tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14056905712993924512023-11-15T08:01:44.776-08:00Of Wings and TalonsFalconry as a new apprenticeAb Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-63596715156444013612012-04-12T17:14:00.000-07:002012-04-12T17:14:37.054-07:00April 1, 2012<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch> <o:TargetScreenSize>800x600</o:TargetScreenSize> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">April 1, 2012<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The day began as a reflection of my mood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was overcast when I finally struggled out from under the covers and peered out the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My honest first thought was trying to decide if I could possibly put this off any longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sigh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No way.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The season was over and my once intermewed RT, Rebel, was expectantly waiting for her release.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should have released her weeks ago, but I kept finding reasons to put it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">She just wasn’t ready yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed to spray her one more time...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She needed one more dose of wormer…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another good meal of duck was definitely in order…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Who was I kidding?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This bird was definitely ready to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was spending her afternoons gazing at the sky and watching the other birds soaring all around her, occasionally calling to them softly under her breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heck, this bird already had her own boyfriend who had been soaring over the mews for the last two weeks and frequently perching in the trees above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would call back and forth to each other incessantly despite my obvious disapproval.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean come on…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s only two years old and has been very sheltered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think she is ready for some boy following her around…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As I pulled on my clothes for church, I kept reminiscing about the two seasons I flew Rebel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the first, this was a special bird.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She bent down to eat on the very first night and calmly sat the glove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her first season was one for the record books, catching 44 squirrels, three ducks (a rare occurrence for a RT), numerous quail, a rabbit, and several miscellaneous birds on the wing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flights she showed me that first year were incredible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She began her second season by catching her first squirrel on 9-11-11 before the season even began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The details are still a little fuzzy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rumor has it that this was a heart-broken squirrel that cast himself into her mews to end his suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have good information however, that it was simply an unlucky young squirrel who lost a bet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I bet you ten acorns you won’t run across the roof of that mews while that old hawk is asleep!” Followed by the inescapable, "Hey Y'all! Watch this!..."<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Sigh.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Church was a welcome but brief distraction and I found myself once again looking out my window looking for something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A way out maybe?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sigh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the phone rang and a neighbor called in a panic about a heifer having a difficult labor, I perked up and said I would be right over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife looked at me with amazement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Ab, you aren’t a vet, honey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you ever done anything like this before?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, no, but I saw a cow once…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I knew was that there was a need and I could help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt very noble in putting off my own plans for the afternoon to help others in need…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And besides, I couldn’t come up with anything else on my own.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Well the delivery was extremely difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got there to see a bunch of anguished faces and an exhausted heifer lying on the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I had really said hello and taken full stock of the situation, I surprisingly found myself up to my armpit inside the cow, trying to turn the calf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I mention that I am not a vet?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to slip ropes around the hooves and with seven people pulling, including to my shock my wife and kids, we were able to get the calf out of the exhausted mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, the little calf did not survive the long and difficult birth.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Back home and on the third wash (thus far experience tells me that it takes more than a full day to remove cow smell from the hands. Oh well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am pretty popular with the dogs right now.) my mind kept returning to Rebel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sponsor and two of his girls came over and I knew I couldn’t put it off any longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, maybe a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, she needed a nice last coot to chew on to celebrate the occasion, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was hoping I could say that it was too late in the day, maybe we should wait until tomorrow or something, but when I brought it up, they all just looked at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Damn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daylight savings says there was still almost five hours of light left.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I placed Rebel in her Giant Hood for the last time and we drove off to Waccamaw Farms for the release.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife held my repulsively stinky hand and alternated between saying nice things and gently laughing at me, a very nice summation of our marriage I think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By this time, the sun was shining brightly and spring was in its full glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took Rebel from the box and cut off her anklets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She looked at me a bit askance as if asking me “Are you for real?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then she roused a bit while I talked to her and then with almost no effort the wind lifted her up and she was gone.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I watched her for about half an hour, preening in the trees and checking everything out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally my kids pulled me away, they had important things to do on a beautiful spring day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the day was a bit of a blur honestly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did go back and check on her before dusk and I found her sitting up in a tall tree, comfortably hugging the bole as if she were settling in for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She jumped up to a different perch to have a few good looks at me but that was about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then she was right back to preening and taking in her new surroundings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could almost see her planning her nest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started taking bets on how long it would take lover-boy to find her and trying to make a few jokes to lighten the mood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No I was not covering anything up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes it was a little weird because I was the only one there…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I stayed out there for a half an hour until the mosqitos couldn’t find any open space to bite anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I prayed a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Said a lot of thank yous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Took a few pictures…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually fell in a hole once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Big one where a palm used to be. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Made me think about all of the holes I had fallen in while watching this bird chase squirrels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell, one time I thought I had broken my ankle about three miles deep in the swamp last winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually tried to MacGyver’d up a splint with a stick…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The phone rang and my mind had wandered as far as it could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife was calling me back home for dinner with the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said goodbye to a friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A friend that, for a time at least, had helped me keep my eyes off the ground.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thanks Rebel.<o:p></o:p></div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-59221743232622855712012-04-11T19:41:00.000-07:002012-04-11T19:41:24.947-07:00Falconry Season 2011-2012<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch> <o:TargetScreenSize>800x600</o:TargetScreenSize> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Hawking Season 2011-2012<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While I am certain that the blog world did not suffer in my absence, it is time to get things back up and running and explain a little about the topsy turvey season that marked my second season in falconry.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">I purposefully avoided blogging about my adventures this year because I was allowed to do some exciting things outside the norm for a second year apprentice and I didn't want to give anyone the wrong impression. In short, I had the blessing of being allowed to work with many different birds this year in conjunction with my sponsor. At the same time I got to fly my own bird, Rebel, for her second season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was due to a rare combination of luck and timing more than anything else.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">During the second year an apprentice is still limited to a single bird. Many sponsors urge their apprentices to trap a new bird the second year so they have a new experience with a different bird during a time in the falconer's development when the sponsor is heavily involved with the apprentice. I had every intention of following this plan but as the spring passed into summer, I found myself extremely reluctant to part with Rebel. I think everyone probably feels this way about his or her first hawk, and I was no different. I talked to Al about this at length and he did not pressure me either way. Let's be honest here, Al and I will be hawking together years after I make general and I will always have his experience to fall back on, apprentice or not. I have no misconception that my learning will suddenly be complete the day that I get a certificate that says General Falconer on it. I ultimately decided to keep Rebel because she was such a gamey hawk and my first year exceeded everyone's expectations due to her skills alone. I was anxious to see what she could do in her second year. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel moulted beautifully. I remember seeing her first red tail feather peeking out when I went in her mews to feed her. She actually turned on the fist and preened to show it off several times. It was amazing to watch how playful a fat RT can be during the moult. When she was out weathering on a homemade perch, her favorite game was to pick up a pinecone, toss it in the air and quickly grab it with the other foot before it landed. Reminded me of when my son would get up before dawn to practice his soccer juggling. I got a few funny videos of that.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Around the end of June, Al began to contemplate expanding his hawking repertoire by flying a cast of Harris Hawks the following season and was making plans. Harris Hawks are very social raptors that hunt cooperatively in the wild in family packs called casts led by an alpha female, a setup very similar to a wolf pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of this social nature, which doesn’t really exist to this degree anywhere else in the raptor world, these birds react and behave differently and are much more receptive to falconry training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has led to a surging popularity in their use in falconry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw casts of Harris hawks flown at previous meets and I always thought I would one day fly a cast after making general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, Al had decided that the following year was to be the year for him and started researching breeders and training strategies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had heard that if you get a cast of hawks that were pen raised together, you had a much higher likelihood of those birds being able to hunt cooperatively in a cast, so he was planning to get the whole cast in one fell swoop from a reputable breeder in Georgia.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As he learned more about the training, he became concerned that he might not have the free time to train three raptors at once and realized that he would need some help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he asked me if I would be willing to help man and train his cast with him, I couldn’t say yes fast enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, if the man who had taught me so much had asked me to help paint his house I would have said yes as well, but this was like winning the lottery!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going to get to keep and fly my favorite bird and still get the experience of manning and training another bird to help improve my falconry!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sweet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My nights were filled with reading everything Harris Hawk so I would be prepared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am still shocked I actually passed both of my boards in September, as I was constantly setting aside my workbooks to learn a new way of lure training or a more effective trade off or one of a hundred other things I felt pressure to master.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides my board exams, I had a lot to do to prepare Rebel for the season as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember a lot of head shaking from my wife on some of those long nights…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was full on into the throes of my obsession.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In my never-ending quest to expand my falconry horizons, I had decided that year two would be a test of free lofting. During her first year, Rebel was tethered in a hybrid mews/weathering area. I felt like it would be nice to free loft and let her stretch her wings a bit more. As is typical of me, my simple free loft mews turned into something much bigger, incorporating two 10’ by 22’ mews on either side of a 12’ by 22” new workshop. I did everything but the roof myself, which is probably why I am still not done… I would work all day and come home to hang plywood or paint or hang perches. I didn’t think I would ever get it done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a little help from my friends, I finally got it together and the unfinished place still looked a palace compared to the hybrid setup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was moved to the new mews right before hunting season started and loved the huge hemp rope swinging perch and all of the space.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I began trying to get her weight down prior to the move but it was tough. I really didn’t weigh her at all during the moult and just fed her large amounts every two days. I will not do this again. She started her training regimen at 54 oz. on a 36-hour empty crop! Big difference from the girl I trapped at 36 oz.. It did not help that she got her first squirrel kill of the season on 9/11 while still inside the mews! I had dropped her weight and was planning to start a quick creance regimen that afternoon when I found her munching happily on a young suicidal squirrel on the top of her box. I don’t know if he was playfully running across the wire roof or if he snuck in from the sides, but Rebel was waiting. Those squirrels had been torturing her all summer, playing with impunity right outside her mews… She had waited all summer for one to get close enough.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Needless to say, that set us back a little bit in the training process, but not too bad. The biggest problem was the weight loss. She was used to being a fat happy and playful bird and I began cutting her weight at the same time that I gave her much more freedom in her environment. That set the stage for an aggressive, hungry bird that was very unpredictable upon entering the mews. She would typically fly to the glove and mantle and scream a bit at me. The scream would transition to her whine for food for a few minutes more. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would take a little bit more time for her to slick back down and then I could secure her jesses. Even then she would occasionally try to foot me but fortunately was unsuccessful for the most part. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was surprised to have to cut her weight all the way back to 39 oz. to get good whistle and glove response from her. She flew much higher than that last season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we finally took to the field, she was as amazing a hunter as she ever was, taking a double on our first day out. The new problem became carrying. I really think it was a function of her huge weight variations. At the end of last year she would glide with her squirrels a bit away in hopes of getting to break in by herself, but now it became something different. She carried one young squirrel two miles through the swamp flying away from me every time I got close. I thought I was going to lose her that day because somehow she had pulled the antenna on her telemetry unit and my receiver was sporked as well.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This new habit of carrying put a severe crimp in our hunting plans and we went back to basic training for a bit. It helped some, but I found that the carrying habit was not too easily over come. During the last season, I had the freedom to fly Rebel at almost any weight and once in the field, she was the same fierce hunter that she always was. While that part was still the case, her following was poor as was her fist response when in the field now and that made for very frustrating hunting. She was successful by all accounts, but her head count was nowhere near what she got last year due to fewer hunts.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Of course, her hunts were also fewer because I was dividing my time in too many ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to trying to finish the mews, I was avidly trying to perfect a new Giant Hood complete with computer fans to ensure adequate ventilation and constant cooling on some of our hot and stuffy days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made new perches and new paracord leashes and jesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fashioned numerous traps and read voraciously everything falcon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, did I mention that I raised quail as well?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, that brought me a lot of brownie points with the wife…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, right as I finished my board exams, Al came home with the new Harris Hawks.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The first bird I was going to help with was a young male who unfortunately died the day after he was pulled from the breeder. Autopsy never revealed the cause. I started working with one of the females that Rich, a former apprentice of Al’s, had been manning named Luna. She was an amazing bird and an extremely quick learner with strong hunting instincts. On her first free flight, she chased a doe halfway across the county, and had her first kill a few days later while doing some following practice in the yard. She was amazingly gentle in contrast to Rebel. She would frequently sit on the ungloved hand and often flew to my shoulder or head while in the woods. She was without question the smartest hawk with whom I have had the privilege to work.