Getting to Know You

On a day when I can't fly my birds (working tonight, gotta sleep), they can spend some time tied out under the weak Minnesota sun and get acquainted.  Wyvern in the front, Sassy in the back.  Sassy is actually much bigger, flying at around 1010 grams.  Wyvern is flying at about 760.  Today they are both fatties, as I fed them good yesterday knowing I could not go hunting today.  No one is too worried about food right now.  A good way to get to know each other.

A Good Weekend

Sassy really was the star this weekend.  On Saturday I visited my friend, Janelle, who has some good brushy areas on the land around where she lives.  Sassy got to check it out, with Flint coming along to learn how a proper Harris Hawk is supposed to act.  Before I even got to where I wanted to start hunting, and only about 2 to 3 minutes out of the hood, she nailed a squirrel.  I moved in to help, and Flint started over to get in on the game, and just as he landed, Sassy let go of her squirrel and flew up to the tree.  I don't know if the tree rat had bit her or what, but I was left with a very much alive squirrel.  I dealt with it, pushed it into the game bag and kept going.  Within about 10 more minutes, she brought a bunny to the bag.  She's such a great bird!  We had several other flushes, but no more catches that day.  At the end of the hunt both came down to the lure.

On Sunday morning I took Wyvern out for a hunt in a place where I know there are lots of mice, and also a few bunnies.  As I planned, she did hunt, and caught three mice.  It's not anything exciting, but it was hunting for her, she followed me in the field, and came to the lure at the end of the day.  She is showing a tendency to carry what she has caught.  I gave her space today.  When she nailed a mouse, I didn't move in too close, but after she was done eating each, I called her to the fist for a little tid bit. It is also a start.  Any gain is a good gain.  There was one particular time a bunny was about to be flushed, and she did fly into the grass nearby.  It is probably just a matter of time before she starts catching real quarry (rabbits).

I then went home and switched out to my A Team.  Flint seems to do a lot better when it is just me in the field as the only human.  He kept closer to Sassy and I, and when she caught her bunny, he came in, but didn't try crowding her.  I think the best thing for him is to just keep getting exposed to quarry chases and catches.  I hope our mild fall weather continues.

Slow Progress

Today, Wyvern "successfully" hunted . . . my glove.  She followed, more or less, was not in position for the 4 or so bunnies we kicked out for her, and at the end of the hunt, when I dropped my right-hand glove, she flew in, grabbed it, and carried it off.  She would then not come to the lure.  It took awhile, but eventually I was able to convince her that what I had could actually be eaten.

I must let her and Sassy spend time together, so I can fly them together.  She really needs an experienced hawk to teach her what we are doing.

Working on the Cast

First bunny of the 2015/2016 hawking season.  Credit goes to Sassy.  Once I got her closer to flight weight, she knew what to do.  Flint was along, watching, and hopefully learning.

A week later I flew them together again.  Sassy brought in bunny #2.  Flint watched, from a distance, then joined us to eat.  Sassy let him.

Wyvern - First Free Flight

This Girl is just moving right along!  I need to finish up the posting about having trapped her, but here we are, 15 days later, and she had her first free flight.  October 22, 2015.  I'll get back here as soon as I can to write up the text.

Hanging out on the rail road tracks, before she figured out to go to the trees.

Wyvern:  "I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE this lure!!"

And ya, that's McDonald's trash there.  Believe me, there was tasty rat on the lure . . . not a cheeseburger!