First Kill

Today, finally, we were practicing "falconry" . . . which is defined as catching wild quarry with a trained raptor. OK . . . what we caught was small . . . but it was wild, and we did catch it. I'm a bit house bound right now as I had an accident with my vehicle a couple weeks ago, and my truck is in the shop getting repaired. I was told it may possibly get totaled, and would have to be replaced, but apparently the repairs didn't go over the value of the vehicle. So, this being the first day off after 5 days of work, I really needed to get my bird out for some exercise. Not being able to go very far, I decided to try the field just around the corner which I've not tried before. Walking over to look it over before I brought the bird, I flushed a bunny within 1 minute. OK, good field for once!! I brought Cimarron across the street hooded to keep him from bating while I dodged the traffic on the street in front of my house. As soon as we were in the field, I hit the tumble weeds where I had flushed the bunny a few minutes ago, but no more in there. I then went over to the patch where the bunny had run to, and did flush him again. What followed was a delightful half hour practicing falconry as I have known it. I must have flushed several bunnies, or the same one (or two) multiple times. Cimarron was flying back and forth, and making several attempts. Some slips were in the open and I got to see the action. He was stooping at the bunnies just a little too slow, and they kept getting away. In the distant field on the high power poles the resident red tailed hawk was watching us, but as I walked the field it kept its distance. At one point I even had a Coopers or Sharp-Shin buzz us, I'm not sure which it was. At the far end of the field, as I worked the brush piles and tumble weeds, Cimarron made a quick dive into the brush . . . . and to my surprise when I moved close to him, finally, he had something in his talons. He's been making attempts at mouse-like creatures several times in our hawking outings, but as of yet hadn't caught one. This time he did. And, as expected, he carried his prize away from me. I slowly moved to keep him close enough, and then waited for him to relax and start to pluck his prey. I was then able to move closer, and I offered him a chunk of rat on the glove. He quickly exchanged and went for the meat he could eat right away, letting his live rat go. I say "live" because it then tried to move away . . . . but was so damaged was easily caught. I stuffed it into my pocket, then secured the hawk by re-looping his jess into his anklet, and attaching his leash. I dispatched the rodent in my pocket, and once my hawk was done eating, returned home. I'm not exactly sure what he caught. It's pretty large for a mouse, yet seems too small for a rat. It may possibly be a desert kangaroo rat. It will make a good meal for the next two days. Really . . . . I don't care! It's his first head of game . . . . in an otherwise unsuccessful hawking season. I'll return to that field to try again for the bunnies. I'll also try several of the fields in the surrounding area. Hopefully soon we'll catch the first bunny. He makes a go for them, just needs more opportunity to be successful.

Happy Holidays

Beginning last year, I made my own holiday cards to give to friends and family. I used my camera to find some appropriate view of the winter wilderness. Last year it was a frozen tangle of Bittersweet. This year, Texas mistletoe. The trees here are parasitised by this plant which gained holiday status through old tradition and custom. I decided to post the images here as well, to share with my online friends.

Frustration

I'll keep this post short and sweet . . . but I think it needs to be written. So far, everything has progressed very well with the training of my new bird. The one step that remains is getting him "entered" . . . that is . . . catching something. After all, what I am practicing is Falconry, which is defined as a sport that catches wild quarry with a trained raptor. Cimarron is doing everything he is supposed to. We get out to hunt about three to four times a week. He follows well, if not very close, and always returns when I call him. However, the limitation I am facing is the apparent lack of rabbits in the Abilene area. I have found many places that look perfect, and should have bunnies, but are bunny poor. It's very frustrating! A couple weekends ago I was in Ft Worth and got the wonderful opportunity to go out hawking with a group of falconers in that area. I got to see a group hunt with Harris Hawks. Soon, it was my turn, and I did get one very good slip which my bird saw late, but still followed. Very quickly the local red tailed hawk also followed, and I had to run across the field to get to him and prevent the red tail from getting too close. Love those red tail hawks . . . but they could kill my little Harris Hawk boy. Also, unfortunately, the hunt day was cut short, as I brought my father out into the field with me, and helped him up a short incline to wait on the side. While we were in the field he headed back to the car, and fell and sustained a lot of bruises and scrapes. We spent the evening in the Emergency Room. Fortunately, he is fine, though sore for several days. I feel bad about his getting hurt! I have accepted the invitation of several land owners in the area, yet still have had only a handful of slips. I'm beginning to wonder if I need to explore other possible prey species. Starlings are an option, but I've never hunted them. Abilene does have an abundance of Grackles, but they are native species, which makes them pretty much off limits. However I was told by the falconers in Ft Worth that if they form large pest flocks, can be hunted under an exception in the law for "abatement". That may be an option once I understand the legal issues. There is a place not far from here where they flock at night and poop all over everything. It may be an option. I don't feel comfortable to try and car hawk. I've heard of it, and seen it on video, but never participated myself . . . and really need someone else to drive to do this. Not knowing pretty much anyone in Abilene, this option is not open to me. I did make a T-perch, and he took right to it, so his ability to learn new things quickly is very good. Hopefully, we'll find some options, and soon. It's very FRUSTRATING!!