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I trained Luna on and of for about a month while Al was working on Luna’s sister Grace who was a bit more of a challenge but coming along. Grace was having a lot more difficulty bonding than Luna had and we had to try several different experiments with her weight to get her to a pint where she could be reliably free flown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even then she was very skittish so we “switched” for a bit to give both birds more exposure to each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My time with Grace alone was short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She didn’t trust me very much and we didn’t have time to build the bond that came so effortlessly with Luna.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to build a better bond, I set up a quail in the launcher so she could get the confidence of a kill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was planning to sit right beside her while she cropped up as much as she could stand and then put her on the fist for an hour or two so she could associate that happy full feeling with the glove and the bond with the falconer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flight was beautifully acrobatic with Grace actually coming up from under the quail to catch it in a classically goshawk style grab.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She brought it to ground, took one look at me, and took off like act with a firecracker on its tail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chased that blasted bird through every yard in my neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twice!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, when at last I did catch up to her, that peaceful bonding moment wasn’t even a remote possibility anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did I learn?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No two birds are alike, assuming they are makes you look like an ass, and until you know what the bird is going to do, tether the first damn quail…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, Al was having a blast with Luna.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luna had killed seven squirrels by this point and we decided it was time to fly the two of them together to start the cast bonding. We hoped that by putting them up together, Grace would overcome some of her reticence after seeing how comfortable Luna was with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first flight was a complete and total disaster. They immediately attacked each other trying to establish dominance but it quickly escalated from dominance behavior to intent to kill. After pulling Luna’s talons off of Grace’s head and neck for the third time, we called it quits. In retrospect, we did it wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked about it a lot and now feel that both birds needed to be well made to game before attempting to put them up together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That way, when you flush, they both know what the prey is and can find a common ground in the chase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further, they should have been socialized much more together prior to any attempt at cast flying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In putting two sharp birds in the air, one of whom did not yet have a wild kill and neither of whom were solidly wed to game, we simply entered our Harris hawks on Harris hawks.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We were both somewhat dejected after that, but we analyzed it, talked about it, and came up with a new plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided that the next step in the cast building was going to be to socialize the two birds while tethered to better establish their social order. Al came up with a divided perch where they had to sit right beside each other but could not actually touch. After bating at each other and finding they couldn’t reach, they resorted to screaming at each other. Fortunately fro my marriage, Al did this at his house! For about two weeks, the birds were tethered together until they finally settled down. The first successful cast flight was amazing, with Al about as giddy as a schoolgirl, grinning ear to ear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh they crabbed for a second or two, but they had already established which was the dominant one in a more safe environment so they got right on to hunting instead.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">About this time, the replacement male Harris Hawk was ready to be pulled from his parents. Al brought Flick home after Thanksgiving as a late hatch male weighing 660 grams when Al pulled him. The plan was for me to start his socialization and training while Al worked further on the cast of females. I fell in love with this little guy from the very start. Totally different from Luna who was calm and gentle, this guy was skittish as all get out and bated constantly from the fist for the first two weeks. I manned him constantly even bringing him to work so I could offer him tidbits until he finally ate. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was pulled so fat that it took him five days to eat and I was a mess the entire time. Rebel ate the first night. Luna’s initial manning was done by one of Al’s former apprentices and was eating and calm by the time she came to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flick on the other hand was a total basket case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was totally paranoid that something would go wrong with this bird.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he finally ate on day five things really took off and he flew free just days later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I began using the clicker for the first time in this bird’s training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea behind clicker training is to create an association with a secondary stimulus, the click, to the primary reinforcer of food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over time, this is supposed to allow you to shape more complex behaviors by not having to positively reinforce with the primary reinforcer for every step of the behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is almost a communication tool to allow the animal to complete a series of behaviors with reinforcement of the idea that the reward will come at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to say that the training portion proceeded much faster with Flick using these techniques than with either Rebel or Luna, but whether clicker training or more experience from the handler played a role, I do not know.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As quickly as the training was proceeding, however, I was still feeling a huge push to hunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were already into December with a new bird who had zero experience hunting but who was showing some very gamey behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flick liked to investigate everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I say investigate, I really mean attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He footed more pinecones, mushrooms, moss piles, and sticks than I could believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time I saw him stoop down I thought he had found a luckless vole or field mouse but no, he was destroying another inanimate object.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">He showed tremendous interest in squirrels, killing one despite my best efforts to not enter him on them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compared to the girls, Flick’s talons were like toothpicks and I couldn’t imagine him taking some of the bites that Rebel had shrugged off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I vowed it wasn’t going to happen on my watch, so we focused mostly on ducks, rabbits, and crows in the beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flick was tremendously interested in ducks but he was giving up too easily on the chase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started working on teaching him to get a high perch to gain speed but right as he started to get this, the ducks literally disappeared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hunting pressure from the gun hunters forced them out of my little honey hole and I couldn’t get close anywhere else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We drove to Columbia to meet another friend’s sponsor who has been flying male Harris Hawks for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has a pair of male Harris’ and three rescue beagles that team up beautifully into a rabbit catching machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After his boys had had a successful catch, he allowed flick to fly ahead of the dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was amazing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flick watched the dogs and immediately knew what it was they were doing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He watched the dogs work the heavy cover and flush rabbits out ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He took several stoops and wingovers that were breathtakingly beautiful and my heart was hammering the whole time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would actually go back to check on the dogs before flying back up into position ahead of them like he had been doing this for years, almost like he was flying back to push them on or give them a pep talk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he finally crashed into the briars and caught his first rabbit, I just looked at Al and grinned.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A few weeks later, we took Flick out to another place where a group of twenty hunters were coursing rabbits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were 28 beagles running and rabbits scurrying all around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a little hesitant, but at their request, I put Flick up into the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was little afraid to commit with all of the dogs on the ground, but he hit a few rabbits, finally killing one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did not bind to it though as the dogs were close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I let him fly for a while with several more near misses, but he was clearly a little skittish with all of the dogs and people around because he wanted to move further away on his own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had several near misses and finally I called him to the lure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The following week I began investigating falconry dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to a friend’s quail preserve and went out with his trainer to watch his German Short Haired pointers work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What beautiful dogs!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The puppy was a little excitable, but the four-year-old female was just a working machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flick caught four quail that day and was full to bursting by the time I put him up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On one of his flights, the quail tried to make out between flick’s perch in a nearby pine and me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flick hit it literally four feet in front of my face!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the next week, Flick was happy and calm, eager to be handled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I kept waiting for Flick to turn on to the sparrows and grackles that are constantly flying into the rice fields near home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a gorgeous levee that we would walk frequently where Flick would chase scaup and cormorants and right as the sun would set, the grackles would pour in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far he doesn’t seem to think he has the speed to fly these down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got up several snipe that he wouldn’t chase either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I could enter him on these as snipe and woodcock are incredibly elusive game birds and the flights would be outstanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did chase a few surprised woodcock but never got close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His aerial style through the woods on those flights was breathtaking and I would love to be able to see that kind of flight in the open.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Flick ended the season with a couple dozen quail kills, three rabbits, and a squirrel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not great numbers, but a late start and a busy handler make them much more praiseworthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This spring will see him start his socialization process with the cast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will have to go very slowly as these dominant females will kill him in a split second if they are not all happy and fat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not sure if starting this now or waiting another couple of months is better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We felt that it should wait until after the girls were up from their keen hunting weight and would be more tolerable, but have no clue as to how the hormonal surges of mating behavior will affect bonding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the meantime, I will continue to work on fitness with Flick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the key to his success will be strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is already a more aerial flier than the females, but I want to see his endurance and sprint speed increase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As such, I have decided to start flying him to a kite this spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea is twofold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will introduce him to a lure hanging from the kite and after he understands the concept of the reward, I will serially elevate the height of the kite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Climbing to 2000’ in a headwind is a great way to build muscle and long wingers have been doing it forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not know if you can even entice a Harris to go that high, but once he is climbing well to altitude, I plan to “serve” him slow flying bait birds at first and watch him learn the power of a stoop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully, he will see the advantage that height gives him when flying on birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe this will make him a great duck hawk for next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I will be venturing into the “over-trained” spectrum of falconry, but I hope not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless, I will be learning how to use one more tool in a falconer’s arsenal, albeit in a fashion and for a species for which it is rarely used.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So that was my season in a nutshell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got to keep my beloved Red Tail and continue to learn from her without missing out on manning a new bird as an apprentice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I got to work extremely closely with three!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got to learn about new birds and gain more experience in one year than I would have expected in five.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got to learn about new techniques in training and housing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gained some very valuable avian medicine experience as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All in all it was a much bigger year than I can write about in a blog post, even one that is way too long, as this one clearly is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I owe this great year all to my sponsor who felt confidant enough in my abilities to allow me to play a role in the development of his cast, in addition to flying my own bird.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am blessed to call him a very close friend and I hope that he has found his trust well placed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So here’s looking to next season, where we can see what kind of success our efforts have earned.<o:p></o:p></div><!--EndFragment--><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-7101333798060755972011-03-07T10:10:00.001-08:002011-03-07T10:10:30.924-08:00Feb 19 – Back to Back Doubles<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Sunday morning came with cooler temperatures but a bright almost cloudless sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cabin we were in was awesome and the kids were laughing and having a blast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I left them to shower and get ready and took Rebel outside for a look around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a squirrel moving right by the house but he scuttled off before I could get Rebel out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel was in good spirits after yesterdays’ successes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had spent the whole day out on her weathering perch with four other Red Tails around after her successful hunts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in a hurry to get her out and I forgot to weigh her, which was a bummer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have loved to see if there was a change at all after two chicks and a ton of exercise yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The squirrels that I had been watching play on the ground and in the trees through the window had disappeared once they caught sight of Rebel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked around for quite a bit before we finally got our first squirrel moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was a gorgeous tawny-red squirrel that I found myself almost hoping would get away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was really that pretty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She led Rebel on a merry chase through several trees before trying to duck into a knothole, only to find it occupied by an gnarly old grey male with a bent tail who promptly chased her out of the knothole and around the tree, chittering away like an angry shopkeeper speaking in Chinese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This spectacle proved too much for my one track mind Rebel who swooped in once and then promptly forgot how to pick only one squirrel to target.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The distraction proved to be just the right thing for Red, who made it to the top of the tree and a nice hiding place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The buck made it back to his knothole and Rebel sat perched trying to figure out what had just happened.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After a few minutes, we slipped on down the path looking to drum up more squirrels as these two were clearly doing excellent impersonations of statues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just down the hill, Rebel pitched up into a large pine just out of my line of sight and I heard a familiar and disturbing cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked up to see a hag female stooping down into the tree where Rebel had perched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran over as fast as I could.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A male Red Tail wheeling above the pine tree quickly joined the female.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I got there, I saw why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was sitting in the middle of a nest, high in the top of a large pine tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This nesting pair was already working on their nest for the coming breeding season, and Rebel was perched in their living room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My presence quickly drove the two hags away, and Rebel came almost instantly down to the glove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether Rebel was hungry for the tidbit or just thankful for the protection, I wasn’t sure, but it was definitely her best fist response of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided that it was probably best to head to another area for further hunting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We headed back to Al’s house where my friend Rich was flying a huge female.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had already killed one squirrel and was chasing another when I arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the chase, Rich put her up and I was hoping to see his apprentice’s bird fly, but the bird was overweight.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Laura and the kids had arrived and Al was putting a bridle on one of his horses for them to take a walk when someone spotted a flock of turkeys making in from the hardwoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided, “what the heck?”, and pulled Rebel out to make a flight. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rich decided to circle the turkeys and drive them to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel, Dave, Maddox and I got into position.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The turkeys proved a little too smart for us but Rebel quickly saw a captured a small grey in a live oak overhead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He carried it off a good ways but was looking for the trade off, which was becoming increasingly consistent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were still pretty close to the house and Al, Laura, and the kids rode / walked up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel hopped up into a tree and I went to chat with them, knowing that Maddox was about to leave for his soccer game in Sumpter.