings and then head for a snag in the middle of the lake.  We made out way around the lake but no duck flushes.

Halfway around, Rebel took note of a squirrel and gave a great chase.  He finally cornered the big buck grey in the top of a scrub oak and chased him down to ground where he pounded him.  I mean pounded.  I felt the impact fifteen feet away.  I ran up and dispatched the squirrel and we did a pretty smooth trade off for a chick.  With as quickly as that went, I was hoping that this would be the day of the first double for Rebel.  Now Rebel has had a triple once before (three different species), but never a double so we were hopeful.  

For the first time at this location, I was stumped in regards to ducks.  I had never been to this lake before where there weren’t a ton of ducks on the water, but today there were none.  We did have some exciting squirrel chases and at one point, we watched a silent screetch owl watching Rebel chase down a squirrel that he lost in a knothole.

As we made to leave, a pair of hag RT’s circled the lake soaring and letting loud screaming challenges.  I was pretty worried that Rebel would try to attack, but they ended up leaving each other alone.  On the way out, Rebel lagged behind.  I figured he was just moody about his trade off as this was the first time we had really hunted hard after a trade off like that.  When I got back to the truck to call him, he didn’t respond so I picked up the receiver and went back.  I thought for sure he was on the ground with another squirrel, but nope he was up in a tree right by the lake.  Not sure why he had decided not to follow, maybe the chick, maybe frustration, but he did come to the lure.  I jessed him up and carried him back to the car.

It was a nice day, but I wish he would have followed better at the end.  Not sure what threw Rebel off but I will keep an eye out.