Ruger's First Squirrel Kill

[Tiercel78]

Well, What can I say he is a fantastic hawk. I'm so impressed with him that I almost can't shut up. I belive he could be one of the Greats in my life. Ok so here it goes, Shannon(my wife)and I pack up everything to go to the sponsers house. Got out to his land and brought out hawk and transfered to field jesses. Picked a direction to head and started walking. Held bird up to find a perch and shortly after he was off. Now, this is the secound time free flying and first time in the field. I also had four people in the field and he is only flow with two. So would he work with that many people? The answer was yes. After a poor perch judgement on his part he ended on the ground, so I called him up a picked one for him. Not 2 minutes later after a little brush busting and tree pulling he was after his first squirrel. Got a hold of him but squirrel got away and headed into a dead upright tree. Now this is where I notice his attitude change. He is now locked on, after getting him up and putting him in a diffrent position we started to work the tree. Hit tree, tree fell down, squirrel ran out, and chase resumed. Sad to say no luck with that squirrel. Went into another dead tree that wasen't coming down. He was pretty fixed on that tree and was waiting for it to come out the top hole. After some attempts to flush squirrel decided to move on. Now another queston I had was" will he follow"? The answer was again yes. Followed like a champ and caught on to what we where doing within another 25yards. So, I toot a double blast on the whistle and he'd move up. Man, I thought to myself" this is great he is doing fantastic". Well we started to hit a dry spell on squirrels, so I was getting ready to give him a squirrel on a line for a reward. I decided to walk another 50 yards to a better area since he was doing so well. He'd follow like this.. Fly up front and wait till everyone has worked the area and walked past him. Then he would fly up front again. The only thing he needs to learn is to get a little higher. So we walked up to a pine tree and the sponser and hawk see squirrel bolt up to the top. He (Ruger) takes position mid way up and we all closed in on tree. Squirrel runs to top and balls up to mimic a pinecone. Now question three "will he ladder up" answer again yes. It took him a little while but started to ladder up branch by branch while peering around to check the other side. He was also checking in on us to see if we had moved. Well, he snuck right up there and the squirrel stuck tight. Well... till he felts deaths grip and with a quick one-two the hawk was on his way to the ground. I got there and he had things under control with one foot on top of head and other on sholders. So, I snaped him in and let him handle it himself. I do think that he was hunting squirrels before I ever trapped him. He knows they bite and even the sponser agrees that is why the first one got away(trying to get better grip). I'm just so blown away with him and his progress. He got as much as he wanted and is now a fat happy hawk. SQUIRRELS BEWARE DEATH HAS A NEW NAME :twisted: .-Zach P.S Ruger is a Passage Tiercel RT that weighs in at about 900 grams

[Sean]

way to go Zach

[Tiercel78]

Well, It's been awhile since I updated y'all on Ruger's outtings. He is doing fairly well for the lack of squirrels in the area. This weekend me and the sponser traveled west to Tallahasse to meet up with some more squirrel hawkers for a little squirrel hawking party. Yes, I know that the Florida meet was this weekend but some of the squirrel hawkers wanted a little more than. Hours in the field with the possibility of one or two rabbits. Like I mentioned in the last couple of post Ruger was on his sixth squirrel before this weekend. I'm going to tell how seven and eight came to the bag.
Sat afternoon: We make it to Tallahasse area and meet up with our friends and was hunting one of the members land. My bird seemed to be nominated for first hunt before we got out of the truck. Got him out and up and the eight of us went on or marry way. Ruger was following like a champ even though he was a tab bit heavy (which seemed to be everyones problem, since we had a warm spell all week). Not too long after first squirrel is spotted and chase is on. Squirrel runs up to top of tree with RT in hot persuit, first past rakes him off trunk to the branch directly below. Squirrel knowing that it was in trouble takes the leap of faith to try and make it to the ground. Ruger turns and is closing in on falling squirrel. Luck happens to be by the squirrels side as he drops right through a Black Berry bush and bird pitches up into another tree. I gather him up and kept moving down the woodlot. Ruger ladders up to the top of the trees and is following quite nicely. Then he just stops and and is peering up into the Branches of a tall pine with no vines. Now, expierence stoped me from just moving him on down the lot. This little bird really knows how to worry squirrels into giving up their hiding spot. He works around the tree in small laddering jumps. Those squirrels can feel him workin closer and closer. I wonder how fast those little hearts are pumping while feeling and hearing that bird get closer. We all take a seat at the bottom of the big pine to watch the show. First attempt sent the squirrel cork screwing down the tree. Ruger folds up one wing and leaves the other out and is right on him. He makes a quick grab with no fur and ends up landing on the branch right below the squirrels decent. Squirrel pauses and runs back up tree the jumps across to the next tree. Ruger follows and the squirrel takes a vertical leap straight down the trunk to miss the ground by about 10feet. Ruger lets me make in and I transfer him off for the first time. Wasen't the best I've ever done but got the job done. I was coving up the squirrel and tossed off a pice of beefheart. The problem was that it wasen't easy to see with the leaves. Hold on I'll better post this and write another for Sundays hunt-Zach

[Tiercel78]

Sunday mid morning: Now the reason it is mid morning is cause the one problem I have with him is that he dosen't like damp early mornings. I don't mind it cause it is the only problem I have. It's not that he wont chase but he dosen't want to follow long. Okay so mid moring is upon us and we are moving through the woods doing the normal. Squirrel starts to run up the top of a nice Live Oak. Upon seeing the hawk closing in he takes his leap of faith just as Ruger pitches up and wings over. From what the wife said (cause I was outta range to see) squirrel landed on a cleared section about four by twelve feet then drops off rolls down about another twelve. I hear the squirrel land on the leaves then I hear a loud thud. I was about 10 yards away and it was loud. Shannon(wife) said he hit him so hard they both went over the edge and rolled down to the bottom of the hill. I got to the spot to see him down on the bottom looking for the squirrel that he let go of after the roll. I was looking for the crater in the ground from the loud thud I heard. Well, anyways no luck and off we went in search of another. We came across a tree that the landowner/falconer said holds lots of squirrels. It was a narly looking tree with vines almost incasing it. He said he has never seen a squirrel taken out of it. Ruger the little punk landed right on it, then flys to ajacent tree. Lands turns and comes right back to just slam the vines in the notch of that narly old tree. Low and behold a squirrel bails out (Now the last three kills,Ruger has become very good a vertical stoops). He turns and stoops and just as the squirrel hits the ground and bounces he gets slamed. I make in and now have a better idea on transfering off. Loaded lure with about a 2 ounces. Cover the squirrel with ball cap and set the lure about arms reach away. That was the magic trick, it worked like a charm he was very happy to trade that biting squirrel for his favorite lure. It was so smooth that it is going to be the method everytime. I'm very happy with my little bird, this weekend he did a great job. Both of his squirrels weighed in about 450grms,which are huge for Florida Greys. Hope y'all liked it-Zach

[Wes]

Good Job Master Ruger! and you too Zach.

[North East Harris Hawker]

glad you have had a result zach, maybe you should get a few photos up for us all to have a look at?

[Miguel Gomez]

This was a while ago at the current time I'm up to 15 squirrels. Hope to at least break 20 before the end of the season. Here are some pictures of ruger and a kill.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v698/tiercel78/DSCN0233.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v698/tiercel78/DSCN0179.jpg