Venividevenatio
22-01-2007, 04:56 PM
In 2006, I imprinted Lucy, a perigrine (from Kentish).
Friends would compliment me on how 'bomb proof 'she was. She will sit on the glove unhooded, and not much bothers her at all.
From almost as soon as she came home, I started showing her all and everything possible, carrying her in a gardening basket, and working up to when she was able to balance on my glove. We did guns, fireworks/strimmers/chainsaws/hoovers/tractors JCBs, all aircraft from hedge hoppers and powered gliders to Galaxys and F15s. Landfill compactors, Caterpilers, you name it, if it was noisy, looked unusual, we did it.
This last few days Lucy has been a rather reluctant hunter. Definitly not her usual self. I put it down to a two day lay off due to the weather, combined with the wet air with no 'cut' that followed, and her being as fat as butter.
We just did not get the impetus going again. I was showing her increasingly easy slips.
She would go out and just pfaff about. By the weekend I was reflecting hard on what was going wrong.
The only other thing I could think of, was that I was taking her to a farm that was closer country than she was used to. She had been there once, a few weeks before, and had chased corvids to cover, but I had not flown her there since.
Today, I saw a large group of corvids and gulls feeding as usual on the cattle pastures. Instead of getting as close as I dared, I decided to try a longer slip of about 800 yds, there was two hedges between us and the quarry.
An experienced bird would have 'flown clever' and may have had success, but realy, it was not a good slip. I just wanted to see Lucy make some effort and fly with intent to kill again.
I removed the hood and she was away, with pace and intent, she cleared the hedges, the quarry was begining to lift, and she chucked up and raked away. Was I *!*!*!*!*!*!* .
Then, like a Damascan conversion I realised what was wrong.....
THE COWS! SHE IS SCARED OF THE COWS !!!!!!!!!!!
I took her toanother (arable) farm and she hunted to cover, with vigour!
So, some work needed here, and I will remember not to forget farm animals next time I imprint !
Friends would compliment me on how 'bomb proof 'she was. She will sit on the glove unhooded, and not much bothers her at all.
From almost as soon as she came home, I started showing her all and everything possible, carrying her in a gardening basket, and working up to when she was able to balance on my glove. We did guns, fireworks/strimmers/chainsaws/hoovers/tractors JCBs, all aircraft from hedge hoppers and powered gliders to Galaxys and F15s. Landfill compactors, Caterpilers, you name it, if it was noisy, looked unusual, we did it.
This last few days Lucy has been a rather reluctant hunter. Definitly not her usual self. I put it down to a two day lay off due to the weather, combined with the wet air with no 'cut' that followed, and her being as fat as butter.
We just did not get the impetus going again. I was showing her increasingly easy slips.
She would go out and just pfaff about. By the weekend I was reflecting hard on what was going wrong.
The only other thing I could think of, was that I was taking her to a farm that was closer country than she was used to. She had been there once, a few weeks before, and had chased corvids to cover, but I had not flown her there since.
Today, I saw a large group of corvids and gulls feeding as usual on the cattle pastures. Instead of getting as close as I dared, I decided to try a longer slip of about 800 yds, there was two hedges between us and the quarry.
An experienced bird would have 'flown clever' and may have had success, but realy, it was not a good slip. I just wanted to see Lucy make some effort and fly with intent to kill again.
I removed the hood and she was away, with pace and intent, she cleared the hedges, the quarry was begining to lift, and she chucked up and raked away. Was I *!*!*!*!*!*!* .
Then, like a Damascan conversion I realised what was wrong.....
THE COWS! SHE IS SCARED OF THE COWS !!!!!!!!!!!
I took her toanother (arable) farm and she hunted to cover, with vigour!
So, some work needed here, and I will remember not to forget farm animals next time I imprint !