Thanksgiving in Ft Worth

After getting off work on Friday morning, I headed over to Ft Worth for the holiday with my sister and her family, and my dad. The meal was great, and I didn't have to prepare any of it, even though I was a bit late arriving, and got teased a bit about it. On Saturday morning I decided I'd find someplace to fly Cimarron. My dad came with me, and I headed over to an industrial park I had seen while hunting to trap a hawk. As we drove into the area, I noticed a car parked on the side of the road, and in the field, another falconer. I honked, I stopped and yelled, and eventually blew my whistle, and finally caught his attention. He signaled for me to hold back, and then released his prairie falcon. Over the hill was a pond with ducks, which shortly were in the air. The falcon stooped, but didn't make contact. As I waited for him to return, another falconer drove up. What followed was a meet and greet, and showing of birds. The new fella flies a gyr/peregrine hybrid. I didn't write down any names, and my memory is poor in such areas, so I don't remember who the two gentlemen were. They gave me some directions to a bunny field, after revealing the spot I was at was bunny-poor. I left to find the place they indicated, but didn't find that either! I drove around and eventually did find a small brushy area behind a remote industrial park. Cimarron flew well, followed pretty good, and I did flush two bunnies that he made a go for, contacting with neither . . . . but confirming he will try for them if I can produce them. At the end of the hunt I pulled the lure, and again he tried to snatch and fly off . . . . which was successful because I lost my balance enough that the rope came from out from underneath my boot. I then spent about 5 minutes pulling him out of a tree. Not good! I need to create a leash for the lure to attach to myself. It was a nice weekend, and I finally got a picture of the two of us. He's such a pretty bird! When I got home I also had an e-mail from a falconer in Ft Worth who flies multiple Harris Hawks, so hopefully soon I'll get to learn more about the husbandry of this hunting hawk.

Show Me The Bunnies!

Today was a pretty good hawking day . . . . with one exception. I am still finding NO game in Texas, or at least in Abilene. I worked last night, but it was a good night, and I had all my tasks and my charting done and was able to leave at just a little after 6:30. So I got home in very good time and decided to take Cimarron out for a hunt. There is a field down the Winter's Freeway that looked very promising, and a Sunday early morning seemed to me a good time to go explore it. Cimarron did everything right. He followed me. He came to the fist when I called. He even went after "something" at least twice, but I think it was either a mouse, or possibly a small bird. There were many in the field. The field I picked, to my eye, should have been just loaded with bunnies. However, I only saw one, and it far away from me, and I don't think my bird saw it at all. At the end of the hunt, knowing his little trick, I stood on the lure, and prevented my little tiercel Harris Hawk from grabbing and flying off with his prize. He tried!! However, after a couple minutes when he realized he was not going to be able to carry, he settled down and ate the chick on the lure. In the meantime, I had slipped his jess back on, and secured him with a leash to prevent him from getting away. So, it was a nice walk on a Sunday morning. Disappointing hunting wise, but a good walk with my new bird, who is doing very well, despite my lame attempts at flushing game for him. I will have to continue to search for fields and farms where I can fly. Surely, Texas has bunnies . . . . . somewhere!