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Laura made the comment that Al was a good friend for taking my daughters riding instead of going with me to watch my bird chase a turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He replied, “Nah, I just knew what I would have really watched was three turkeys chasing a turkey!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Classic.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some other falconers came up and I decided to pull Rebel down so that they could hunt the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would not come to the fist very well so I went in after her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she finally left the perch to fly down to me, she zipped right over my head to take another squirrel out of the tree!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hadn’t even seen the thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No wonder she didn’t want to come to the glove!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A second trade off and we had our second double of the meet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was proud, but felt a little guilty at our success.</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-9009115065043595082011-03-04T07:49:00.001-08:002011-03-07T10:10:56.693-08:00Feb 18 – Florence Meet<div class="MsoNormal">I had been excited for this meet for weeks. My friend Al was hosting a falconry meet at his home outside of Kingstree and he was expecting anywhere from fifteen to twenty local falconers to come with many different kinds of birds. Several non-falconers had also come to learn more about the sport. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My daughter elected to come with Rebel and I, but we had to leave Addie at home. Most of the falconers were dividing up and heading to their respective spots when we pulled up. Al asked if I would take a few people behind the house in the hardwoods and show them a Red Tail at work. Our entourage included an ex-marine who was working for the local news channel, a young boy and his father, my daughter, and then Al joined us a bit later.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel was as keen as she could be and ready to hunt. I had been lowering her weight steadily in anticipation of this meet and she was flying at 39.6 ounces. My bird has been as high as 46 ounces in the field this year and has still killed and followed well. While she had killed at higher weights, her trap weight was still much lower than this at 36 oz. and I have been questioning myself about taking her weight upwards. I had definitely noticed that at the higher weights, I spent my time following her rather than vice versa, and I wanted to rein in that behavior.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There were a lot of questions, most from the reporter. He was sporting both a video camera and a still camera with a lens the size of Rebel. Rebel chased four squirrels right off the bat but did not catch them. I guess she was shaking off the nerves or something. I haven't heard of a bird with performance anxiety before, but hey, this bird is teaching me something new everyday! Anyway, she would chase one and get it moving then get distracted by another she saw. She would chase that one and then see the first one move again. Poor girl does not do well with too much information overload. ADHD I guess. I blame the parents... ;) Her usual hunting style is to get a squirrel moving, push it up higher in the tree, and then wait for it to make a break out on a long limb where she can snatch it easily.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After the first few flights, Rebel seemed to settle down and get back to her normal hunting style. I was proud of how well she was following and paying attention. Her first kill came after several near misses. She had cornered a young squirrel in a tree and caught him when he tried to escape out on a limb. Unfortunately, she also saw fit to carry this squirrel about three hundred yards away. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We caught up to her in a small ravine and traded off without incident and set her back up for another run as it was so early. We were joined by Al and another young future falconer when we set out. We headed down into the bottom area near the swamp and it didn’t take us very long to get a squirrel running. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This squirrel was the endurance champion of the season. He sprinted from tree to tree before Rebel could even get her bearings. Rebel took a few dives at the squirrel but the wily little thing was smart enough to not run out on a limb until after Rebel had had a near miss and was looking for a new perch. By far, this was the smartest squirrel we had faced all season. <br />
<br />
The squirrel finally took refuge in a red oak and hid wisely in the moss. I thought that the guy had finally lost his wits when I saw a squirrel burst out the base of the tree and try to run to another tree with Rebel hot on his heals. It turns out that our wily squirrel was still high in the red oak and Rebel had actually flushed another one! This squirrel led Rebel on a wild chase on the ground and finally disappeared into a knothole at ground level. Rebel actually went inside the hole to investigate and we got a few pictures, which were pretty cool.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel was pretty frustrated getting back on to the fist. That frustration wore off quickly however as we had no sooner started heading out when we saw another squirrel trying to ghost off through the trees. Rebel gave immediate chase and almost caught this one on the first pass. It was actually pretty impressive acceleration from the fist. I would say reminiscent of how a Goshawk would do it, but I have honestly only seen one fly... </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">She missed the first pass and ended up chasing this squirrel thought several trees before catching it out on a limb like it’s predecessor. The amazing thing was that she was actually stradling the limb with one talon on either side, holding on to her quarry. She hung like that for a couple of minutes making sure she had completely killed her prey before she got herself loose. This one too, she carried about three hundred yards or so. I had to get out the tele to find her location, but the trade off was pretty smooth. I really think that this bird totally gets the game even though perhaps she is not completely satisfied with the rules…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, we scored a very nice double in front of spectators and I could not have been more pleased. Rebel spent the rest of the day out on a perch surrounded by Red Tails and I even had time to make it down to Maddox’s soccer game. It was a great start to a great weekend!<br />
<br />
It turned out that the picture of Rebel hanging upside down with the squirrel made the front page of the second section of the Florence Sunday paper! In still frame, it looked like she had just peeled the squirrel right off of the tree and was flying away with it. It was an amazing shot and I am hoping that the photographer can send me a digital copy of the picture. I will post it immediately when I get it =).</div>Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-91041186400406769832011-03-02T19:36:00.000-08:002011-03-02T19:36:00.689-08:00Feb 11- First Rabbit!!!<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I was looking forward to our first hunt in a long time today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had just finished a VERY long series at work and needed to get out badly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only one who needed to get out more than me was Rebel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had hardly hunted in so long that she was wearing out her leash with all of the baiting she was doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am telling you, this bird was ready to go.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was drizzling and overcast and I kept scouring the sky for a sign of a break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was packing up to head out anyway, but I was discouraged. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My bird typically does not do so well with cloud cover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It must be some version of avian cyclothymia, no doubt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, just as soon as I had placed Rebel into the GH, I got a call from my buddy in Florence telling me that the weather was perfect and he had a great spot scouted out for rabbits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well I didn’t need to be asked twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were heading down the road before I even hung up the phone.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was almost a two-hour drive, but it was worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather began to clear about thirty miles from his house and it was truly a blue bird day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I met Al at his house and we struck immediately for the field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This particular field was mostly straw grass with a ton of briars, ranging in size from one foot high to ten feet high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were many perches scattered around in the form of patches of pine trees, perfect for a Red Tail.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We put Rebel up first and she got her bearings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was glad that I had actually had the foresight to bring my pole perch, although it wasn’t completely necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel had great response to the perch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would come to it whenever I whistled looking for a tidbit, but didn’t particularly like to ride it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would stay on a little longer each time as she got more used to it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel did a really nice soar over the field to check things out as we started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really think that if I knew how to properly reinforce this behavior and could predict it better, this bird could be a soar hawker’s dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the first soar, she really didn’t do it too much, although she did take a couple of S curves when flying to and from the pole perch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the abundance of perches, it took awhile for Rebel to get into the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Al had jumped up a couple of rabbits early, but Rebel was in no position to see them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was way too far behind and the cover was so thick, she couldn’t see them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Addie was having a time of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was bouncing through the grass and ducking through the briars like she had body armor on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would wade into the thickest of thickets without hesitation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was staying close for the most part, but of course would occasionally surge ahead, looking back at me from time to time to gauge my mood with her face grinning and her tongue lolling out the side.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had a couple of breath-holding moments when Rebel was gliding across the field and did a sudden wingover and hit the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran up to find nothing both times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second time, he was clutching a clump of grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think he was going after a little field mouse or something that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not sure about the first.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As I was wading through a nine-foot high row of briars, very carefully I might add, I saw Rebel dive down into the grass behind me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had shot out of the tip top of a nearby pine and winged over about two feet off of the ground, slamming something out of sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I heard the sound and knew we had our first rabbit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got there quickly and helped dispatch the rabbit and traded Rebel off smoothly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a nice big cottontail with thick long legs!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I fed Rebel up and we put him back in the truck to give my buddy’s bird a turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No luck for him at that spot but he didn’t seem to mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that he was just as fired up as I was with Rebel getting his first!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DEFINITELY worth the two hour drive!</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-51124107930235306052011-02-28T17:14:00.001-08:002011-02-28T17:19:18.174-08:00Feb 8 – Chases without end<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Have you ever had a day where you felt like you were on a treadmill?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter how fast you ran your goal was always on the horizon, never getting any closer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well Rebel and I had that kind of day today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We ran over to the old horse stables to run up a few squirrels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a little overcast and I was anxious to get out ahead of the rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work was pressing hard and Rebel was definitely not getting enough flying time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had been out here and there but the outings were short due to weather and time constraints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This bird was very geared up to fly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We ran a squirrel almost as soon as we were out of the car, but these guys at the stables have always been really smart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They live in the largest live oaks I have ever seen and there are plenty of knotholes into which to escape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ran the first one in a circle around four trees for about fifteen minutes before it literally disappeared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second squirrel escaped somewhere in the old barn while we were looking elsewhere.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We decided to explore a little more of the property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked all the way back to the lake and around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had three more chases that ended in frustration and Rebel was getting a tad bit miffed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I guess that that is only accurate if you consider a bird who screams at you when she comes to the fist or a bird that glares at you like you just stepped on its nest every time you call it “a bit miffed”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was starting to drizzle and I knew we should just head back when Rebel spotted one more and gave chase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one took us out of the woods and into a small trailer neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The local dogs let us know we were in the wrong place and a few people came out to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I quickly explained who I was and what we were doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel had lost he squirrel by this point anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We headed back to the truck heads hanging a bit low.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would love to end this telling about that last chase right at the barn and how it ended with a great catch, but it didn’t happen that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did get one last squirrel to run but it was the smartest of the bunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It never left the core of the tree until Rebel had flown past for the umpteenth time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that point, it gave a smartass salute and bailed out on the roof of the barn and was gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If my eyesight weren’t so bad, I would swear that the blasted thing actually gave me the finger…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I had had enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called Rebel down to the lure and leashed her up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She must have flown on seven squirrels and every chase had lasted what seemed like forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She didn’t think she was too tired though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wanted more, but I wanted dry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cropped her up nicely for her efforts, but a baleful glare followed me out of the mews when we got home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess that she was still thinking that it was all my fault…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not even sure if she is a she…</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-37390758823905757722011-02-26T21:44:00.001-08:002011-02-26T21:44:39.869-08:00Jan 31 – Turkey, Round Two<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Well, we had to go back to Sutton today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel told me she wanted another crack at the fox squirrels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I, of course, had to try again at the rabbits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was another picture perfect day with blue skies and moderate temperatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only problem was the wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gusty doesn’t begin to describe it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was more of a steady gale force thing…</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was a little worried about Rebel getting blown back to North Carolina, but she wanted to fly and I am nothing if not a pushover for a pair of pretty eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I put her up on the edge of a cornfield in the tree line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was a little surprised by the wind and zipped off about two hundred yards away before she knew it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She turned into the wind and actually hovered as she selected her perch and actually floated down to it in slow motion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do love watching her fly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">She was incredibly attentive today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She stayed very near me and came to the pole perch numerous times without me calling her to check things out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would turn quick circles over the field to check things out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did get a little video of some of these flights that were pretty cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Addie of course was having a field day, no pun intended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe that one actually was intended…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, she absolutely loves bouncing through the grass that is over her head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t formally trained her on rabbits, but she knows the scent and does her best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will work on it in the off season.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So after traversing several fields with no signs of rabbits seen, we headed into the trees looking for a few squirrels to chase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was absolutely NOTHING moving in the trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was getting frustrated and started lagging behind and wanting to hunt on her own so I called her down and we moved on to the Fox Squirrel spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our way, we once again spied the turkeys ghosting along about fifty yards deep in the woods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t seem to mind the truck at all, so I stopped ahead of them and got my critters out.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel spotted them immediately and perked up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made my way towards them and once again, Rebel streamed in after me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time the turkeys were a little more skittish, getting up to fly much earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel took a flight at them but didn’t really make the effort. She flared up at the end of her flight and took a perch, watching those big birds fly ungainly away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She looked back at me like, “What?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You didn’t actually expect me to grab one of those did you?