Later my sister and I hawked Nina in a farm owned by her friend. We worked the creek bottom along the treeline at the back of this picture.

Thanks Jennefer for coming along with me on this day! It was Fun!

Jacques Nuzzo and Buffy

Thanks guys! For a fun time in Illinois!

Another shot of the high perch

With few trees around, many falconers will use a tall perch to give their bird a place to stoop from on bunnies.

"Buffy the Bunny Slayer" - A Harris's Hawk

Illinois Hawking

This past Thanksgiving weekend I went down to Illinois to visit with my sister and her family. While visiting she was kind enough to come with me to meet up with an Illinois falconer to make an exchange. My former sponsor, Dave Noble, exchanged some of the excellent falconry bells that he makes for Raptor Wraps made by Jacques Nuzzo of the Illinois Raptor Center. My coming down to Illinois gave me a good opportunity to finally meet Jacques, who I have purchased hoods from previously, and to see him fly his bird. Jacques flies a Harris's Hawk, named Buffy the Bunny Slayer! Now, that is a creative name!!

We met up with him and his apprentice, Ray, in Bloomington. They have some really nice hawking fields in Bloomington. Short grass, full of bunnies, with terraine that is not too hard to work over. We flushed more bunnies than I have seen all season, times 3 or 4. And, several pheasants were flushed, with Buffy hitting one of them, and pulling a lot of feathers. Jacques says Buffy has been really hot lately, which means she's been eating up really good. On this day it was very nice and warm for a November, so Buffy was probably not as motivated as she could be. She flew beautifully, and chased most opportunities presented to her, but we did not see her catch anything while we were there. She may have done so later, after we left. Jacques also tells me he and a friend caught pictures in the previous days of her catching bunnies. I'm hoping he'll send one to me to include here.

I enjoyed the afternoon very much! I'd like the opportunity to meet up with Jacques again sometime to fly my own bird. Also, sometime I shall visit the Raptor Center to view their facility, and support the work they do!

Thanks Jacques and Ray for the fun afternoon!

After this visit, my sister and I went to the farm of a friend of hers. Here I flew my bird. I only flushed one bunny, but two pheasants. One of these pheasants Nina chased across the valley. I continued for awhile to work the stream valley, which should have had lots of bunnies, but never saw any more. I did manage to catch a bramble across my face, which cut me pretty good. OUCH!!

I was uncomfortable with the field control I was having over Nina. She was a bit high, and it was much warmer than what I've been flying lately (60s). So I cut the hunt short and called her down.

It was a nice day out, shared with my sister, and meeting and making new friends.

Thanks to the class for being willing to listen to me talk about falconry!

Nina and Me!

Here she comes, responding to the call of the lure.

A lure is used to call the bird in at the end of the hunt, if nothing is caught, and also for emergencies. The bird should reliably respond to the lure at all times.

Close-up of Nina with her hood on. The hood calms the bird and allows them to be transported with ease.

Natural Resources

On Friday, November 18th I accepted the invitation of a friend, and went to give a talk about falconry to the Natural Resources class at the Wonewoc High School. The students were very attentive, and seemed to enjoy very much learning about falconry, and seeing Nina, a red-tailed hawk up close and personal. I explained about the sport, and then we took a walk in a section of woods set aside for the class. Unfortunately, we did not stir up anything for Nina to chase, but they did see her come to my glove, follow me through the woods, and finally, come to a lure call.

Thank you very much to Kelly Rueckheim, the instructor for the Natural Resources class. For bringing your class out, and letting me talk to them. And also for letting me use the pictures you took. And thanks to "Spooky", my friend, for extending the invitation, and giving me this opportunity.

Searching for Bunnies

It has been several weeks since I began flying Nina free . . . and yet, still, I have not entered her yet! I've been taking her out every 2 to 3 days, but I'm having difficulty finding bunnies. The few I have found have flushed when she is out of position. In fact, I've found more squirrels than bunnies.

Nina seems to know to chase squirrels. But then, this might simply be instinct! Watching her chase them is very exciting . . . but would be even more so if she'd catch one! Going after squirrels seems to be a little easier too, for me. I'm not whacking through brush. Just moving from tree to tree, and craning my neck to look up the tree.

