Forever Soaring

I received the call I have been dreading last night. Dr. Moore kindly went in on his evening off to check on Katana and run some more x-rays. Needless to say, it was Asper and it had taken hold of her pretty badly. By the end of the day she was down to 760 grams and now regurgitating her food. He told me that she was not going to make it, but merely die slowly. I made the very difficult decision to have her put to sleep. I just could not stand to think of her suffering anymore. He assures me that she went peacefully. It still does not make it any easier. I know that we are not supposed to bond with our birds like I have, but I just could not help it. She was an amazing bird. Her artistic aerial flights were unmatched. I will miss her talking to me as I enter the mews. I will miss sitting and watching her preen after a long day of hunting. She will forever remain in my heart and be missed forever.

Update

I was able to speak with Dr. Moore last night at great lengths about Katana's condition. She is still having trouble breathing and would probably be dead if not for the oxygen that she is on. We discussed her hunting weights from season to season as well as her her performance for this season. Her red blood cell count is fine...this pretty much rules out the mid-winter anemia as originally thought. He has sent off blood work that might give us more answers, but the outcome looks pretty bleak. Basically, we do not know what is wrong. He did say that she is eating and keeping her food down which is great. He personally feeds her golf-ball size amounts of quail which she is digesting just fine. The main problem is the breathing. I know that as soon as she quits eating then it is over, but I will keep my fingers crossed. She is stubborn and hard-headed, one of the things I loved about her the most. I hope that her personality keeps her fighting long enough for Dr. Moore to find out what is causing this. If anyone can, he will. The DFW falconers are truly blessed to have such a knowlegable vet to help us out in times like this.

A Very Sad Day

This weekend was not a good one. On Friday night, I weighed Katana and she was dead on to hunt the next day at the mini-meet. Problem was, Friday night it got very cold and I did not account for it. The next morning she was 20 grams lower than I have ever had her. Her bate was still strong and she seemed perfectly fine. I immediately fed her 40 grams of food and loaded her up in the car. A few hours later, I pulled her out to fly her. She immedately took off the fist and flew to a low perch. After letting a train pass, we began to work towards her. She then flew off again and landed on the ground. At this point I told everyone that she was done and I was just going to feed her up. I picked her up from the ground and after bating a few times she laid down on my fist. I then tried to get her to eat and she laid on the ground. I was eventually able to get 100 grams of meat into her and carried her out of the field. I took her home and perched her in the living room so I could keep a close eye on her and also because it was still very cold. She started to perk up that evening and had turned her crop so I fed her another 100 grams. The next morning however, I woke up to find her panting heavily and acting lathargic. She also had not turned her crop from the previous evening. Needless to say, I panicked. Noel was able to get ahold of Krys and he took my bird to Dr. Moores. It was unsure if she would make it through the night, but thankfully I received work from Krys this morning that she is doing ok, and even showing small signs of improvement. Hopefully she will eat today, that will make me feel even better. She is not out of the woods yet, but with Krys and Dr. Moore's expertise I know that if anything can be done, it will. I know that I need to tighten up on the weight management and keep a better eye on the weather forcast. Hopefully she will pull out of this and be ok. I will keep hoping...

Bad Blogger

With my busy schedule, I have neglected my blogging. The past few weeks have been exciting and Katana's flight style is very much different from last year. As usual, her response weight is all over the scale...thanks to good old Texas weather. It can be burning hot one moment and freezing cold the next. Katana is still stooping her prey, but has started mixing in some amazing tail chases. I have never seen her fly down the rabbits as much as she is doing this year, and I must say her success rate is greatly improving. I just love watching her evolve from season to season.
Katana's lure response is improving, and I continue to end each hunt on the lure in the field and not by the car. This is also reintroducing the hood as we leave the field, something that I had neglected last season. She is getting better at this as well, and does not hang her head and sulk anymore.
We have a mini-meet coming up this week and while I am unsure whether I will hunt her with the group or go solo, I plan on doing some marathon hunting to get her in top form for the jack rabbits at the NAFA meet in a few weeks.

