2007 Lady Hawkers Meet

On the weekend of March 2 through 4 I traveled down to Illinois for the main purpose of attending the 2007 Lady Hawkers Meet. This is hosted every year by Bernie and George Richter with SOAR (Save Our American Raptors). The drive down was absolutely horrible! The weather we have been having whipped up, and I drove most of the 8 hours of what normally is a 5 hour trip at 30 to 40 mph in snow and ice and high blowing winds. Many cars were off the road, and I wanted to get to my destination and not have the same fate . . . for I traveled with a hawk in a box, and two big dogs in the back seat. I did not want to have to find myself stranded!! So it was slow going! I stayed at a friend's house, which I'll write about in the next blog.

I arrived at about 10:45 on the day of the event to meet and greet the ladies, some who have become familiar faces, and enjoy some hot coffee and various pastries. By about 12:30 we geared up and headed out to hunt. The weather continued to be absolutely miserable! It was cold and the wind was blowing. We hunted our usual field. I volunteered to go first. After casting Nina off, and working down the field a little, she caught the wind and took off for a far tree line way beyond where we would normally hunt. For about the next 45 minutes she moved in and out, trying hard to use the wind to her advantage. We flushed a few bunnies for her, but she never got a really good slip. After mucking through the field in wet boots, after stomping through what I thought was frozen ice, I called her down. Many of the women had already moved off further down the field, and were trying to fly the second bird.

We caught up with the group in time to find out that few other bunnies had been flushed, and nothing had been caught yet. Just as the group was about to leave Heather Henry's bird, Brenna, got a slip, did a pretty wing over, and crashed into a field of cattails. For a few minutes Heather walked that field looking for her bird, who made good use of the delay to eat most of the head of her 91st rabbit. YES . . . I said 91!! This bird has been just running her falconer ragged this season. And all this after having fought West Nile Virus, and a shocking on a pole that was fortunately not fatal!

Just as we were about to leave, a few ladies pointed out there was one last corner of the field that had not been worked. They asked me if I'd like to stand on top of a hill with Nina as they worked that last corner. I decided, why not! So I stood upon the hill for a bit, but Nina is just not used to fist hawking. She bated, and I let her fly. She went a short distance, and flew to the top of a rather heavily laden power pole. These things make me so nervous!! But it turned out she was fine. I had now moved off the hill and was walking up the nearby road when the group of ladies pushed out one last bunny. It ran onto the road, and under a truck of some people who were looking on, and beyond. In the meantime, Nina came off her power pole and pursued. The folks in the truck at first thought she might hit the truck, but she cruised over it, and caught up with the bunny on the other side, rolling and tumbling in the middle of the road. It all happened in front of us all there to see. Very pretty! I moved her off the road and onto the nearby grass to dispatch bunny and reward her efforts with the lure.

By the time we walked back to where all the cars were parked, everyone had pretty much left. We only had a few pictures from the beginning. No one wanted to stand around for any length of time, for it as just too cold.

Back at the SOAR facilities we got to watch a kestrel catch a baggie mouse. And then the rest of us caught a lot of food. The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting, eating, and then the raffle. I only won a little fondue kit, which I traded with someone for a pair of gloves. So, I now have a new right-handed glove . . . oh and another leftie that will go unused! Anyone need a leftie glove?

Thanks to my friend and former sponsor Dave Noble for donating a pair of bells for me to put in the raffle. Thanks to all the ladies who make the event possible. And thank you to Bernie and George who are such wonderful hosts . . . even if the weather was terrible!

The gathering room and education facilities at SOAR. Bernie is engaged in lively conversation with her guests, many fellow women falconers that she has trained.
Heather Henry and her mother.
Dixie, the kestrel, and her quarry. It may be small, but it is what a kestrel hunts!
Dixie's falconer, Jane Seitz, who manages the Illinois Raptor Center.

Here I am securing Nina's 28th bunny. We moved off onto the grass so we would not be run over.

The 2007 Lady Hawkers . . . well, those that were in the picture. There were about 7 people taking pictures too! Four hawks were brought to fly. Only three are pictured here. Heather Henry is on the far left with Brenna, her bird from last year. I'm next with Nina, who also flew here last year. On the right is Laura Kirby with Shyla, a juvenile and newly trapped and trained bird this year. I never saw the fourth bird!

Nina, just after I struck the hood, as we started off the hawking adventures!