Getting Ready for NAFA
Let me quickly wrap up everything else that has been going on over the last week or so, as I soon will not have a lot of time to write in my blog. But I'll have to update everything when I get back. I leave next Saturday, 11/20 to drive down to Kansas. I'm going to travel during the daytime, and stop Saturday night in Liberty, MO. I'll finish up the trip on Sunday morning. This is going to be lots of fun, and quite a bit of an adventure. I've driven to birdshows before by myself, to far flung cities, and been gone for a weekend, but never a whole week. I'm looking forward to hawking all week, and the guest speakers each night, and I hope to make lots of contacts, and maybe a few friends. I think my husband and my girlfriend get a bit tired of listening to me talk "hawk, hawk, hawk" all the time. I'd be nice to make some friends that don't mind the subject, and won't get bored with it. I was going to caravan down to Kansas with Dave and his wife, but their life is a bit busy right now, so they can't go. I'll miss the company on the road, and hawking. Dave is sending his bell box with me, so I should meet a lot of folks while selling his quality bells!
I really look forward to trying Pente out on black-tailed jackrabbits. She's been really hot lately, and I'm optimistic about her abilities. I took her out hawking last Monday, after work, in one of the local towns, Mauston. There is a large open field right in the middle of town. We began to work that patch, and hadn't been out for much more than a half hour, when I flushed a cottontail. Pente was on it, no questions asked. It was her first bunny of the year. I took that one home, cleaned it up, and then gave it to my girlfriend. She's going to make some rabbit stew out of it sometime soon.
I took Pente out again on Thursday, I think it was, back behind my workplace. It's not great rabbitat . . . but there is at least one bunny out there. Pente flushed one herself early on, but missed it completely. Then later, on the return trip back I think I flushed the same bunny. Again, Pente was not in position to take advantage of the situation. But she did crash the brush a bit, and came away with a mouse. It was a nice walk.
I took her out again on Saturday, meeting up with Jason from work (a co-worker who is interested in falconry, but knows he just doesn't have time in his life right now) and Bill Oakes. I got to see KC, Bill's Harris's Hawk, for the first time this year. We worked a thick patch of woods in the middle of Tomah. There are quite a few bunnies in that brushy area, and you do work to move them around. But after about a half hour, Pente contacted with one of them, and right in front of me. So, that's bunny #2, added to squirrel #1, and she's doing very good so far. I'm looking forward to Kansas.
Then Bill flew KC. Poor KC! She's a desert hawk, and she's not sure what to do about all these trees around here. She's got a lot to learn, hunting so far away from her native home. I'm not sure how much longer Bill will be able to fly her either with the cold. Harris's Hawks are truly a desert hawk. They don't take the cold so well. And it is now starting to get pretty cold! Winter is just around the corner.
Well, I think I'll take my big Amazon Bird out tomorrow, somewhere. Not sure yet, but it would be nice for her to practice some more, before we go down to Kansas and chase those big jacks.
I really look forward to trying Pente out on black-tailed jackrabbits. She's been really hot lately, and I'm optimistic about her abilities. I took her out hawking last Monday, after work, in one of the local towns, Mauston. There is a large open field right in the middle of town. We began to work that patch, and hadn't been out for much more than a half hour, when I flushed a cottontail. Pente was on it, no questions asked. It was her first bunny of the year. I took that one home, cleaned it up, and then gave it to my girlfriend. She's going to make some rabbit stew out of it sometime soon.
I took Pente out again on Thursday, I think it was, back behind my workplace. It's not great rabbitat . . . but there is at least one bunny out there. Pente flushed one herself early on, but missed it completely. Then later, on the return trip back I think I flushed the same bunny. Again, Pente was not in position to take advantage of the situation. But she did crash the brush a bit, and came away with a mouse. It was a nice walk.
I took her out again on Saturday, meeting up with Jason from work (a co-worker who is interested in falconry, but knows he just doesn't have time in his life right now) and Bill Oakes. I got to see KC, Bill's Harris's Hawk, for the first time this year. We worked a thick patch of woods in the middle of Tomah. There are quite a few bunnies in that brushy area, and you do work to move them around. But after about a half hour, Pente contacted with one of them, and right in front of me. So, that's bunny #2, added to squirrel #1, and she's doing very good so far. I'm looking forward to Kansas.
Then Bill flew KC. Poor KC! She's a desert hawk, and she's not sure what to do about all these trees around here. She's got a lot to learn, hunting so far away from her native home. I'm not sure how much longer Bill will be able to fly her either with the cold. Harris's Hawks are truly a desert hawk. They don't take the cold so well. And it is now starting to get pretty cold! Winter is just around the corner.
Well, I think I'll take my big Amazon Bird out tomorrow, somewhere. Not sure yet, but it would be nice for her to practice some more, before we go down to Kansas and chase those big jacks.
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