Now a Believer

What an AWESOME week! I must say things started off slowly. I have been trying to find some new fields by my house and have not had much luck as of yet. Katana has gone on many "walks" though in my quest for good fields. Due to this, on Saturday when we went hunting with Sheldon, her following skills were not so great. That combined with the thick cover and sweltering heat makes hunting quite miserable. None the less, we went at it all weekend. I generally try to fly Katana until she are tired, especially on Sunday because she gets Mondays off. Historically this has not been very hard to do right after the molt. This year she is exceptionally strong though. I am converted to a true believer in free lofing during the molt now. Her feathers came out perfect and she came out much stronger.
Katana has always liked taking the long slips, and this weekend was no exception. While the majority of the rabbits were able to make it to thick cover, there were a few that didn't. Katana did not falter in these occasions. I think she also likes making me miserable because she waits until we are headed to the car to take came. By then I am hot and frustrated. In Sheldon's field she took a nice long tail chase which ended in a tumbling skirmish rewarded by a large cottontail at the end. She had a couple of other super flights, including a sweet stoop from out of a large tree mid-field. After taking her rabbit we called it a day, and went to fly Kenny's bird at another field.
Sunday I was determined to fly Katana until she was tired. I judge this by her perch selection as well as her following in the field. Just as the engergizer bunny, she kept going, and going, and going.... The first field I flew her in was very promising. There was rabbit sign everywhere, and I mean everywhere! The cover was still really thick though, and the few rabbits we did flush nearly had to get stepped on before they would flush. Once they did start running it was not long before they disappeared. That is the great disadvantage to beginning the season so early. This field should prove prosperous however, once the cover dies back. It also does not help that we were hunting in the heat of the day. Look at all the weight we sweat off though! On the way home we saw once more field that we wanted to check out. Here, with hit the jackpot. I cannot remember a time when we have flushed more rabbits in a field. The cover was not too bad either. The problem was that they were running in all different directions and Katana did not know where to look! She also has the annoying problem of ignoring everything and everyone when she fixates on something in the field. That is what happened on the first flight. She started looking hard and I moved in to see what it was when the rabbit flushed. It had the misfortune of running right towards Kat in her tree. She took off after in, upwind mind you, and after a hard tail chase I heard the familiar rabbit cries. Just like last year I walked over to her, as I am determined not to run, and made in. I had decided earlier in the day not to feed her up as I needed to cast her to change her anklets when we got home. She did get a nice step off piece and I decided to hunt her back to the car. She flew up into a tree and roused so I knew she was good to go. We started walking back to the car and immediately flushed another rabbit. She took chase but it made it to cover before she could get there. Not I am excited, so we keep hunting a little more. No much longer, she takes off to the other side of the field, in hard pursuit. It was a LONG flight, and she ended up pretty far away. After seeing her drop behind the tree that was blocking our view, I started running. I had no idea what she was chasing, but know what I was hoping for. :) There she was, on the very edge of the field, proudly sitting on another rabbit. She had complete control of it and was patiently waiting her reward. She stepped of beautifully once again to the lure and we definitely called it a day now. I am going to be very careful with this field and do not was to overhunt it to extintion like several of the others. We walked back to the car with rabbit number two in the bag and ended an awesome weekend.
Katana's flight style, as of yet, had changed dramatically from the last two seasons. She has always gained her strength from height, stooping from the sky to catch her prey. All of the rabbits she has taken this year have been from tailchases. It is interesting to see how she evolves as the season progresses. She is definitely handling the rabbits with more ease when she gets them as well. Hopefully this will transfer over when we begin hunting jack rabbits.
Katana also has new anklets equipped with some sparly bling. Her dark color makes me lose her in the trees, and after borrowing Kenny's anklets I decided to change mine. When the sun hits the jewels it is amazing how much easier it is to find her. I also like the design of the anklets much better and probably won't go back. Will post some pictures soon, as I plan on taking my camera out in the next couple of hunts.

My Mistake

After cropping Katana up on Sunday, she should not have needed to eat until yesterday. That was true of last season anyway. I came home last night and weighed Katana, and I am ashamed to say that she was down to 850 grams. She has NEVER been that low, and I was scared. She was acting fine, very alert and still bated but nonetheless I was concerned. I imeediately perched her in the living room and fed her a plucked quail. I did not fully crop her up, but gave her about 100 grams. I left her in the living room for a bit after she ate, and she seemed to be doing fine. I put her in the box for the night to keep her calm, and it is also getting quite chilly in the evenings. I weighed her again this morning and she is up to 895 grams but I brought her to work anyway. She still had a little food in her crop, so I will feed her some more in a few hours. She is staying in the box until I get her weight back up, and then I will put her back in the mews. I learned a valuable lesson last night - never to take anything for granted. Her metabolism is obviously quicker than last season, and I must keep an eye on her weight more closey. Lesson learned, and thankfully everything worked out ok. Whew!

Awesome weekend!

