Stealth Bunnies
Tuesday there was no hunting, as I had previous plans with friends. We went to see Fiddler on the Roof in La Crosse. It is a Broadway production, making the tour of the country, and stopping in our neck of the woods for the night. It was very good, and much enjoyed with friends, but there was no time to take the bird out. In fact, there wasn’t much time for anything! We got home very late, so I was sleepy on Wednesday, having only caught about 4 hours of sleep. But that didn’t stop me Wednesday night.
I took Abby out to a field that is across from the location I was at on Monday. Not as good a location, but there was plenty of rabbit sign. But all those bunnies were stealthy, and under cover. We didn’t flush even one. And at one point, Abby took off and flew across the Interstate, which runs along these fields. I was worried, just a bit, first because I don’t have any telemetry on her (a replacement antenna is on order), and second, I was concerned that she might fly back to my side, when I called her, too low and risk getting smacked by a truck. Fortunately, I saw the tree she landed in. She laddered up after awhile, and then I guess decided the grass really wasn’t much greener on that side of the Interstate, so flew back, missing any collisions. I continued to work the field just a bit longer, but because it was getting late, called her to the lure, and went home. Still no bunnies.
Thursday night is ‘Girl’s Night’ with my best friend, Jill. And although we (collectively, the falconers that I know) now speculate that Abby might possibly not be female, but instead a large male, I shall not change her name to Abner, nor will I deviate from referring to the bird in the female gender, nor will she be invited to go with us tonight. Chocolate is certainly not good for hawks, nor is coffee, both of which are usual items to be pursued, subdued and consumed on ‘Girl’s Night’!
Abby and I can go out on Friday, and this weekend . . . in search of more appropriate quarry for her hawkish appetites.
I took Abby out to a field that is across from the location I was at on Monday. Not as good a location, but there was plenty of rabbit sign. But all those bunnies were stealthy, and under cover. We didn’t flush even one. And at one point, Abby took off and flew across the Interstate, which runs along these fields. I was worried, just a bit, first because I don’t have any telemetry on her (a replacement antenna is on order), and second, I was concerned that she might fly back to my side, when I called her, too low and risk getting smacked by a truck. Fortunately, I saw the tree she landed in. She laddered up after awhile, and then I guess decided the grass really wasn’t much greener on that side of the Interstate, so flew back, missing any collisions. I continued to work the field just a bit longer, but because it was getting late, called her to the lure, and went home. Still no bunnies.
Thursday night is ‘Girl’s Night’ with my best friend, Jill. And although we (collectively, the falconers that I know) now speculate that Abby might possibly not be female, but instead a large male, I shall not change her name to Abner, nor will I deviate from referring to the bird in the female gender, nor will she be invited to go with us tonight. Chocolate is certainly not good for hawks, nor is coffee, both of which are usual items to be pursued, subdued and consumed on ‘Girl’s Night’!
Abby and I can go out on Friday, and this weekend . . . in search of more appropriate quarry for her hawkish appetites.
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