Bunny #2! Cute hat!! (NOT!!)
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Nina on her lure after catching her second bunny. Bunny has already been traded off and is in the bag.
Bunny #2
On Saturday, December 10 I joined Dave Noble and Doug St. John, a fella who has just completed the requirements for his falconry license, to go trapping to attempt to catch a bird for Doug. We stopped in Madison first, and did attract an immie hawk to our trap right at the start of the day. However, that immie is living in a territory with an adult pair, and was bumped off the trap. So, we ended up trapping the adult, which we call a "haggard". We tried several more times to catch that immie, but it was clearly not going to come to the trap with the two adults around. So, we went on down to Janesville, and the pheasant farm.
We then spent the rest of the day driving around the pheasant farm, dropping traps, setting up traps, moving traps, and generally being frustrated! We did see many passage birds. But, could not get close to any to bring them to a trap. Dave, who does not like to admit defeat, had to end the day empty-handed. But . . . all was not lost!
We both had brought our birds with us!
There is a field nearby the pheasant farm that I had seen previously while trapping with Bill Oakes. So, we went and checked it out. And it was rich!! Giddy scored a bunny within 5 minutes. Nina caught her second rabbit in 2. Giddy was then put up again, and did have many more slips, but just didn't contact. So, we both were able to show Doug hawking . . . which he had not seen previously.
A nice day! Always fun to be out with hawking friends!
We then spent the rest of the day driving around the pheasant farm, dropping traps, setting up traps, moving traps, and generally being frustrated! We did see many passage birds. But, could not get close to any to bring them to a trap. Dave, who does not like to admit defeat, had to end the day empty-handed. But . . . all was not lost!
We both had brought our birds with us!
There is a field nearby the pheasant farm that I had seen previously while trapping with Bill Oakes. So, we went and checked it out. And it was rich!! Giddy scored a bunny within 5 minutes. Nina caught her second rabbit in 2. Giddy was then put up again, and did have many more slips, but just didn't contact. So, we both were able to show Doug hawking . . . which he had not seen previously.
A nice day! Always fun to be out with hawking friends!
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Nina at the site of the kill. Here she is feeding off the lure.
I had already done the "bait and switch" with her,
and put the bunny she caught into the bag.
SUCCESS!!
Finally, I have "entered" Nina!
That is how we describe a falconry bird that has caught wild quarry. In this case, she is entered to cottontails.
I went to the field in Oakdale today. A very difficult one . . . in fact one of the hardest ones I work, so far. There is fresh snow on the ground, and I could tell there were rabbits in the field because I could see rabbit sign everywhere. Tracks. Pellets. And, watching Nina.
She moved from tree to tree, and frequently would dive into the brush, but to my mind, did not appear to be doing so too very intently. Perhaps I can drop her weight just a hair more. She was flown at 2 lbs. 12.6 oz today. But, it was a very cold day.
I worked the thick brush and briars for about an hour and a half. In fact, I was almost ready to give up and call it a day, as I had a meeting to get to. But finally, I flushed a bunny that ran out into the open, and Nina stooped from a high tree that she was in, and nailed it. There was no question as I ran to her . . . she had a deathgrip on the rabbit, and it was going nowhere.
I dispatched the bunny by separating it's head from the body. Nina immediately began to focus on the head, so I was able to bag up the bunny easily. I then secured her with the leash, and then traded her off onto her lure. She got to eat all that was on the lure.
I was quite happy at this final success. I had begun to feel a bit discouraged. It has been pretty hard for me to find game. But, I must keep trying. I'm to meet up with a friend tomorrow outside of La Crosse and see if we can find some bunnies. I hope we do. Or squirrels!
Falconry: The sport of taking wild quarry with a trained raptor.
Yes . . . today . . . finally I was practicing Falconry!
That is how we describe a falconry bird that has caught wild quarry. In this case, she is entered to cottontails.
I went to the field in Oakdale today. A very difficult one . . . in fact one of the hardest ones I work, so far. There is fresh snow on the ground, and I could tell there were rabbits in the field because I could see rabbit sign everywhere. Tracks. Pellets. And, watching Nina.
She moved from tree to tree, and frequently would dive into the brush, but to my mind, did not appear to be doing so too very intently. Perhaps I can drop her weight just a hair more. She was flown at 2 lbs. 12.6 oz today. But, it was a very cold day.
I worked the thick brush and briars for about an hour and a half. In fact, I was almost ready to give up and call it a day, as I had a meeting to get to. But finally, I flushed a bunny that ran out into the open, and Nina stooped from a high tree that she was in, and nailed it. There was no question as I ran to her . . . she had a deathgrip on the rabbit, and it was going nowhere.
I dispatched the bunny by separating it's head from the body. Nina immediately began to focus on the head, so I was able to bag up the bunny easily. I then secured her with the leash, and then traded her off onto her lure. She got to eat all that was on the lure.
I was quite happy at this final success. I had begun to feel a bit discouraged. It has been pretty hard for me to find game. But, I must keep trying. I'm to meet up with a friend tomorrow outside of La Crosse and see if we can find some bunnies. I hope we do. Or squirrels!
Falconry: The sport of taking wild quarry with a trained raptor.
Yes . . . today . . . finally I was practicing Falconry!