What a fantastic weekend! We started out hunting after work on Friday, and kept on going through til Sunday night. Noel and I are trying to find some new fields closer to work and along our carpool route, so that is what we did. The first field we went to had a very large pole right in the center. I was exstatic when Katana chose to perch there. I knew that if we kicked anything up not only would she see it, but the flight would be amazing. Alas, we were unable to produce any game, even with Deacon running around like he was on fire. Needless to say, it was HOT. We headed to the bar to have a brew and wait for the weather to cool. We hit one more new field on Friday, and came up again empty handed. She did follow well though, and her perch selection was good. 900 grams
Saturday, I took her to a couple of fields. She had some great chases, the cover is just really thick. She did come barreling out of a tree to grab a large rat, so she has officially taken her first head of game for the season. 890 grams
On Sunday, I flew her even longer. We hit 3 different fields and her following and perch selection is gradually getting better. She had some very close chases, as well as some really long ones. In the last field on the way to the car she stooped of a high pole to slam a rabbit. I heard the all too forgotten cries as I made my way towards her. Continuing my methods from last year, I did not run. Again the thought behind it is that she will never be able to handle a jack if she can't keep control of a cottontail. I am assuming that she was exhausted at this point, and unfortunately the rabbit got away just as I was nearing. Does not matter though, we had an excellent weekend and I look forward to flying her again. 895 grams

Hotter that Hot!

The falconry itch caught me 2 weekends ago....when it was cool. This weekend was true to Texas weather, a blistering 90+ degrees when we set out to hunt. We set out to one of our favorite fields from last year, and all I can say was wow. The cover was so thick, that we could not even fing the brush piles. I released Katana, and she immediately perched in a low nearby tree. We worksed the area beneath her and continued on towards the brush piles. It took her a few moments to follow, but she then took to the wing and began flying circles overhead. It almost seemed like she was remembering how to fly, and after a few moments she settled ahead of us into a tall tree. We worked the area and finally kicked up a rabbit. It immediately took off across the open field and Katana followed in hot pursuit. She flew long and hard but the rabbit made cover before she closed the gap. I did get to hear the familiar crash that I have grown to love. She got back up and settled over head once again, and followed us relatively well as we continued working beneath her. She had 2 more flights, probably rats, as she crashed the brush once again. After about half and hour, I called her to the lure and she was amply rewarded for her efforts on the first hunt of the season. By then we were all melting, as the heat was pounding down upon us. I am very happy with her performance, and hope this will be a great forshadow of the upcoming season! Weight 945 grams

So much closer...

Due to the fact that school keeps me out past dark, I have to work Katana in the house on most weekday evenings. I came home and immediately perched her in the living room for about an hour while I did some homework, and then I set her up to do some jumps ups. This time there was no hesitation, and her response was immediate everytime. We did about 25 jump ups before I pulled the lure, and she immediately came to it. I had her tethered on a long leash in the house as I don't want to run the risk of her flying free and hurting herself. The lure flight was a short one due to this, but I think that she is definitely remembering the game. I will put her back outside on the creance on Friday, with hopes to take her to the field Sunday. I know that her hunts will start short (especially after learning my lesson from last year!) but I will be happy to get her back in the air for some excercise.
Weight: 995 grams

Moving outside

On Friday, I can home from work a little early, so I had plenty of time to get Katana acclimated to the living room. I set up a perch for her to sit on for a few hours, and when she finally calmed down we tried some jumps ups. At first, she stared at me like I was crazy, but after the first jump the light bulb went off in her head. Her response became instant, and I could tell it was all coming back to her. The lure response at the end way iffy, but she still jumps to it 5 feet away. All in all I must say her performance was good for this early on. She is also still a little fat.
Sunday, I went ahead and moved her outside on the creance. I only set up a 20 feet line, as I did not want to push her at the higher weight. Again, she was hesitant at first, but her response got better with each flight. There was also a lot of surounding noise and distraction, so I think where I creanced her worked out great. Her lure response at the end of the session was instant, but I use the term response very loosely. I think I work my little girl out, considering she immediately ran to the lure when called. We are getting closer to her weight, and I hope to have her out in the field by next weekend. Weight today was 1030 grams.

Getting There

I took Katana out of the mews this evening, and after chasing her down I decided to weigh her. She is losing weight nicely, down to 1170 grams. I went ahead and switched out her perma-stiff jesses, lol and will change her anklets this weekend. On Sunday when I went to check on her, she had pulled her transmitter from her back pack and unscrewed the top. I finally found if after 10 minutes of crawling around in the pea gravel, and will replace the antenna this weekend as well. She is still pretty mean, but by the end of the week we will begin jump-ups and she will once again return to earning her food. As the weather cools, I am very anxious to get out there. I should hopefully have her going in the next 2-3 weeks, as I want to get her back into shape and drop her weight slowly.