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably better this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have heard of a few Red Tails getting mixed up with turkeys, and while they typically come out on top, there are some reports of injuries from those spurs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably not worth it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We headed back to the fox squirrels and we were in luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A grey faced fox squirrel with a raccoon tail was halfway up a tree waiting for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He hid as I pulled Rebel out but it didn’t take long for Rebel to get him moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She almost had the squirrel five different times but just barely missed, allowing the squirrel to duck into a nest at the top of a pine tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel did not see the squirrel go in and no amount of banging or yelling would get the squirrel to come out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just when I thought she was going to come and attack the nest, she winged of for another tree where a HUGE solid black fox squirrel was hanging out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hadn’t seen this guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He looked like a small bear with his thick black fur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel took a cautious flight at him but pulled up, clearly disturbed by his coloring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He ran, which is a bit atypical for the bigger fox squirrels, and I thought Rebel would give chase but apparently she thought better of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually, it is the squirrels who do not run and behave like normal prey that seem to put these birds off of the hunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they run, the prey drive usually kicks in and the hawk will follow.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Not this time, that squirrel ran out on every long limb, ripe for the picking but Rebel just watched him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The damned thing actually almost fell out of the tree about eight feet above my head at one point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had made a slight miscalculation and grasped for a very small branch after it jumped from one small gum tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It lost its footing and was literally dangling just above me for like twenty seconds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That may not seem like that long to you, but that is precisely the kind of mistake that these birds take advantage of with these squirrels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, that was way worse than most of the mistakes I see these critters make.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Oh well, it didn’t matter because Rebel just sat up and watched him crawl to freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was terribly disappointed, but there is always tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the confusion, Rebel had clearly forgotten about the other squirrel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was clearly frustrated so I called her down to the lure and called it a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing in the bag but some exquisite flights in the memory banks.</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-17713712453344520412011-02-24T14:54:00.001-08:002011-02-24T14:54:33.540-08:00Jan 30 – Rebel Meets a Turkey…<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Today, Rebel and I headed out to Sutton to a friend’s farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been there a few times with the bird and there is always a ton of game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were really hoping for a rabbit, but I wasn’t holding my breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had had a few near misses on Fox Squirrels at his place and I was very hopeful of adding that species to our list.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel was flying lean and mean at 39 ounces, about the lowest she has been since November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was trying to bring the weight back in line down to the weights where she had formally killed ducks, but I could not seem to get her any lower than 39 or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly the bird is in better physical shape than when I got her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her flights are more powerful and longer, but I wonder if she hasn’t lost some of her quickness.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We set out into the rabbit field near the house in waist high straw grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not much in the way of briars, but I was encouraged by the fact that there was a hag RT perched in a snag at the end of the field when I pulled up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bumped her off as soon as I opened the door, so I was not too concerned for Rebel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides, Rebel has held her own many times with hags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has never backed down once, so I guess that either makes her confident or stupid…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">She didn’t think too much of our efforts with the rabbits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In her defense, the cover was thick and the visibility was poor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I was out in the middle of the field, she took off into the woods after a squirrel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She chased that one through seven trees before letting it get away on the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, clearly she wanted squirrels so we did our best in the woods instead.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The squirrels were not moving too well today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a few early chases, but nothing lasting too long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel finally connected on a smallish squirrel as it was fleeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had a beautiful helicopter to the ground after capture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I traded her off for a squirrel and she let right go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that the trade offs are becoming even smoother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She definitely knows she is getting the poor end of the deal, and still seems mad about it, but she hops off quicker for her chick each time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I put her back in the hood to check out another area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a spot where I had seen fox squirrels in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we set out, I saw some turkeys ghosting through the woods ahead of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I moved forward to get a better view and Addie took off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was apparently the signal for Rebel as she turned on the after burners and shot after Addie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few of the turkeys took to the wing, but most just started to run along the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was actually videoing this with a new hand held Hi Def video camera and I caught Rebel swinging out over my right shoulder, heading straight for a turkey and winging over striking it on the ground!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was shocked!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran over as fast as I could and got there in time to see the turkey taking off, minus a few feathers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was standing on the ground looking at me like, “Dude!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you see the size of that thing???!!!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had knocked out a few feathers, but I think that as soon as she realized the size of that turkey, she decided that a fight was not in her best interests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never expected that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember in the beginning when I was talking about how she had stood up to many other hags?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I am pretty sure that hitting that turkey showed some pretty amazing confidence, but letting it go probably showed that she isn’t exactly stupid!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hope the video turns out!</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-75977377878261278892011-02-22T16:57:00.000-08:002011-02-22T16:57:03.610-08:00Jan 28 – Ninjas and Numchucks<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Rebel and I headed back to the Georgetown hole today as I had left my beatin’ stick there the other day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I would not have gone back for just any old beatin’ stick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one just happened to be an oak quarterstaff that managed to find its way back to me from my childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was a boy, my brother and I fancied ourselves knights, ninjas, or pirates on any given day, and as such, we were forced to have battles as you might guess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As oldest, I was frequently on the giving end of most of our battles, but on the receiving end of the punishments those battles invariably provoked.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One day in summer, a friend left us a catalog of ninja gear at our house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the wisdom that only comes from being 12, we decided to order some gear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bought a pair of wooden samurai swords each and a pair of quarterstaffs, envisioning epic battles to follow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even managed to cut up one of mom’s broomsticks to make numchucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That went over well.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I learned two valuable lessons that summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first and most obvious was that solid wood friggin’ hurts when it smacks your knuckles or anywhere really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other was that when your parents find out you have used the credit card to order contraband material, hide your stuff and blame your little brother.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Well somehow, when my parents moved out of the house, that staff showed up and proceeded to follow me on several moves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hiding in my box of gardening implements (which had not been unpacked for at least six moves…) just so it could turn up now to keep me from falling on tough terrain and serve once again as a tool to pummel the enemy, as long as your enemy is a tree or heavy brush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously, I couldn’t leave it behind, once I discovered it missing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sure enough it was there where I had dropped it so with a smile on my face we set out into the woods, armed to fight ninjas should they appear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None did, so Rebel and I took our fight to the squirrels.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We took our first squirrel in a heavily infested area near our usual first duck slip spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As has been the case lately, there were no ducks on the water when we got there, but Rebel immediately spotted a grey squirrel heading for a hole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She chased it through several trees before finally snagging it out on a limb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am reasonably certain that this was no ninja squirrel as his moves were not nearly so nimble as many others I have seen around here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She carried it a goodly ways off which has been happening with growing frequency lately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trade off was smooth and we decided to make one more circle in case the ninjas were going to show up.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In truth, I was actually hoping for a Kamikaze wood duck slip, but they were clearly on to me at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either that or they had decided to buy in to the American dream and found something to live for like Starbucks and Apple TV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Duck was off the menu so we cruised around exploring parts of the property that we had not often seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great day overall with good weather, a responsive bird, and the recovery of a childhood memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was all warm and fuzzy heading home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My bird was clearly confident after her kill and I was much more confident in my chances against any impending ninja attacks now that I had my trusty quarterstaff / beatin’ stick back at my side.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-85145162051816349342011-02-21T08:19:00.000-08:002011-02-21T16:03:45.520-08:00Jan 24 – A Squirrel and a Book?<div class="MsoNormal"> Rain and work have conspired to keep Rebel and I out of the woods for more than a few cursory flights lately. Not today though. With the sun shining brightly, we headed back to the Georgetown hole in hopes of some squirrel action. Of course I was secretly hoping for a duck slip that might turn fruitful, but given Rebel’s reticence to chase ‘em since the fall, I was not holding my breath.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Almost as soon as I released Rebel she was on squirrel number one. She chased it through four different trees before catching it out on a limb and bringing it down in classic fashion, a good grip on the head with no bites. It was a beautiful flight and I wished I had been quick enough to get it on camera, but as usual, I found myself watching and chasing. I never seem to think about the camera until the deal is sealed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The trade of was smooth and Rebel was once again looking around for action. I was heading across the lake to the larger expanses on the other side, but within three steps of where we got the first squirrel, another one started running! Rebel chased that squirrel through fifteen trees. This guy was smart. He finally got to an old dead snag and hid under a branch. Rebel was understandably a bit tired and she perched up and just watched the squirrel, waiting for her chance. In my mind, I wanted to see how it would play out in the wild without me there to shake vines and beat on trees, so I waited and actually brought out the camera <u>before</u> the kill. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was an amazingly long wait. I finally decided to help out a bit and beat on the tree some but the only thing that could get this squirrel moving was Rebel. The squirrel had the clear advantage of position. From his spot, he could see the bird easily and every time she moved, he would move to a more protected spot, never running out on a limb or leaving the base of the tree. This went on for literally an hour. No lie. I finally pulled up an ebook on my phone and read a bit. Quite peaceful really.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After much waiting and a few intermittent flights, Rebel finally gave up and we headed out across the lake. We had several more great flights but came up just shy on all of them. On one flight in particular, Rebel showed his frustration. He had a wily grey running through the trees and Addie and I sprinting after them. He knocked the critter from a branch and came swooping down for the kill but the grey was too fast and started scampering through the thick cover. Addie was less than a foot behind him and chased the squirrel right in front of me, just out of reach. The squirrel popped into the base of a hollowed out tree right in front of us to disappear safely. Addie had her nose stuck in the hole and whining as Rebel hopped over. To say that she was a little upset at losing this squirrel would be a huge understatement. She looked at me like it was entirely my fault and then considered Addie like perhaps she would like to take out her frustrations…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Addie wisely backed out of the hole and let Rebel inspect the area. She huffed around a bit and I finally got her up to the fist but she was mantly and footy so I decided it was time to leash up and walk out. She had a kill early in the day but got increasingly frustrated in her misses. She certainly got her exercise today. It only took her a minute to slick down and get calm on the glove. I expect that she knew she was in for a treat as soon as we got home. By the time we got to the truck, she was rousing and standing on one foot, her happily contented self. It is amazing to see how fast these creatures can switch from pure aggression to contentment.</div>Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-23777389257118557442011-02-15T10:30:00.000-08:002011-02-15T10:30:10.768-08:00Jan 19 – Bunker Buster<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Today Rebel showed me something new that I haven’t seen much of before with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has crashed nests in the past but this time she was bouncing around from nest to nest shaking things up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was pretty cool to watch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel was keen to fly after work today weighing in at 42.4 ounces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She didn’t get to fly yesterday due to work stuff so I had to race home this afternoon to get her out before dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to our newly found horse stables area and hit the ground running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Right off the bat, Rebel got up a squirrel in a tall live oak and chased it through several trees before it got away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was actually surprised that she missed it as hard as she was chasing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lately, it seems that her experience has been making it almost too easy for her on squirrels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not these squirrels though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were fast and experienced and knew where to hide.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We decided to explore a bit and we set of in a wide arc around the property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned, there are plenty of trails and a ton of small slews and lake areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was a bit frustrated after her first miss so in her usual fashion, she decided to lead for a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is kind of funny because the takes of ahead and then waits for me to catch up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I go a different direction, she just stares and eventually follows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sort of a constant test of wills as to who will lead I suppose.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Well as we came around full circle, we got up another pair of squirrels and Rebel was all over them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She chased them through several trees until they both ducked into the same nest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was on them in a New York second crashing into the nest like a Kamikaze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both squirrels bailed out of the bottom so she quickly resumed the chase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She selected her target when they split up and when he ran into a nest, crashed after him as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again the slippery devil got away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This repeated two more times!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time, Rebel was holding on to the nest a little longer giving the squirrel a better chance of escape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one did get away, but it wasn’t long until we had another running, this one out over the swamp.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I had waterproof bots on but wasn’t sure how deep the water was in some spots, so I was having a slow time of it navigating through the swamp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so much Addie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She bounded through the water like an otter following the action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I honestly can’t explain how Rebel failed to catch this squirrel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was trying to hide in the tallest branches of small Ceder and Cyprus trees with very poor cover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel had several beautiful chances at him, including twice when he tried to hide in a nest only to find her tearing it down with him inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both times, the squirrel made it out the bottom but Rebel was clearly dialing in to the nest thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was six nests she had dive bombed in just one hour!