Gotta Love that Sassy!

Today, Monday November 28, Justin met up with Rich and I in Rochester.  I showed him one of my all-time best hunting spots in Byron.  We flew his bird, Goldie, first.  Both our red tailed hawks need to be entered.  Goldie did pretty good, a bit stubborn at times, and she furred several bunnies, but didn't bring one to the bag.  Justin had a very limited time to fly today, so after awhile she was brought down and had to go home.  Instead of further pushing my favorite spot,  preserving a few bunnies in there, we went and checked out a new and different place, as recommended by one of Rich's relatives.  That spot turned out to not be so good . . . looked good, but we didn't flush anything.  Also, Hit Girl is a bit heavier than I wanted her to be today, as I soaked her feet last night for several hours, to help sharpen up her talons which have gotten a bit dull, then let her stay inside the warm mews to dry off, so she didn't burn her calories as much as I would have liked.  It was also a bit warmish today, high 30s being "warmish" for Minnesota in late November.  I called her down to the lure, and we put her away, and went to hunt down some lunch.  After lunch we looked for a place to fly the Harris Hawk.

The bad news is that one of my hunt locations that I've flown birds at is gone.  It was a remote industrial park north of town which is abandoned, and which I flew my bird from last year in.  This year it is active, being cleaned up, all the trees cut down, and the junk cleared away.  So, that site was lost . . . . which is not too much of a loss, as it was marginal at best.  The good news is I found a new site!!  It is just perfect, a nice brushy, marshy spot in the middle of a neighborhood, and currently dry.  In fact, as we worked it, and kicked up several bunnies, we even kicked up a deer . . . that's how perfect it is!  Just as we were about to call it a day, Sassy snagged her third bunny.  I dispatched and traded her off onto her lure, then fed her what I had in my pocket for her.  After we got back to the car I dressed out the bunny, and then let her have the nice warm "good" innards (heart, lungs, liver).  She was put away into her box very fat and Sassy!  Gotta Love this Girl!!  She's been keeping fresh bunny on the menu for both birds.  Now it's time for Hit Girl to get her act together and start bringing home the bacon, or at least the bunny, as well.