My machine is back!

Magic Weight: 920 grams
Katana is on fire! Third day in a row for rabbits. She is flying fast, chasing hard, and kicking butt! She loves crashing the thick cover and it has paid off for her. After many diligent flights she added to rabbits to her game back, yesterday and today. She is flying in true Kat form: climbing up and after a beautiful wing-over, teardropping in. I am in awe of each flight she takes. I am looking forward to flying her on jack rabbits this weekend, I know that we will have a BLAST!

8 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 1 rat

A Great Day back in town...

Well, out of the snow and back on her home turf today Katana did great! I took her to her favorite field, and she was once again the Katana that I have grown to love. Although we surprisingly did not kick anything up for her, she had 3 magnificent flights on her own and nailed a rabbit with a beautiful wing over stoop. She was a little low today - 900 grams, so we ended pretty quick. It was also a little warm, so I was desperate to get back into the air conditioning as well. She is back! This will hopefully be a great season!
6 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 1 rat

NAFA 2007

Well, this has been an exciting week. The Thursday before we left for NAFA, Katana hit her ideal weight. Krys took her out while I was out of town picking up publications for THA at 920 grams, and she was on. After several flights she nailed bunny #4 for the season. Keeping this in mind, we traveled the 10 hours to Colorado for the annual NAFA meet in Alamosa. Keeping her within her ideal weight we headed out. The first few days I had trouble putting game under her. When I did, however she pursued diligently. She had several awesome flights on white-tailed jacks with no success, but finally landed a 3 lb cotton-tail on Wednesday. Friday I put the most game under her that I had been able to find, but unfortunately, my little girl was freaked out by the snow that had fallen the night before. So, we packed it up and headed home. I took her out again in the rain today, and she had 4 good flights before I called her in, soaking wet and ready to rest. I had a GREAT time at the NAFA meet, made some new friends and spent time with old ones. I am SO glad that I went, and foresee this to be an annual occurrence. Next weekend we will head up to Dave's place in Oklahoma and fly her on some black-tail jacks. I am excited, as he has told me that the rabitat up there is great!!

5 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 1 rat

Continued Obesession with Snakes

I took Katana back out to our training field. She had several great flights on rabbits with no success. She is flying strong again, and I think that she is finally getting back into shape. She was standing on a rock pile when Krys flushed out a 4 ft Texas Rat snake, that she nailed. After trading her off and releasing the snake unharmed, she took a perch on a telephone pole on the other side of th field. We flushed a couple of rabbits that she ignored, and we realized why when she went down. She had nailed herself another snake, this time a 4 ft diamond back water snake. I transferred her off the snake (well, Krys did :)) and we called it a day. Both the snakes were released back into the field, and will hopefully become prey for the pair of resident red tails in the area.
Weight 940g
Game bag: 3 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 1 rat

Coming along

I have been working with Katana's weight trying to increase her lure response. I am flying her every other day, varying her weight in 20g increments. I found a great field for rabbits, with very thick cover. This is forcing Katana to fly hard and crash harder, so she is getting some much needed exercise. We are up to 1 hour hunts, after starting at 30 min. I have not taken any game with her recently, but her lure response is getting better as is her following so I am very happy. Game will come with time, and I will probably fly her at an easier field this weekend so that she may take a rabbit, reinforcing the training she has been going through.