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The squirrel finally made it to ground where Rebel did a nice wingover to grab him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had him but he twisted out of her talons and she gave chase over ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now most times, once Rebel has them on the ground, it is game over her favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not this time as this quick varmint scuttled under a root and up the other side of the tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel gave up and just stared at me like it was all my fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On the way out of the woods, she hit another nest just for kicks but there was nothing in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do love to see her figuring out tools and skills that make her a more successful hunter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is going to make me feel much more comfortable when I do finally turn her back to the wild, knowing that she has these skills to help her make it though the winters.</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-50236998773163735252011-02-14T05:55:00.001-08:002011-02-14T05:55:35.764-08:00Jan 17 – Full Facial<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Not a good day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today as our last day in Asheville and Rebel and I ran out to get a quick wing-stretch in before that long drive home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had had a great trip so there wasn’t much pressure as we headed up the mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was overcast, and as I have previously noted, this bird does not do well in overcast conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today was no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had one good chase on a squirrel at the beginning but Rebel’s repeated misses soured the day for her in a big way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She finally flew off in a huff after the ninth near miss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, getting her focused again was proving difficult, so I decided that she needed a rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was not responding as well as I would have liked to the fist, so I decided to head on down the mountain and call her to the lure back at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were not that far away by this point.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel actually followed really well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we got back to my sister’s house, I thought maybe I would try to get a picture of Rebel landing on the snowman that the kids built, so I put a chick up on top of his hat and called her down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She came right down, but instead of landing to eat, she raked the chick off and flew into a tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, it would have been cute but clearly Rebel was in no mood.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since she was right there, I decided to feed her off of the fist as I was getting worried over her increased aggression during and after feedings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I held up her portion of squirrel and she came right down to the fist and settled in to eat, mantling like a bum does over his bottle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were in my sister’s porch at this point and I settled back into a rocking chair while Rebel fed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fatal flaw number one, I didn’t have her leashed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t get near her feet anymore while she is eating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is just too damned aggressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I called her to the garnished glove but needed to let her eat unleashed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem until the dog came in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had just finished her meal so I rose to put her on her perch when the dog nosed over smelling something she had dropped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like a flash she hopped over and hit poor Addie in the top of the head!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a bit pissed at myself for not seeing that coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reached down and picked up the bird while Addie was pushed up against the sliding glass door trying to get away.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fatal flaw number two, I still didn’t have her leashed and I only had control of one leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had reached down with my gloved hand and grabbed one foot to help lift her up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not want to let go until I had the leash on so I raised her up intending to get a good look at the other anklet to attach the leash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, she did not particularly like being held by one talon so she shot her other talon out and tagged me quite quickly in the face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a strike meant to scare, not hurt, same with the dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did not try to bind to me in anyway, she just wanted me to let go of her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quickly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I am bleeding from a couple of needle like puncture wounds to my face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dog is pressed up against the glass watching all of this in horror, and my bird is standing on the ground looking up at me like “What?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gently but firmly grabbed the bird by BOTH talons this time and turned her over to leash her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did not like that much, but with all of the amped up adrenaline in her system after those two bouts, I was not going to take any chances that could result in her, or myself, getting hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once leashed, she went promptly into the giant hood to let her calm down in a dark environment.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I went inside to face the family crowded around the glass watching my idiocy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I looked into the mirror and saw how close to my eye her talon had come, I said a prayer and carefully went over everything again to make sure my lesson was learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate that my bird has become so aggressive to me when she did not start out that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is clearly in some response to patterns of behavior that I have somehow reinforced unintentionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That coupled with the right triggers regarding food and a perfect storm can develop almost instantaneously.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hunting success notwithstanding, I clearly still have a lot to learn from these birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought a pair of safety glasses that very same day.</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-72702284822546684692011-01-28T18:27:00.001-08:002011-01-28T18:27:21.603-08:00Jan 16 – Asheville Squirrel Number Two<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To think that I considered not bringing my bird on this trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We woke up a bit early again today to get some flying time in before family time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No skiing today, the kids were all worn out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan was for pizza and a movie later on and maybe some paintball if the troops could rally.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That left Rebel and I the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laura decided to come with us for this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was pretty out with clear skies and much warmer temperatures than the teens we had been out in the last few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The snow was rapidly melting though and the trails were all pretty muddy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to say I was regretting the loss of the snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved how I could spot tracks of earthbound activity and even keep tabs on running squirrels while watching them knock snow off of branches in their flight.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel was still on the lower side at 41.4 ounces despite being inside and eating pretty well the last few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was definitely eager to fly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed up to the top of the mountain with dogs in tow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we crested the first rise, little Holly the toy poodle / mini schnauzer mix came up with a gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had found a rabbit leg in the snow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately Rebel had not seen it so I quickly stowed it to use later in training the dogs a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wouldn’t you know that my inside dog finds the rabbit scent…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>oh well, Addie just needs more training =).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Apparently the theft of that leg did not go unnoticed by the locals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A very angry haggard RT came in on us screaming at Rebel as she flew back up to us from down the mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her cry ripped through the silence around us, putting everyone on alert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sounded more dinosaur than RT at first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interestingly, Rebel did not fly after her to challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She simply sat her perch about thirty feet or so away from the hag and watched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did try her version of that cry but it was again Mike Tyson-esque and pitiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poor bird.<br />
<br />
The hag left us and we resumed the hunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was really hoping to get another rabbit flush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew they were here given that we had found a head yesterday and a leg today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the op of the mountain, I headed off into the briars to try for a flush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a bit much for Laura who volunteered to take the little dog back to the house by way of the trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel saw something and took a few dives along the ground after what I was hoping was a rabbit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was running up the mountain now to give chase, as fast as my wheezing lungs and aching legs (skiing remember?) would allow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never saw the rabbit but Rebel was watching keenly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I sat quietly and waited and watched with hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel seemed to lose interest and launched herself up and into a thermal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was soaring around when out from the left came the hag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They did a few cool aerial displays that would have made the Blue Angels proud and then she came back to perch besides me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They never locked up and there was no further screaming that I could hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was more like they were sizing each other up and deciding that maybe there was room in that valley for the two of them after all.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I made my way down the mountain with Rebel reluctantly following.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was lagging way behind and I was pretty sure that even if I did manage to kick up a rabbit, she would be in no position to see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she once again took off like a shot down the mountain, I was on her tail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had spied a squirrel and he ran up a tree frightening the three other squirrels in the tree there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not sure how we missed all of these on the way up, but I was happy. Rebel however, was not sure which target to dive upon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She solved this by choosing none and flying away to a distant vantage to make a plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She finally picked the squirrel she wanted and set in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She chased him through a couple of trees and the squirrel ran to ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the second time this week, Rebel caught that squirrel in the snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Like a surgeon, Rebel had one foot around the head with one talon in the ear and the squirrel was dead almost instantly without any assistance from me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is definitely more lethal now as her experience mounts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trade off was easy and we headed for home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was lagging again behind so I went to my sister’s house and called her to the lure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved seeing her bomb down the mountain in almost free fall with her wings tucked in close almost like a harrier jet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She hit the lure hard and set in.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I do love watching this bird fly.</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-43690796470984310102011-01-27T19:05:00.001-08:002011-01-27T19:05:14.009-08:00Jan 15 – Asheville Entourage and Near Miss on a Rabbit<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">After an almost perfect day yesterday of hawking in the morning in the glorious snow covered mountains followed by skiing with my family until ten pm yesterday, I was thinking that another hike up the mountain for hawking might just do me in but I was wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poor Rebel had been cooped up in her giant hood for waaaay too long and was in dire need of some flight time so we headed up the ridge shortly after daybreak.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel, Addie and I got to the top of the mountain via the trail and were slowly making our way down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel had chased one squirrel waaaaayy down the opposite side of the mountain, but he had gotten away, thank heavens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not sure I could have made it down that ravine to help and if I had, I was pretty sure that making it back up was going to be straight out of a bad survival flick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty sure I don’t want to go down as the “Into The Wild” guy of falconry….</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Nothing much was moving so we set our down the ridge when my cell went off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister had told a few of her friends about her brother with the obvious mental imbalance who liked to chase after hawks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They came a-runnin’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister, her friends, and their children met me halfway down the mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brynn came along as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could hear them about a mile before I saw them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, we got a kill yesterday, right?..</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I started down to introduce myself and say hello.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids had all kinds of questions on falconry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was still uphill in a tree, turning her nose up at the whole situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She flew down a little closer but would not come to the fist so I was thinking maybe she had seen something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made my way up to her through the worst patch of deadfall ever to be found in the NC Mountains, leaving small bits of blood and cotton fibers on most of the briars in the area.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The young girls weren’t too far behind me, managing to traverse the briars without nearly as much difficulty, still asking questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I turned to answer when Rebel dove off of her perch and slammed into the briars in the middle of the deadfall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so think I couldn’t see exactly where she went, but I knew that she had just tried for a rabbit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had not caught a rabbit together yet and I was anxious to add that to our game totals for the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I crashed through the briars to the spot but when I got there, no Rebel…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We started fanning out looking for her on the ground, as I was sure she was trying to be sneaky with her prize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was up in a tree looking at us like we were crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, not today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess it was probably a good thing not to scar the little ones with a dead bunny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked like they could possibly get behind a dead squirrel, but as we all know, Peter Cottontail is a bit different.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The biology lecture continued and Rebel consented to come down for a preen and a chance to show off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the oohs and ahhs, had subsided, more questions started coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel had had enough so she took back off for a distant perch as we made our way towards home.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As we were leaving the park area, My sister’s dog came bouncing up with something in his mouth that he had dug up from the snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a rabbit head!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to get psyched because I at least knew that they were here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picked the rabbit head up to study it a bit and noticed the little ones staring at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must have looked a sight with a mangled rabbit head, complete with one bulging eye, in my hands and a grin on my face.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I expected to see the moms pull the youngsters in close and give me a dirty look as they walked away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expected a tear or two and a look of betrayal from at least one of the princesses, but nope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wouldn’t you know they came and crowded around wanting to look at the bunny and ask me questions about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I explained that a raptor or a four-legged predator who couldn’t finish his meal probably caught this particular rabbit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since he couldn’t finish, he had tried to bury it in the snow for later, but the dog with his keen sense of smell was able to find it first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More questions incoming and one of the dainty things actually wanted to touch the bulging eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I need to give kids these days a bit more credit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That or relook at those immutable rules that I thought governed the universe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty sure that one of those rules was that little girls don’t like dead things…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I reburied the rabbit head so Rebel wouldn’t see it and come for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked fresh, but you never know and I would hate it if that rabbit actually died of poison or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway we headed down the mountain, the girls possibly a little better educated on hawks and me possibly a little better educated on little girls, if that is even a possibility, which I sincerely doubt.</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-25636304293351467342011-01-25T12:57:00.000-08:002011-01-25T12:57:05.126-08:00Jan 15 – Asheville Entourage and Near Miss on a Rabbit<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">After an almost perfect day yesterday of hawking in the morning in the glorious snow covered mountains followed by skiing with my family until ten pm yesterday, I was thinking that another hike up the mountain for hawking might just do me in but I was wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poor Rebel had been cooped up in her giant hood for waaaay too long and was in dire need of some flight time so we headed up the ridge shortly after daybreak.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel, Addie and I got to the top of the mountain via the trail and were slowly making our way down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel had chased one squirrel waaaaayy down the opposite side of the mountain, but he had gotten away, thank heavens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not sure I could have made it down that ravine to help and if I had, I was pretty sure that making it back up was going to be straight out of a bad survival flick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty sure I don’t want to go down as the “Into The Wild” guy of falconry….