SQUIRREL BITE

[Sparrow Hawker]

Hi,

Went out and flew my harris today everything was going well until he was following on and we came to a copse, he took flight after something and I immediately grabbed a come back piece thinking it was a squirrel. I avoid them like the plague.

It was to late as my male harris had bound onto a squirrel and brought him down to the ground. I immediately ran over to him he had hold of the squirrel unfortunately the squirrel had hold of him to :evil:, right above the leg. It was difficult to dispatch the squirrel because of how he was positioned, vicious little things.

Knowing how bad squirrel bites can be and that it's imperative for the bird to go on a course of antibiotics, I immediately phoned the vets on my mobile they kindly said bring him straight in. Took me about an hour from where I was to get to the vets.

The Vet took a look at the wound and said that it looked like the bite had missed the tendon, she cleaned the wound up and flushed it out with a saline solution.

I was given 2 lots of different antibiotics and an iodine based solution to flush the wound out with. The vet wants to have a look at him next week. Fingers crossed he'll be fine, just need to keep a very close eye on him.

All The Best,

HH

[Peregrynne]

Now that is just not a good time. Sorry to hear about that Simon.

[Lady-Luck]

so sorry si:( i do hope hes going to be ok-let us know :)

[Coedhirion]

I hate squirrel too. Saw some great squirrel anklets the other day, they go over toes and have a lining of soft strong leather with flair that covers toes too. They have brass studs cos that is meant to attract the sqirrel to bite there, which is the double thickness bit. They are real pretty too.

[Shaun Byrne]

Keep a close eye on it mate and keep it real clean. Squirrel bites turn nasty real fast, keep feeling for any raised temperature around the site of the bite.

Good luck

[Finnish]

Hope he is ok now mate.

[IAmTheWeasel]

Wow...I don't think I have ever even looked twice at a squirrel bite ....My birds had dozens and none have become infected as of yet. Are the Harris's realy that suseptable to infection?

[Claire]

one of the harris's at the centre i worked at lost the use of a toe to a squirrell bite not through infection but because the squirrel severed the tendon to the toe, good job it wasnt the back one. but we still went squirrel hawking but usually with 2 birds

[Shaun Byrne]

Wow...I don't think I have ever even looked twice at a squirrel bite ....My birds had dozens and none have become infected as of yet. Are the Harris's realy that suseptable to infection?

I lost 5 weeks of this season to 1 squirrel bite to my FHH leg.

[Steve-In-Devon]

thats why i am never hunting squirrel , in the book i read it said not to due to bites also beware hares have a nasty kick.

[Sparrow Hawker]

Hi,

Thanks very much to all, his leg is a little swollen today, didn't want to put to much weight on it this morning, the wound looks like its starting to heal up and I have bathed it with some iodine solution I was given.

All The Best,

HH

[Gaz]

beware hares have a nasty kick.
If they get you in the nuts :mrgreen:

Hope the bites sorted HH,my bird got done on tuesday

[Kornie]

Squirrels are a realy pain. The key is to get there ASAP to stop the squirrel from fighting back.

Hope Buzz gets well soon Simon.

[IAmTheWeasel]

.....or use a BIG female RT..... :roll:

[Shaun Byrne]

.....or use a BIG female RT..... :roll:


:D :D

[IAmTheWeasel]

Here is the equipment I use....

[Shaun Byrne]

I would NOT like to shake hands with THAT!!!

[Finnish]

Its all good stuff Noel you need that sort of equipment if your squirrel hawking. :)

[Falconer]

I hate squirrel too. Saw some great squirrel anklets the other day, they go over toes and have a lining of soft strong leather with flair that covers toes too. They have brass studs cos that is meant to attract the squirrel to bite there, which is the double thickness bit. They are real pretty too.

I also saw them on e-bay about £20
I know some people don't like hunting them but,
If a hawk's going go it will, so wouldn't it make sense to protect ya pride and joy the best possible way ya can .
I KNOW I WILL.

[IAmTheWeasel]

Since we are on about squirrels, Here is my hunt from yesterday.....

Well, I caught my 30th head of game for the season last night with the new RT.....She was chasing squirrels left and right as they where eveywhere....She followed one throught the brush for awhile until we came upon a few spectators that wanted to watch the hunt. I said that was fine and began talking with them about the bird and the quarry it was after...I explained that the squirrel is a rather difficult quarry as it knows how to avoid hawks quite well, but the hawk has begun to learn methods to catch them....Just as I said that, the bird stoops down from 50ft and nails a brush pile just out of my sight. I run up close to her and she comes out of the brush pile to a clearing in that goofy red tail wobble with a mouse swinging in her beak....She looks at me and then down the hatch it goes...... All the woman said beside me was.."So much for the squirrel hunter huh?"....her kids where laughing...........exit stage left....>:-(...#@$%!! Tail tucked, I walked to the other end of the woods before putting her back up again...She immediatly got into a chase with a hawk wise squirrel as it defiently barked at her from a tree limb...She made about 10-12 passes at it and finally gave up and moved off.....That's a day......

Weasel...The great white mouse hawker