I will continue the search! Taking her from place to place, and keep exposing her to opportunities. Eventually, she'll contact!

Nina, doing what caused her to get her name. Crying!

My newest hawk, Nina! My . . . when I see her from this perspective, she's a BIG BIRD!!

Second Hunt in Earnest

I took today off from work, and spent the morning working in the yard and the garage. Still a lot to be done there! But I did take off at 3:00 and went out hawking with Nina. This time I went to Mauston. And still, I have not seen any bunnies! But, I did flush some game for her . . . squirrels. We had several nice slips on squirrels, and she chased with some enthusiasm. But, didn't seem to press the squirrels as fast and as hard as I thought she could. But, she is working them.

So, still not entered. But I plan to go hawking tomorrow, maybe with Dave and his son. So, we'll try again!

I did finally take some pictures. Here I am at the end of a long day cleaning the garage, and then crawling under bushes and whacking through brush. Boy . . . do I need a shower!

For those of you who can read hawk body language, this bird is about to soil my carpet. And I'm looking concerned about it!!

First Hunt in Earnest

Today I left work early and took Nina out for the first serious hunt. I chose a place in Tomah that I thought should have been loaded with bunnies. Lots of cover. Many trees. Still some green plants. Right next to a residential area. It looked perfect . . . to me anyway!! But I didn't flush anything! Nina followed pretty good, as she is supposed to. But this lesson will be learned all the more better if I flush something in my passing. Then she'll learn it is a good thing to stick near me! The hunt ended unsuccessful . . . but I did get my bird back, no problem!

I'm taking tomorrow off as a vacation day. Need to clean the garage (goodie!!) So, I think I'll take Nina to Mauston, and try one of the spots there. I really want to flush game under this bird. I think she'll go for it! Now I just have to do my part, and find the bunnies!

The fire that released Sienna

Just a quick note here.

On Sunday evening, October 30th, a large bonfire was built.

Sienna's remains were released through fire.



May my string of bad luck end on this night! And my sadness! In this . . . and many other areas of my life.



"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow."

~Helen Keller~

Dave Noble at the end of the day,

the sun going down,

calling a hawk to the fist.

Dave was helping a friend trap for goshawks. Here he is releasing a Coopers Hawk. They had also caught Merlins on migration!

Tim has named his hawk "Einstein". This bird is a tiercel, or male hawk. Smaller than our females.

Here is Tim with his first hawk, a tiercel. Bill is showing him how to hold a bird on his glove.

Yeah! He looks happy!!

Phil and Grace, shortly after her first kill as a falconry bird

2005 Falconry Season Underway

So many things have happened over the past several weeks, and I've been busy living my life, and not taking time out to write about it.

I have a new hawk!

Thanks to the kindness of another falconer, who was willing to transfer a bird from his license to mine. He wishes to remain anonymous, but is known to me.

THANK YOU!! For letting me get back into the season!


I've many pictures to post. Trappings, and hunting. And soon, pictures of my new bird.

I've named her Nina! For unlike all the hawks I have handled before, she makes noise! She cries like a baby to be fed. So, she is "little girl" in Spanish!

I have flown her free 3 times, but didn't flush anything. Now I must get her out where we can find game, and get her "entered", that is, catching game. She comes reliably to the fist, and to the lure. Hoods very nice! Gentle and sweet! Flying at 43.2 oz. A pretty good sized bird!

Over the past couple weeks Phil's bird, Grace, is now trained, and caught her first bunny last Friday. And I'm told she caught a squirrel over the weekend! Little Tim has his first hawk, Einstein, a tiercel, and Bill Oakes is mentoring him in his first hawk training adventures. Dave has a new bird he is playing with. I'm not clear on whether it has a name or not! Or if he'll keep her. But he's also been helping friends doing some trapping lately, and not just red-tails, and has given me permission to use one of those pictures.

The season gets underway! Always, I enjoy this time of year. The cameraderie of my hawking friends. The crisp air outside. Walking through the woods and brushy areas, looking for bunnies. And always, our beautiful birds flying free over our heads!

I do love falconry!

I am so happy it is a part of my life!