Sweet Success!!!

[Tasha55403]

Well...we finally did it. It was a short but incredibly sweet hunt today. Reppa was on the high side today (he weighed 928g with an empty crop and no casting this morning-the highest I've ever flown him was 900g), but I figured all would be well. It was just me and Bear and we discovered in Texas that Reppa still remembers what the lure is even though he'd only seen it once this season. I put the bird up, got the dog and camera out and started walking into the field. The first section of this spot is my favorite part-a postage stamp sized cattail swamp (Greg sez it's about a 50ft circle). I walked in and maneuvered around to get the sun at my back and encouraged Bear to go in and flush some bunnies. Reppa was in a nice high perch over the patch-perfect position. He knows this patch very well. After 10 or 15 seconds Bear was still sniffing around the edges when Reppa launched off his perch and started hovering maybe 10 ft in front of me and 20-30 ft high. I took a few pictures, so I know he hovered there for at least 8 seconds. He was looking down VERY hard when he suddenly spotted what he was looking for and just dropped. He was so fast I couldn't follow him down to get any pics:( Then I heard the sound of beating wings. Holy ****!!! That sounded like a pheasant! So I ran over through the cattails and sure enough, he was holding down a BEAUTIFUL rooster pheasant! He had it by the back and maybe a wing, I think. At that point I realized I wasn't wearing my glove (it's easier to take pics if I'm not wearing the glove). I decided "screw it", and grabbed the head with my bare hand. I figured it'd be worth it if he grabbed me. He wouldn't do it on purpose (I don't think), but his first reaction is to bite then grab the head as soon as he can. If my hand happened to be in the way...well, it wouldn't hurt too bad-right? But I held the head low so he couldn't see it and I managed to get my glove on. I tried to twist it's neck but I wasn't having much luck. I gave up on that and pulled out my trusty screwdriver and took care of the poor thing that way. Then I transferred Reppa off to my bunny transfer piece (bunny backbone) so I could pull off a leg of the pheasant, then handed him the leg and set him down on the pheasant for a few pics. He decided to eat on the pheasant itself, but oh well. This is one happy falconer. And one happy bird-he hasn't had a gorge like this in ages. It's gonna be a few days before we go hunting again, I think:-D
Tasha

[Dave D.]

[QUOTE=Tasha55403]Well...we finally did it. It was a short but incredibly sweet hunt today.

Great story and photos Tasha! :supz: Almost like being there.

Dave D.

[Isaac]

As always Tasha, great pics. Everytime you or Greg post new pictures on here I always end up setting them as my new screen saver! Quick question, what's up with the primaries on Reppa's left wing? Just wear and tear from the season? Some of them look bloody? Beautiful bird you've got there. Oh yeah, did you guys ever find Greg's Harris?

[GregMik]

As always Tasha, great pics. Everytime you or Greg post new pictures on here I always end up setting them as my new screen saver! Quick question, what's up with the primaries on Reppa's left wing? Just wear and tear from the season? Some of them look bloody? Beautiful bird you've got there. Oh yeah, did you guys ever find Greg's Harris?


Tasha caught a bunny yesterday, when she stretched it she stretched a little to far and got Reppa with arterial spray. She had to be somewhere after the hunt and didn't get home till late. Reppa didn't get a bath until tonight. We have to bring the birds in the house for a while for a bath as it is too cold outside.

Yes my harris is back. He will be staying down in Texas for a while as it is too cold for him up here. He would just sit in the spare bedroom until it warms up.

Greg

[Isaac]

Yes my harris is back. He will be staying down in Texas for a while as it is too cold for him up here. He would just sit in the spare bedroom until it warms up.Greg

Glad to hear he was recovered. So was he just down on a bunny when you lost him or is that still unclear? Are you just working with the gos for the winter then?

[Osiris]

Sounds like you had a very successful and exciting day Tasha!! Cracking photos!! you need to get more!! :D

Like the photo of your RT on the pheasent!!

cheers!

jamie

[Jastreb]

Brilliant pics and congratulations!

[Peregrine960]

congrats! and what awesome pics

[Barry]

Nice one Tasha, and great pic's. What sort of camera do you use?

The big clear cold sky behind your hawk takes me back to visits to Bob Berrys and hawking with Gyrs and also a fantastic trip I had to Wyoming trapping Golden Eagles in the Red Desert. Then I remember the brutal cold and lack of humidity. Is it as dry as Wyoming where you are? Do you have to give your hawks extra hydration?

Barry.

[Maxwell]

Fantastic photo's - please keep them coming...

Barry - I think the camera's a Canon EOS (...look beneath the pics) - don't care what camera you gave me though lol

[Peregrine960]

May I ask what happened to his wing in the top photo ? looks like blood, was that b4 or after the kill ?

[Maxwell]

Tasha caught a bunny yesterday, when she stretched it she stretched a little to far and got Reppa with arterial spray. She had to be somewhere after the hunt and didn't get home till late. Reppa didn't get a bath until tonight. We have to bring the birds in the house for a while for a bath as it is too cold outside.

Yes my harris is back. He will be staying down in Texas for a while as it is too cold for him up here. He would just sit in the spare bedroom until it warms up.

Greg

Peregrine960 - this could be what you're referring to...

[Peregrine960]

Peregrine960 - this could be what you're referring to...
DOH! My bad....

[GregMik]

Glad to hear he was recovered. So was he just down on a bunny when you lost him or is that still unclear? Are you just working with the gos for the winter then?

We don't know for sure. I am assuming he did catch that bunny in the bramble. He was lost on Monday and he was recovered Friday 20g's lighter. A homeowner saw him and threw some tunafish in a box to get him. The guy prolly didn't know that he could have just held up his hand and the bird would have came to him. The person that has him is going to fly him for a while. She had some good chases on bunnies Sunday when she flew him but no catches yet.
Yes I am trying to get this gos going but a four letter word is getting in the way....."WORK". I am working 6 days a week sunup till sundown. It is kinda hard to fly anything this way. On top of that the contractor that I do work for went to Mexico for two weeks so now I have his job to do also.

Greg

[Isaac]

Yes I am trying to get this gos going but a four letter word is getting in the way....."WORK". I am working 6 days a week sunup till sundown. It is kinda hard to fly anything this way. On top of that the contractor that I do work for went to Mexico for two weeks so now I have his job to do also.Greg

Ah yes, the bane of falconers everywhere. Seems almost cruel that the hawking season takes place in the time of year when the days are shortest. Ever tried summer hawking with a sharpie? Or is that what Tasha was doing with hers?

[GregMik]

Ah yes, the bane of falconers everywhere. Seems almost cruel that the hawking season takes place in the time of year when the days are shortest. Ever tried summer hawking with a sharpie? Or is that what Tasha was doing with hers?

Are you kidding me? Carpentry and hawking a sharpie in the summer? That is why I got the harris. He will be back to me by summer.


Greg

[Tasha55403]

Yes Isaac, that's been the driving force behind getting a small bird catcher. I want to hawk year round! But that's me, not Greg. Summer's the busiest time for him so a sharpie would be way too time intensive. For me on the other hand...I get off work at 2pm every day:)
Tasha