Well Hawkie is starting to fly outside now on the creance line. Had her flying today 40-50 feet to me. Now we're starting to get some colder weather, it'll be easier to manager her weight. A lot of falconry is weight control. The bird is just like a fighter, if you get them too fat they are lazy and if you get them too light and they are weak. You want to get them right to their hunting weight when training them. It takes a little time to figure what that weight is, you can guage thier propper weight by their response to you commands. Of course I weigh her twice a day as well. I figure in two weeks we'll be ready for free flight and hunting. We'll keep you updated.. Some pics from todays session... Here's her and my boy checking out a dove that came to the birdfeeder... A couple snow shots from the storm yesterday... Take care Dave
It's pretty sad when I'm a professional writer by trade with multiple degrees in the English language and journalism, and I'm at a loss of words to describe the beauty in your pics. Or maybe not...
As always.... the coolest of anything I've ever seen or been exposed to on the internet. I do love your work Dave.
Thanks a bunch everyone, much appreciated. Christine - this hawk is either a large male or a small female - you can't really tell, it's one of them in between sizes. The only way to be sure is with a DNA test . SO.....I decided Hawkie is a good either sex name for it..
One of the members at my golf course is into falconery. He brought his redtail out for his first hunt a couple weeks ago. He let him off the hook, it flew to a tree and would never come back to the fist. He's been chasing it around for the last couple weeks. Its stayed in the area and has been seen/heard several times, but won't come to the lure. He's been trying to trap another one to no avail. I guess you have to trap a young one which is hard to do?
Yeah NYB, It's been a real bad year for trapping this year. I don't know if it was because of the real wet spring we had here but the yearling birds were few and far between. I wanted to hold out for a real fat one but it was getting late in the year and I wanted to get started on training one so she'd be ready by the time deer season is over. That's always scary - the first time you free fly one. You want to make dang sure the bird is wed to the lure. I don't even think about free flying until I'm sure she will hit the lure instantly. Unfortunatley if he hasn't caught it by now - I doubt he'll ever get it back. That bird is probably just as wild now as when he caught it.
