Redeption
Today I hoped to return Abby to hunting successfully. I got an early enough start to allow me lots of time to try out several locations, in case the first ones I chose did not work out. However the first field turned out to be successful!
I tried a small, but incredibly dense field in Oakdale, a very small neighboring township. There is a small patch of woods by their town hall, isolated by the Interstate on one side, the town on the other, and a large open field to the west. By the fresh snow that had fallen on Thursday, I could see there were rabbits in this field, as there were fresh tracks everywhere. However, this field is very overgrown with briar (at least there is no burdock), and there are lots and lots of pretty large brush piles. It would be a wonderful field to work with a jack russell terrier or a dachshund. But, since I have neither of those, I was the dog today!
I put Abby up, and she showed herself to be much more energetic than she had a week ago. She began moving from tree to tree, pretty much hunting on her own. She doesn't follow me so much as she does taking her own opportunities. I did see her make at least two attempted stoops, at rabbits I did not see, so I knew there was some activity in this field. We moved around, working the field, for about a half hour. At one point she then flew across the field and took a high perch in an old tree as I was so painstakingly working my way through the field, navigating the briar, and trying to not scratch my face up too much. She had 'marked' a large brush pile, so I followed her lead. As I moved closer, and whacked with my stick, and hissed at the brush, she then stooped suddenly, and crashed the brush far harder than I've ever seen her do before. A bunny started crying!! OK, she has a rabbit!! Hold onto it girl . . . I'm coming to help!!
But what an effort to get to her! The momentum of her stoop had caused her to crash right through the pile, and land deep inside it. When I arrived I could hear the rabbit, so I knew she still had it, but I couldn't see anything. I looked, I pulled branches, I kept looking, but I was baffled to find bunny or bird! I wanted so desperately to help her out, to be successful, to put a hand on the bunny before it could break free, but I couldn't see where to lend that hand. Then Abby flapped, and I saw the hole she had gone into. All this time, the bunny was continuing to cry out, so I knew she still had it. I carefully wormed my arm down to where she was, and beyond, and grabbed the bunny. She had a hold of it by the butt only. This bunny almost did get away. I then worked my hand towards its head, until I had a good grip on it. I then pulled bunny and bird out of the pile, and set them both onto the open snow. Good for Abby! Bunny #2!! And she worked hard for this one. I'm very glad it didn't get away.
I dispatched the poor bunny, who had suffered a bit, then transferred Abby off the rabbit onto the food on the lure. She worked on that as I put the bunny in my bag. At least now I knew that Abby was returned to a good flight weight, 2 lbs. 6.8 oz or 38.8 oz. Last week she was at 2 lbs. 5.0 or 37 oz. Just too low! She had flown well, showed good strength, yet focus. Once done with the food on the lure, she relinquished it for a tidbit on the glove. She still bitched at me as we worked out of the field, but she was pretty keyed up by her success.
I still have a way to go before I feel that I have 'redeemed' myself for our failure last week. I guess I shouldn't feel that I need to prove anything to anyone, but sometimes that emotion does creep in. There is still so much to learn, and every bird teaches me new things. I'm still pretty new to falconry, and it is hard to compare my results to the Masters that I have the opportunity to hawk with. They have had so many years to perfect their techniques, at training and at hunting. The weather continues to be pretty cool, and there is still snow on the ground, so I have some time to add to Abby's game score, before I eventually return her to the wild. But return her I will! I have decided that I'll not be keeping her over the summer. But I hope to learn a few more things with her before I do eventually cut her free. And next year, I hope to make an early start, with a new bird, a big bird, and hopefully get in a full falconry season, without any tragedies or mis-steps.
I tried a small, but incredibly dense field in Oakdale, a very small neighboring township. There is a small patch of woods by their town hall, isolated by the Interstate on one side, the town on the other, and a large open field to the west. By the fresh snow that had fallen on Thursday, I could see there were rabbits in this field, as there were fresh tracks everywhere. However, this field is very overgrown with briar (at least there is no burdock), and there are lots and lots of pretty large brush piles. It would be a wonderful field to work with a jack russell terrier or a dachshund. But, since I have neither of those, I was the dog today!
I put Abby up, and she showed herself to be much more energetic than she had a week ago. She began moving from tree to tree, pretty much hunting on her own. She doesn't follow me so much as she does taking her own opportunities. I did see her make at least two attempted stoops, at rabbits I did not see, so I knew there was some activity in this field. We moved around, working the field, for about a half hour. At one point she then flew across the field and took a high perch in an old tree as I was so painstakingly working my way through the field, navigating the briar, and trying to not scratch my face up too much. She had 'marked' a large brush pile, so I followed her lead. As I moved closer, and whacked with my stick, and hissed at the brush, she then stooped suddenly, and crashed the brush far harder than I've ever seen her do before. A bunny started crying!! OK, she has a rabbit!! Hold onto it girl . . . I'm coming to help!!
But what an effort to get to her! The momentum of her stoop had caused her to crash right through the pile, and land deep inside it. When I arrived I could hear the rabbit, so I knew she still had it, but I couldn't see anything. I looked, I pulled branches, I kept looking, but I was baffled to find bunny or bird! I wanted so desperately to help her out, to be successful, to put a hand on the bunny before it could break free, but I couldn't see where to lend that hand. Then Abby flapped, and I saw the hole she had gone into. All this time, the bunny was continuing to cry out, so I knew she still had it. I carefully wormed my arm down to where she was, and beyond, and grabbed the bunny. She had a hold of it by the butt only. This bunny almost did get away. I then worked my hand towards its head, until I had a good grip on it. I then pulled bunny and bird out of the pile, and set them both onto the open snow. Good for Abby! Bunny #2!! And she worked hard for this one. I'm very glad it didn't get away.
I dispatched the poor bunny, who had suffered a bit, then transferred Abby off the rabbit onto the food on the lure. She worked on that as I put the bunny in my bag. At least now I knew that Abby was returned to a good flight weight, 2 lbs. 6.8 oz or 38.8 oz. Last week she was at 2 lbs. 5.0 or 37 oz. Just too low! She had flown well, showed good strength, yet focus. Once done with the food on the lure, she relinquished it for a tidbit on the glove. She still bitched at me as we worked out of the field, but she was pretty keyed up by her success.
I still have a way to go before I feel that I have 'redeemed' myself for our failure last week. I guess I shouldn't feel that I need to prove anything to anyone, but sometimes that emotion does creep in. There is still so much to learn, and every bird teaches me new things. I'm still pretty new to falconry, and it is hard to compare my results to the Masters that I have the opportunity to hawk with. They have had so many years to perfect their techniques, at training and at hunting. The weather continues to be pretty cool, and there is still snow on the ground, so I have some time to add to Abby's game score, before I eventually return her to the wild. But return her I will! I have decided that I'll not be keeping her over the summer. But I hope to learn a few more things with her before I do eventually cut her free. And next year, I hope to make an early start, with a new bird, a big bird, and hopefully get in a full falconry season, without any tragedies or mis-steps.
1 Comments:
At 3:53 PM,
Tom Kufahl said…
Hi! I can see no date here, but it might be 3/25/ today. As often as I think of coming here, I don't. and your writing style and faithfulness make it an excellent place to come. It sounds like Abby's doing well, but did I (speed) read that you don't plan on keeping her? I found lots of neat wild bird stuff today, but I'll forget where I found it. A am orking hard on my floreado canaries. I started a floreado group, whined and complained that nobody cares, thenwent back it was 21 memebers this morning. I better start moving my butt! I might get them finally next monday. good luck with your girls.
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