Hawking with Friends

Some days are just perfect! This particular day was just such a day! Above are my two good falconry friends, Dave Noble (second from the left) with his hawk this year, Becky, and Bill Oakes in his black coat and hat (to my immediate right). Bill didn't fly his bird, Madison, as he's been out of town and she/he (unsure of sex) was too fat for hunting. On the far left is a nice gentleman I've met, Phil, who came to join us this day and watch a falconry hunt. He could not have had a better demonstration!

I invited everyone to meet up at my home between 10 and 11, where I offered them fresh bagels and an assortment of hot beverages. Introductions were made all around as we stuffed our faces, and dove right into talking about our obsession. I did warn Phil previously to brace himself for the innundation. He seemed to take it all in stride. Prior to leaving Dave and Bill installed a tail mount onto Madison, with Dave making a small adjustment to the transmitter attachment wires. As we were leaving, I demonstrated my most excellent driving skills by backing into Bill's van! (DUH!!) Sorry Bill . . . but at least there didn't appear to be any damage on your vehicle, or at least not much! The salt on mine hides whatever I did to it!

:-P

I took my friends to what I consider to be my best field in La Crosse, so far. I know there are an abundance of bunnies here, as I saw quite a few previously, and have only taken one. Dave let me go first with Nina, who proceeded to give us a bit of an exciting start, by taking wing, with her hood still on, as I was trying to strap her telemetry onto her leg. After a few tense moments, as I held my breath that she wouldn't land on anything, or land out on the water, she came down onto the snow, and I was able to retrieve her. She's only done this one other time, last year, with her "loose" hood on, that I know she can see some out of. She was wearing her "tight" hood today. Whatever it was that possessed her to take off, I'll never know. There are more mysterious and frustrating aspects to this bird than positive . . . but she hunts, so I keep her.

Speaking of hunting, once situated with her telemetry, I cast the hood, and let her fly again, this time with both her eyes. She flew a distance and took a perch in some trees. We then approached the shoreline of this field which borders icy water, and has significant brush down an incline. Very quickly we flushed a bunny. Nina made it back our way double-time for the reflush, and in less than 5 minutes we had the first head of game for the day. It was all out in the open, dynamic, pretty! A good show for first-timer Phil!Now it was Dave's turn! As I put Nina away, he got Becky out and ready. We picked up where we left off, following along the shore, eventually moving into a small patch of trees parallel. With efficiency, as always expected of Dave and every bird he trains, soon Becky had her first bunny of the day as well. We continued on down the shore, coming ever closer to that same place a couple weeks previously that I had been challenged by some employee to "stay away from the pipes". I thought that if I returned on the weekend, no one would be around, and I could move back behind the building with no fuss. I thought wrong! Somehow the same guy was there, challenging us again, and reminding me that I was "trespassing". So I called to my friends, and we exited the area, only to drive down the road a bit, and come at the side field from another direction. I don't believe the second field to be in the site property of this previously prohibited area. I can't be sure. Upon further consideration at a later date, I've decided that at some point I need to come back to this manufacturing place, dressed nice, through the front door, and see if I can meet with the plant manager for a minute and get his permission to pass out back. I realize the fellow is just doing his job, and is worried about liability. The whole area looks as though they may have a vagrant problem from time to time. I'd like to keep hunting this area, and have a blank release form I'd be happy to sign for them. However, if I chicken out and never take this step, or if I do and they say "no" I'll need to stay away at least on that side field. No sense risking getting arrested for trespassing.
Upon returning to our cars to move, a resident of an apartment that we parked next to came out and asked us about the birds. Dave gave the usual Falconry 101, showing off Becky, and I got Nina out again for a bit to show him a mature red-tail. We then relocated.

Starting at the new location, I tried Nina again. We worked the field some, coming finally to a zone I had been to before, prior to the snow, which I knew was just full of bunnies. Previously the field was still wet, but now we had frozen snow on the ground. We must have flushed about 6 or 7 from this patch under Nina, who did not chase, her eye finally on a last pair we pushed out. She made a go at them, but her drive was not as sharp as it should be. I had let her have too much to eat on the first catch. I decided to call her down to put her away, and let Dave fly Becky some more. The exchange made, we thoroughly worked the field, pushing a lot more bunnies out of their hiding places. Becky scored a second catch, and almost contacted on several other attempts. She herself was challenged by the resident . . . but it was the resident hawk that screamed at her to "get lost". We ended the day with 3, and a field thoroughly stomped through. Returning to my home, warm drinks handed out to all, birds settled into their mews or giant hoods, I proceeded to make some chili. Liz came home as we were taking pictures, so joined our little party. Bill had to get home, so could not stay. The rest of the evening was a delightful indulgence of cameraderie with interesting people, over dinner, and then a quick soak out in Liz' hot-tub. As I write this account a week later, because I simply did not have time this past week, finishing up the semester, taking tests and then making a quick visit to my sister's home, there is a blizzard underway outside. I'd like to fly Nina again tomorrow, for she has not been flown for a couple days. I don't think that is going to happen if the storm continues according to the weather report. Days like last Saturday are rare, but make for such wonderful memories. I like getting out with my friends and indulging our passion. I like introducing the sport to new people, and seeing the wonder in another's eyes as they observe the birds in action up close.

I like making new friends!