</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Nothing much was moving so we set our down the ridge when my cell went off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister had told a few of her friends about her brother with the obvious mental imbalance who liked to chase after hawks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They came a-runnin’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister, her friends, and their children met me halfway down the mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brynn came along as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could hear them about a mile before I saw them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, we got a kill yesterday, right?..</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I started down to introduce myself and say hello.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids had all kinds of questions on falconry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was still uphill in a tree, turning her nose up at the whole situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She flew down a little closer but would not come to the fist so I was thinking maybe she had seen something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made my way up to her through the worst patch of deadfall ever to be found in the NC Mountains, leaving small bits of blood and cotton fibers on most of the briars in the area.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The young girls weren’t too far behind me, managing to traverse the briars without nearly as much difficulty, still asking questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I turned to answer when Rebel dove off of her perch and slammed into the briars in the middle of the deadfall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so think I couldn’t see exactly where she went, but I knew that she had just tried for a rabbit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had not caught a rabbit together yet and I was anxious to add that to our game totals for the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I crashed through the briars to the spot but when I got there, no Rebel…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We started fanning out looking for her on the ground, as I was sure she was trying to be sneaky with her prize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was up in a tree looking at us like we were crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, not today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess it was probably a good thing not to scar the little ones with a dead bunny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked like they could possibly get behind a dead squirrel, but as we all know, Peter Cottontail is a bit different.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The biology lecture continued and Rebel consented to come down for a preen and a chance to show off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the oohs and ahhs, had subsided, more questions started coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel had had enough so she took back off for a distant perch as we made our way towards home.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As we were leaving the park area, My sister’s dog came bouncing up with something in his mouth that he had dug up from the snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a rabbit head!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to get psyched because I at least knew that they were here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picked the rabbit head up to study it a bit and noticed the little ones staring at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must have looked a sight with a mangled rabbit head, complete with one bulging eye, in my hands and a grin on my face.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I expected to see the moms pull the youngsters in close and give me a dirty look as they walked away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expected a tear or two and a look of betrayal from at least one of the princesses, but nope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wouldn’t you know they came and crowded around wanting to look at the bunny and ask me questions about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I explained that a raptor or a four-legged predator who couldn’t finish his meal probably caught this particular rabbit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since he couldn’t finish, he had tried to bury it in the snow for later, but the dog with his keen sense of smell was able to find it first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More questions incoming and one of the dainty things actually wanted to touch the bulging eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I need to give kids these days a bit more credit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That or relook at those immutable rules that I thought governed the universe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty sure that one of those rules was that little girls don’t like dead things…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I reburied the rabbit head so Rebel wouldn’t see it and come for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked fresh, but you never know and I would hate it if that rabbit actually died of poison or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway we headed down the mountain, the girls possibly a little better educated on hawks and me possibly a little better educated on little girls, if that is even a possibility, which I sincerely doubt.</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-70906522721510392482011-01-23T19:59:00.001-08:002011-01-23T19:59:11.783-08:00Jan 14 – Asheville Squirrels Taste Sweeter!<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">So what do you do when you have a family trip to Asheville for a little skiing and family fun, and there is no one at home to keep your bird?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You take her with you, of course!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poor me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forced to carve away a bit of time for falconry in the snow (a first).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is such a shame that my sister lives at the top of a neighborhood, above which is a state park and hiking trails quite literally out her doorstep.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel was keen from her long incarceration and was weighing in at a low 41.5 ounces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have not been below 42 in some time, and I was previously flying above 44.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bird was sharp on at these weights and wanted badly to get outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I unleashed her as we stepped off of the pavement and she took a perch, not quite understanding this white stuff called snow that she had never seen before.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It didn’t seem to phase her much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She played in it a bit on a limb and then set about the business of dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Addie was running hither and yon, digging in the snow and sometimes deep into the loamy soil underneath when she smelled something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had gotten up with the dawn to hunt as we were supposed to go skiing on the early side of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was cold and clear with a splendidly bright sky overhead.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I looked back one time as I was climbing the mountain and the bird was behind me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sun was rising behind my bird and I was pretty pumped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the new morning sunlight shone through, there were these fine ice crystals floating in the air creating a sparkling prismatic effect that took my breath away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t last long, but it was truly beautiful and nothing like anything I have ever seen before.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We trudged all the way to the top of the mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somewhere along the way we managed to pick up a murder of crows that was badgering Rebel incessantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amazingly Rebel didn’t seem to care one bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would dive bomb her when she flew and caw at her whenever she was on perch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would leave for a bit to annoy something else on the mountain, but they inevitably came back.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At the very top, Rebel finally got a squirrel running and Addie and I happily gave pursuit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was pretty cool to watch because when the squirrel would try to run down a branch, it would knock the snow off of the branch, giving its position away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t tell you how many times I lost the blasted thing, only to see snow falling a dozen feet away or so and see the squirrel scampering for a knothole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was right behind him and a murder of crows was right behind Rebel!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The squirrel bailed out of the tree and landed about ten feet away from me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He turned immediately and scurried up a dead branch as Rebel raked the snow off of the limb right behind him!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was intense to say the least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crows where whirling just overhead and Rebel turned to fly back up but the squirrel had made it safely to his knothole.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We stomped through the snowdrifts a bit more and started heading down the mountain along the ridge and though the briars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was still hoping for a rabbit slip but Rebel found another grey squirrel instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She chased this one through the trees like a pro and it finally ditched to the ground with Rebel on its tail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She crashed it as it leapt over a log and rolled it into the snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The snow was covering her talons and the squirrel but she didn’t let go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trade off was smooth and we headed down the mountain with grins on our faces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel can’t really grin so I did it for her.</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-81147854725160650312011-01-22T18:56:00.001-08:002011-01-22T18:56:52.044-08:00Jan 11 – So Close To Home<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Well I was tooling around with Google maps to look for nearby areas to fly when time is pressing (which seems like all the time), when I found the best area ever right down the street from my old home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This place is only about two or three miles from where I live right now and it used to be a horse barn and riding property but the county has recently bought it to turn it into a public park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have not started any of the construction yet and don’t plan to for another few years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was raining all morning so I thought that I would drive over and check it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped at a nearby house to get the scoop on the area and the nice gentleman informed me that I was welcome to fly on his three acres and that the county had been inviting the public to come and walk the property in the paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfect!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is about 50-60 acres of swamp and hardwoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I rode around on the dirt roads and saw all of the horse tracks leading around the woods that would be killer to explore.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I went back that afternoon when the rain was down to a drizzle to try to fly Rebel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been bringing Rebel’s weight down a bit and she was sitting at 42.4 and very ready, though a bit wet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as I set her up, I heard wood ducks deep in the swamp and started to explore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a long shallow lake on the north east side of the property with ducks on it but I had no way of getting over to them to flush without waders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, maybe another time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The rain was picking up so we didn’t have much time for exploring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A murder of crows decided to drop in and make things even more difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to pack it in and come back another day to better assess this spot, but I think this is just what we needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was quite a bit of fortune to find an easily accessible and unused piece of property in the middle of this town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can’t wait to explore it more and find out where the squirrels are.</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-43805229239941497902011-01-20T15:59:00.001-08:002011-01-20T15:59:47.715-08:00Jan 7 – Michael Phelps Redeux…<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">So today I got up early and took Rebel to Georgetown for a chance at some woodies and squirrels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was cold but not bitter and the sky was clear and bright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The clouds were puffy and moving across the sky at a fair clip but not so fast that you couldn’t see a few nice images in them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kept looking for a hawk breaking down on a duck…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We got out a little behind schedule but still with plenty of time before work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Addie was all over it and having a blast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would streak in to the water for a little ice bath action then get out and zip around in circles as fast as she could to warm up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was pretty funny to watch, but it wasn’t helping us sneak up on any ducks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no ducks on the lake in our first and best slip spot, but we took off hoping to find them in another slew.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel was flying pretty well down to 43.4 ounces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to try to get her down to around 41 or so and see how she flies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has not had a duck kill since November and she was at 40 ounces then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I truly think that her reluctance on ducks is not only because of her bad experience of the ice bath, but also because she has gotten so much better on squirrels that she is primarily looking for them as prey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a bummer to me as I loved watching her stoop on ducks, but things have not been looking good on that front lately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That being said, many other falconers suggest that perhaps her weight has drifted too high for her to fly on ducks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am having a hard time reconciling how hard she is flying on other prey to her lack of interest in ducks at the exact same weight.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The weight issue brings up another point that I have been very slow in making.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have had a very hard time trying to find this bird’s ideal body weight for hunting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She started so low and has been so successful at so many different weights, it is hard for me to determine what weight is the healthiest for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weight is not the only variable in determining how well she hunts, but it is a big factor in determining how well she flies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hunger seems to be the main determinant of how well she hunts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I feed her a huge crop of duck one day and nothing the next, her weight may still be two or more ounces higher than my expectations, but she will still fly hard and hunt because her stomach is empty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem seems to be one of endurance when she is too far off of her desired weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She still follows well and hunts well with the proper hunger drive at heavy weights, but she doesn’t fly as fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other end, if her weight is too low, she seems a tad faster but doesn’t leave the perch very well and seems more insistent on tidbits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very frustrating to work out exactly where her weight should be.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Well, she was flying fine, she just wasn’t too interested in ducks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again our first flush was missed and in retrospect it was our best one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hoping for more flushes, we started making our way across the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She took a beautiful perch in a dead snag in the middle of the far end of the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a place she has perched before and seen many a wood duck cutting a path back down the lake as I flush this corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It effectively pushes them right underneath her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So I was pretty fired up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My bird was in perfect position, I had heard ducks on the lake and this slew was where they had to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Addie and I could flush them, they almost always follow the lake back, right under where Rebel was perched and maybe we could break our streak of bad luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Addie and I pushed up and success!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A brace of eight wood ducks jumped up and flew across us down the lake just as I had envisioned!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked up to where Rebel was to watch the pitch and saw…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No Rebel.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The ducks winged past about five feet under the now empty perch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems Rebel had seen a squirrel and given chase right as I flushed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Damn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She flew back to her perch and watched the ducks take off for the hills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I was trying to console myself for Rebel’s missing yet another perfect slip, she took a dive at a squirrel who had been hiding right over my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one she chased through the cedars and tagged him in a treetop out over the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At least it was warmer than her first unintentional bath out here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She and the squirrel splashed down like a search and rescue team and Rebel began swimming towards shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately she wasn’t that far away this time and by the time I got over there, she was already on the shore, bedraggled and cold, clutching her equally soggy prize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trade off was pretty smooth except for the somewhat significant fact that I failed to make sure that the squirrel was dead before putting it in my bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was an unpleasant discovery as I felt something moving in my bag pocket…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t do much immediately as I had a wet Rebel on my arm and I definitely did not want her to see this again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I put her up in a tree and turned to dispatch the squirrel out of sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel must have known what was going on because she steadfastedly refused to come back down or even acknowledge my presence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She sat high in the tree in the sun to try to dry off and I finally had to call her down to the lure and walk out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A successful day on squirrels but again no ducks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A smelly wet bird that was still a bit miffed with me gave me a disdainful look as I put her back in the hood for the ride home.</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-77607795779137201992011-01-19T19:23:00.000-08:002011-03-04T14:54:54.671-08:00Jan 4 – The Perfect Mallard Slip…<div class="MsoNormal">This afternoon we decided to keep it local and Rebel and Addie and I headed up to Doc’s land around the corner. I was hoping to put Addie out in the briar patch and see if we couldn’t get a rabbit moving. Unfortunately, a group of kids was hanging out at this area so I moved on up to the rice fields. As I crossed over the lake, I saw something that I had not seen here in forever… ducks on the water!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We pulled on through and parked. I got Addie out and she seemed to sense the urgency, as she stayed right beside me without commands. I put Rebel up and tried to convey where I wanted her to go. She took off to a nearby tree to view her surroundings. She saw the ducks on the water so she pushed up ahead as I have been trying to get her to do forever. She flew across the lake to a dead snag on the opposite bank. Perfect! I stood up straight and began walking to the lake. A few groups of ducks would get up and fly but Rebel was waiting. When the right group got up, she gave chase but she was already way behind. She ducked out (no pun intended) into another high perch. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Several ducks had flown further up the lake, so Addie and I headed up the lake. Rebel was perched in a tall pine and I spotted a male and female mallard just past her on our side of the water. We headed in and the ducks stayed on the water. They paddled to the far side of the lake, but would not get up even with me on the bank, so I sent Addie in after them. As she got closer, the ducks leapt up into the air, the greenhead wheeling back over right over my head. About one second too late, Rebel left her perch to drop on the ducks. I couldn’t believe it. It was the most perfect duck slip I have ever managed for the bird. She has had success in much more difficult situations, but this one, she practically let go.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Uggg. She followed the mallards out into the swamp and turned back. She lit in a gigantic live oak near me and spooked up two squirrels. Okay, I could handle a successful squirrel hunt to offset the bitter taste of that last missed slip. The trouble with these squirrels is that they stayed together. Because they stayed together, Rebel could not decide which one to go after. She finally gave up on this too. Bummer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now I know that Rebel flew hard yesterday. She was lower today at 43.4 where she was 44.5 yesterday, but this is well within her range (so far, every weight I have flown her is in her range…). I suppose she was just tired or sore or pissed about the tradeoffs. I don’t know. I can say this for sure though. I will be checking that easy lake slip more often now for ducks.</div>Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-65453819828797044782011-01-18T17:36:00.000-08:002011-01-18T17:36:07.195-08:00Jan 3 – Raining Squirrels<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Wow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know if anything else could have possibly happened today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something amazing happened every five minutes it seemed!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The day was nothing short of epic for falconry, brisk but comfortable, nice breeze, bright sunshine and excellent company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel and I got to fly today with my sponsor and his new PFRT, Jade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed out to Wee Tee, a farm owned by one of my friends outside of Georgetown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a gorgeous place with lakes, cropland and tons of hardwood forest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are turkeys and deer everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You almost step on the dove if you walk in the cornfields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About every tree has a squirrel nest in it and the rabbitat is amazing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As we pulled in, we saw a big passage RT sitting in a snag on the side of the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had my trap with us so we turned around and tossed it out underneath him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was on the trap immediately and was snagged!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ran up but he managed to get free and flew up into a nearby tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to throw the trap back out and watch and see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure enough he came down again and hit the trap hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He footed it several times but it took forever for him to get caught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, we raced up only to see him get free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the luckiest bird ever…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, he flew up into a nearby tree but did not leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left the trap and rode away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gave the bird fifteen minutes and came back to find him on the trap for the THIRD time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now by now, most of the nooses needed to be reset, so it was not a surprise that he did not get trapped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He flared as we rolled up and we let him be.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We pulled in to the farm and started to cruise around to find our first hunting spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were many hags spotted around the place, one soaring at about 800 feet in lazy circles around the open fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we pulled up on the lake, we saw several wood ducks on the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately they had not bumped from the truck, so we backed out and got Rebel ready to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel set up too far from the water’s edge and the ducks got up too far away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised that he didn’t give chase, but then I noticed the ginormous Fox Squirrel he was intently staring down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We started yelling and banging the tree and the Fox Squirrel began to run with Rebel in hot pursuit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He dove twice just missing the behemoth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the Fox squirrel ran out on a small branch right above me, Rebel swooped in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could see his talons closing down right when the branch snapped and down came the fox squirrel from about forty feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I watched his underbelly as the squirrel spread his arms and legs to increase his resistance and I realized that he was going to fall directly on my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmmm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a simple fly ball catch with my left hand, falconry glove already in place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reached up to catch the big squirrel when strangely I pulled back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was feet away from the squirrel and I thought for sure he was going to catch this thing right at my feet and I didn’t particularly relish the idea of him crashing into my squirrel filled glove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We already have some issues with possessiveness and I was pretty sure that if he saw me snagging his meal out of the air, he was going to hire a hit man.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The squirrel landed inches from my feet and I could feel the impact through the soles of my boots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He hit the ground running, scrambling towards a nearby pine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel crashed behind him right as he hit the base of the tree and unbelievably, he missed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bummer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought for sure we had our first Fox Squirrel in the bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The squirrel disappeared in a knothole at the top of the tree and Rebel gave up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed back around the lake and Rebel had a stoop on a wood duck that I got up on the far side of the lake, but he missed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also missed a smaller grey squirrel after chasing him through about a dozen trees through the swamp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On the far side of the lake, Rebel took off to a stand of trees so we followed convinced she had seen something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We beat on trees and yelled, but nothing was moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was finally ready to call her down and move, on, she dove getting another big Fox Squirrel running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She stooped on it twice and almost had it but once it was into the top of a pine, she gave him up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is weird.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In retrospect, all three Fox Squirrels she has had experience with, she has abandoned when it got into a pine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided it was Jade’s turn and we would give Rebel a rest so we headed back to the truck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way, we saw the three geese from the other day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel wisely wanted nothing to do with them this time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jade looked good out of the box but was a little skittish of Addie running around under her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She got used to the dog quickly though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She treed a grey squirrel and laddered him up the tree like a pro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was shaking vines like a madman when the squirrel made his break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He raced down the truck with Jade and her T-Rex sized talons right behind him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was closing the gap when the squirrel decided to bail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He leapt out of the tree and fell, once again, right on top of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time I did reach out, but the squirrel was an inch out of reach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, the bird barely missed the beast on the ground.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After covering that territory well and not finding much game, we decided to head back towards the cabin where we had seen a ton of nests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We put Jade up and she seemed to love the 70-foot tall pines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She chased a couple of squirrels but ended up frustrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in the box for her and it was time for Rebel to try again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel came out of the box amped up like a crack head on check day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She set the pace and we blazed through the woods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She finally treed one squirrel in a maple abutting a holly tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was so smart in the way she herded the squirrel up and latched on when he broke out on a limb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a beautiful chase but she carried the blasted thing about three hundred yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sigh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excellent trainer…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The trade off was actually very smooth and I put her back up in the air to make our way back to the truck for Jade to have another turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way out, I shook a vine near a nest and a smallish grey jumped out and started fussing at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel took note and swooped in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She chased that squirrel into one of the tallest pines I have ever seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, the bird showed real experience, laddering the squirrel higher and higher until it panicked and tried to race down the trunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was of course waiting for just this eventuality and she neatly plucked him right off of the tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another carrying session, this one nearly five hundred yards, and Rebel had her second double!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy trade off with a rat and a fuzzie and I took her to the truck for a DOC as a reward.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We were running out of daylight when we put Jade back up looking for those Fox Squirrels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was pretty sure she would not hesitate if she saw one, but they were still holed up in the lairs I guess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jade unfortunately did not get any game on this outing, but I am sure that will be corrected next time we venture back here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We looked to see if we would have another shot at that passage bird on the way back, but he must have gotten other game and was perched for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed home as the sun was setting, very thankful for a spectacular day.</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-66120739546053365862011-01-17T20:40:00.001-08:002011-01-17T20:40:41.187-08:00Jan 1 – New Year’s Day Double!<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">WooHoo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First double today!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a great way to start the New Year!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was revved up and ready weighing in at 44.6 oz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had the privilege of taking my wife and her father with me this time, and Rebel made me look good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, as good as you can look to your father-in-law I suppose…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We went to our Georgetown spot in hopes again of ducks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been so long, I am worried that Rebel has forgotten them as prey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pulled in and got everyone ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were talking a lot on the way in and I didn’t have much hope of getting to the first slip without flushing the ducks early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel sensed this as well, taking off way ahead of us to scout the lake. Rebel actually flushed several ducks off of the water, but he drove at least one back down into the water and he flared off up into a tree!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfect!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been hoping to teach him to scout ahead and keep the ducks on the water until Addie and I can get there to flush, and this was text book.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I made in and flushed the duck up pretty quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually maybe too quickly, as Rebel elected not to chase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bummer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We moved on around the lake, but there were no other ducks on the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel got a squirrel moving near the edge of the lake in an area where she has been successful before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She chased this squirrel through a dozen or so trees staying with it the whole time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is really impressing me with the way she matures in her hunting techniques.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She cornered it in a tall scrub oak and we saw a second squirrel up there with the first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel did not pay it any mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She swooped in and snatched her squirrel right off the trunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did carry a bit, which now I am somewhat expecting, but the trade off was easy and there was no snatching or footing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was pretty excited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a thrilling chess match and my bird was successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was still early and I didn’t have to be at work until one, so I put Rebel up again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She followed very closely at first, wondering where her prey had gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave her a few extra tidbits and she cornered another squirrel high in a dead snag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This squirrel stayed tucked in for a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought maybe she was seeing things after we sat there for fifteen minutes with no action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, Rebel took a dive flushing the squirrel to make a run for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The squirrel fled across several trees getting closer to the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was running to try to catch up and keep the squirrel up in the tree, when Rebel swooped low and peeled her second squirrel off of the side of the tree almost making it look easy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She carried a little way but not far.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">She was still breathing pretty heavily when I got to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put the squeeze on and noticed a small bite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing a little scarlet oil couldn’t handle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel had caught a very nice buck squirrel weighing just shy of 20 oz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sweet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trade off was pretty easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I elected to give her a DOC for her second reward and she accepted it greedily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed back to the truck, me sporting a heavy bag and a mile wide grin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife was sporting a fresh set of chigger bites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t catch a break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time I think I am making some headway and getting her interested in falconry, something crops up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pass the clear nail polish…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sigh.</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-59454218462117926052011-01-12T19:44:00.000-08:002011-01-13T09:04:36.594-08:00Dec 31- Wee Tee Farm<div class="MsoNormal">Well today was supposed to be all about the kids, but I managed to slip a little bit of falconry in anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I packed up all of the kids and their friends along with roughly three tons of paintball gear and headed out to my neighbor’s farm for a little paintball fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could probably be more accurately described as therapy for dads who really want to shoot their kids but can’t seem to find the time…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I had stayed up the night before filling bottles and organizing gear and stuff so I was a bit tired but the coffee was good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had decided to take Rebel out there with me as this place has more abundant game than any place I think I have ever been outside of Mississippi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a large tract of land that is managed for hunting with a little farmland thrown in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mostly, the farm land is just for raising corn for the deer and dove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a hunter’s paradise with a great little lake dotted with Cyprus trees where the wood ducks congregate, tons of briar patches and dense cover areas for rabbits and quail, food in abundance for all game, and a squirrel nest on every other tree.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Well we had more kids than guns, so I, ever so self-sacrificing, offered up my gun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After getting them all set up, I headed out with Rebel and Addie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My buddy decided we needed to hit the lake first to look for the ducks, so he had me jump on his fourwheeler, bird on the fist and drove us up there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel did not know what to think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were going at a modest clip and she would spread her wings like she knew she should be flying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few times, she left the fist and sort of hovered / glided beside us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She kept looking at me like, “Dude…”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We got to the lake and my buddy headed back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel, Addie, and I wound our way around the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not too far up I saw ducks on the water and I crouched down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got Rebel up in to position and waited for her to see them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was looking so I slowly made my way on up for the flush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ducks weren’t moving so I started to send Addie in to get em up when Rebel took off further up, abandoning the pitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WTF?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stood up expecting the ducks to flush but nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently plastic duck decoys do not fly well without extreme provocation.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sigh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we rounded the next corner, Rebel went on alert pitching forward like she was about to take off and I quickly learned why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three rather large geese waddled into the water right ahead of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say rather large as you would when describing the national debt or an expansive mountain range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These birds were huge!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Corn fed geese be damned, these were the geese that <u>ate</u> the corn fed geese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even Addie was intimidated for a minute, which in dog years is a very long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t last long as she was quickly running right at them and barking like a raving lunatic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They started beating a course through the water making nice V ripples behind them that looked as if they should have come from behind my john boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Brilliant dog that I have raised, she headed right into the water after them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I swear, that dog would have chased the creature from the black lagoon into the water if she could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to call her name, but knowing it wouldn’t make any difference, I decided the time would be better served taking off my coat and divesting myself of my cell phone and other electronic devices as I was sure a trip into the water to fend the geese off of my dog was immanent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amazingly, the geese were scared of her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She actually got them up into the air and circling over the pond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She paddled back to me, tongue lolling out so proud of herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good girl.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Oh No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave myself whiplash wrenching my neck around to make sure Rebel was still on perch in the tree and not chasing these behemoths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whew. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She just sat there and stared at us like “What?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You didn’t seriously expect me to chase after that did you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just because I hang out with two idiots doesn’t mean I am one too…”<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Okay, enough of the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started beating the brush in the tall grass and cornfield, trying scare up a rabbit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Addie was running totally amok by now all amped by her self-titled victory over the geese from hell, so she was no good. I got nothing moving by the time I had crossed the field a few times and by now, my bird is in a tall tree four hundred yards away showing no signs of leaving that perch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, I can tell when I am licked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called her to the lure and she flew high over the field, soaring a tad looking over the cornrows before diving in on her dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I leashed her up and headed back to paintball central.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was put up in the giant hood to digest her meal and I joined the epic struggle between good and evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would like to say that I was instrumental in my side’s crushing defeat of the enemy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would like to but it would be as far from factual truth as cable news is from actual news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I charged in leading my outnumbered forces in the attack only to find that the battery on my trigger was sporked so my gun wouldn’t work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> MmmHmm. I don't make this stuff up. </span>I dove behind a log and quickly received about ten special deliveries to various anatomical parts that don’t sound so good when paired with the adjective “splattered”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank goodness that the football game was coming on and all the Dad's were well decompressed from taking out their frustrations on the kids. I was able to beat a hasty retreat with no further humiliation. And to think, I actually plan and set up these activities. I am pretty sure my well educated wife would label me a defeatist or a masochist or something. Where I am from, we just call it being plain stupid…</div>Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-45691030620031937632011-01-11T19:17:00.000-08:002011-01-11T19:17:25.473-08:00Dec 28 – Rat-Tailed Squirrel…<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel and I buzzed down to Georgetown again this afternoon along with Addie for a late afternoon hunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems the squirrels in this place tend to favor morning activity, but we were still hunting the now elusive ducks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was flying heavy at 44.8 ounces but looking strong and eager.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The temperature was just under 30 degrees but that air was clear and the sun was shining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There wasn’t much ice on the lake so I was encouraged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We came in to our first slip from a different angle but Rebel was again behind me when the ducks flushed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She never even saw them to give her now usual half hearted chase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pressed on hoping to round the corner and get up a nice brace of woodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could hear them calling but I was worried that they were out over the river and not on our lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As we rounded the corner, Rebel spied a young squirrel racing for its nest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She chased it through a few trees with a couple of near misses, but the spritely guy made it to its nest, chattering all the while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel stared down the nest for about a minute before charging in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She hit that nest hard shaking everything around her and dislodging half of the nest material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The squirrel screamed and ducked out it’s bottom entrance but Rebel had it by the tail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It barked and chattered and finally managed to pull free and leap through the Cyprus trees our over the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t sure what I was seeing at first because it didn’t look quite like a squirrel at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took me a minute to put my finger on what was missing…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s tail fur!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was running through the limbs with that back half of its tail missing all the fur!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Half rat, half squirrel on the run!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel had evidently stripped the fur off of the distal end of the tail as the squirrel pulled free!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I started screaming at Rebel and chasing the squirrel but she was locked up tight on the nest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had the sensation that she had a kill between her talons and she was squeezing away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know she watched that squirrel go tearing off, but she kept right on squeezing that nest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She kicked and pulled a little bit and finally figured out that she did not have a squirrel in her mitts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was a tad bit pissed, you could say, so she took it out on the nest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a twig was left standing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am pretty sure even the big bad wolf would have been impressed with how thoroughly she blew away that house of sticks.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We headed on around the lake and chased a couple of more squirrels but it was getting dark and we needed to head in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, right as I decide that, Rebel finds another squirrel to chase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I set off running, as it is looking like she might be successful when Bam!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lightning strikes my right ankle and I fell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had fallen victim to one of our famous yankee ankle breaker traps in my hurry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Friggin’ gophers.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I sat there not sure what to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was about two miles from the truck, my bird in a tree looking at me funny with dark setting in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I could think at the time was, “Why do I keep getting myself into these situations?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat up and re-laced my right boot all the way up and discovered that I could walk okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bird was intent on me and came right to the glove when called.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently the squirrel had made it to a knothole but I didn’t check.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went ahead and leashed up Rebel and we hobbled out of the woods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First sprained ankle in a long time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We didn’t kill anything but time but even with the injury it was a good day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still wonder how that little squirrel is making out telling his friends about why he only has half a tail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, squirrels use their tail for communication, I believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder how bad having the fur on you tail plucked out affects your squirrel-accent?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More questions for God when I meet him I suppose…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-28226345053882628332011-01-04T20:54:00.001-08:002011-01-12T19:47:43.939-08:00Dec 25 – Christmas Day<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Not much of a hunt, but a nice walk with the family and the bird. We headed out to see if we could walk over to Doc’s with my wife and kids and dogs. Rebel started out feeling like his style was being a bit cramped by all of the people and he was lagging behind. I was hoping to try to get Addie to run a rabbit for Rebel, but it wasn’t looking like we were going to even get all of the way there. Rebel was enjoying a few high perches in the neighbors’ yards.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was getting a bit frustrated when deliverance came from an unlooked for source. A small murder of crows saw Rebel and began to dive bomb him perched in his treetop. He finally said enough was enough and left with the crows swarming him. He came straight to us, and the crows veered off. Okay, back on track again. We made it around the block and Rebel gave chase to a squirrel in a huge oak in the median of the road. It unfortunately got into a knothole and that was pretty much the extent of our “hunt”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel took off into the neighbor’s backyard. I went to follow and the family headed back home. I watched Rebel for a bit and called her down to the lure. A neighbor with Down’s syndrome came out to watch and ask a few questions. We ran into a few more neighbors on the way back. It was pretty nice overall, but definitely not a hunt. It was so nice just to be outside on a wonderful day thanking God for all of the blessings he continues to bestow.</div>Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1405690571299392451.post-59014394885266518412010-12-30T17:47:00.000-08:002011-01-01T11:54:57.188-08:00Dec 24 – Right between the numbers…<div class="MsoNormal">Christmas Eve day was a gorgeous day on the South Carolina coast, and it found me and Rebel striking out to our duck spot with a neighbor who is home from college for the holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was revved up and ready weighing in at 41.8 with an empty crop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Addie was equally charged on arrival.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I decided we would make in on the slips from a different angle, as recently, I had been seeing the ducks take off well before we were in position when making in from the front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we approached the first slip, I slipped the bullet jesses out of Rebel’s anklets and he stretched his wings and took off leaving a cyclone of leaves turning in his wake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am still amazed at how much wind power this bird can generate with each thrust of his wings.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rebel took a quick perch above us and we slowly and quietly made in towards the pond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Addie was staying with me pretty well, which had been a concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typically at this point, she is trying to pull us up to her faster and she ends up jumping the slip, so I was pleased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems every time out, Addie is getting a stronger sense of what we are about, and she seems to play a more effective role each time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, we were still about a hundred yards from the pond, when Rebel tucks his wings and dives on a squirrel in a tall maple beside us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a near miss and the squirrel takes off through the treetops with Rebel tagging closely behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Addie got a glimpse of the chase and she followed as well, getting to the tree where the squirrel was and trying to climb up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have this picture of her with one front foot on the tree, one front foot curled under her in point, and two feet on the ground, looking back at me with her tongue lolling out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Priceless.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We chased that squirrel across twenty trees and kept the chase up for over thirty minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time I was sure that Rebel had the squirrel, it would squirt down the tree trunk practically right through Rebel’s talons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no less than three different times where I thought the bird was going to give up, but finally, Rebel connected high in the top of a scrub oak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel had actually initially grabbed the squirrel by the haunches and walked up to the head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He kept the squirrel high in the tree until it was dead, but due to his precarious perch, he was unable to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was about to pull out the lure to encourage him to fly down when he took off with the squirrel in his talons.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was expecting the helicopter to the ground but nope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The squirrel was dead and Rebel was looking for a safe place to start into his meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously the crappy transfer / food theft from the other night in the marsh was still on Rebel’s mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only did Rebel carry for essentially his first time, he carried the blasted squirrel over three hundred yards away!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We set off in pursuit with my hopes of our first double rapidly evaporating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel disappeared over the next rise and we skirted a creek to go find him.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I actually had to pull out the tele to track him down as Rebel was not at all interested in making any noise and betraying his location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was baffled for a few minutes, as I couldn’t find him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well I couldn’t find him until I looked up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was perched on a branch about fifteen feet right above my head, squirrel dangling from his left foot, just staring at me.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I swear I think he was daring me to take his squirrel from him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to call him down to the glove but he just laughed at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fine, I pulled out a DOC, his absolute favorite treat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmm, all right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pulled out the lure with a single DOC on it, still praying we could find a duck to fly on later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Uh Uh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not interested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This bird has never refused the lure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even cropped up on duck and waddling, I can always get him to come to the lure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparent exceptions exist for when he has a delicious squirrel hanging from his toes…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I didn’t know what to do here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, time was closing in and I had to get to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My neighbor was enthralled by all of this, but didn’t know what to think either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided I would try a little more direct stimulation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started tossing a DOC up in the air right in front of him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going to be happy if he would just unbalance and come down but nope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebel was like a Chinese gymnast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No mistakes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At one point, Rebel stared right at me while bending down to give his prize a lick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No lie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember way back when your brother and you both realized at teh same time that there was only one cookie left?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> You raced into the kitchen to grab it but he beat you there. </span>To keep you from snatching it away, he licked the damned thing and grinned at you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is what Rebel was working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice...</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As he straightened up, still looking me right in the eye, I pegged him with the DOC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I didn’t really peg him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just happened that my mad throwing skills which had fled earlier that morning, decided to return so my next toss gently struck Rebel in the chest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having up until this point avoided any school cafeterias, and having not been in any previous similar situations where he was assaulted with food, Rebel understandably let go of his squirrel and snatched at the chick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doh!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As the squirrel fell to the ground, Rebel dropped the chick to race right after it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was there with a hand on the squirrel and I tossed a chick out in front to get Rebel to let go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gobbled up his chick with an affronted look on his face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am pretty sure that I have broken some unwritten falconry rule with this exchange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even my neighbor was looking at me like I had just kicked a crippled dog or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sigh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Well, my future in falconry purgatory assured, I decided to cut my losses and head home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cropped up Rebel good on his squirrel but I am pretty sure he isn’t going to forgive this one anytime soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Ab Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09919399931237948874noreply@blogger.com2