My Little Piggy

This past weekend I counted Katana's feathers and it would appear that her molt is coming to an end. So now begins the long journey of trading the fat for muscle using a well regimented routine of diet and exercise. She definitely has a large amount of weight to gain, so I am going to begin dropping her slowly as the last few feathers push their way in. As fat as she is, she will still be fat as the feathers finally pen. Once the feathers are in, we will begin jump-ups to get her back into flying shape. I plan on taking my time, as it is still extremely hot and Katana has not performed as well in heat during past hunts.
She completed her molt in her new mews and the transistion went very smoothly. She continued her molt with no regard to the change of scenery, something I am very happy of. My English Pointers were just fixed and as soon as they recover from the surgery, I plan to look for some new fields in my part of town as well as close to work.
I am grow very excited as the upcoming season draws near....I guess it is time to go get my new hunting license in preparation!

End of the Season

It is officially over. I took Katana out yesterday and hunted 2 different fields. She had some awesome flights and took 2 rabbits. Today it was very hot, so I only hunted 1 field from which she took a rabbit and a rat. I had every intention of marathon hunting her today, but I just could not stand the heat. I fed her up until she could eat no more, and she is sitting in the garage fat and happy. I will put her in the mews soon, but it was so hot I did not want to risk sour crop.
It was a great season, and I can't wait until she finished molting! I just know that she will add a jack rabbit and pheasant to her game bag next year, and look forward to seeing how she molts out.
49 rabbits, 5 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 3 frogs, 11 mice, 14 rats, 1 crawfish

That time of the season

Well, it is getting hotter and the rabbits are getting scarce. Let me add that when I woke yesterday I checked on Katana and found a nice plastic casting. Luckily she has had no ill effects from Wednesday's escapade.
I took her out yesterday to 3 different fields and it was tough finding game. The first field gave us nothing. In the second field she took a rat from her perch atop a building. She was following really well, so when the first rabbit broke she was in position for hot pursuit. After a beautiful flight, she nailed it. We kept on hawking with a few more slips, but that was it. I then took her to another field that we have never tried. It was close to a good field, so I figured - what the hey? No only were there no rabbits to be found, but no sign either. We did flip some rocks and boards (on the hints given by the puppies :) and she ended up taken 4 rats and a mouse. Not a bad day, but I wish we could have found more rabbits.
Today we hit 2 different fields. The first one gave us nothing. Well, I take that back - no rabbits. She did leave the top of a 3 story building to take a large frog which I allowed her to eat. We hit one more quick field that gave us one slip. She got very close and was in great position, but got hung up in the brush as the rabbit got away.
The end of the season is near - game is scarce and it is getting to hot to hunt. Sunday will be her last day before the molt, and I will fly her a bunch this weekend.
46 rabbits, 5 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 3 frogs, 11 mice, 13 rats, 1 crawfish

Another Lesson Learned

What a rotten day! I took Katana to 2 fields, and though her weight was dead-on and she followed great, we only saw 2 rabbits. The first one she flew hard but missed and the second kicked up when she was down on the ground.
At the end of the hunt, I always go to the car, put my beating stick up, and add a big chunk of meat to the lure. I do all this in the back of the SUV with the tailgate open. Today, as I did this, she was sitting in a tree on the other side of the field. I thought that I was blocking her view but I guess that I was wrong. Despite the fact that I have done this all season with no problem, today was the exception. As I was tying the piece of meat to the lure, I feel a quick gust of air and turned to see Katana leaving the area with the bag of tid bits and transfer pieces. Next thing I know, she was gone. This started my first solo telemetry chase and 10 minutes later I found her hunkered down in the tall grass. By this time she had eaten everything, and I can only assume this included the plastic baggie. When she spotted me she headed to a tree and I immediately called her to the garnished lure. I spoke to my sponsor and he said that she should cast up the baggie and be fine, but I will ask Krys's opinion when he wakes up in a few hours.
I learned the hard way not to take routine for granted, and Katana is much smarted than I give her credit for! Needless to say, this ended the hunt sooner than I planned and we walked away empty handed. At least I have my bird back....and a little piece of new wisdom!
45 rabbits, 5 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 2 frogs, 10 mice, 9 rats, 1 crawfish

Awesome weekend!

Katana had a great weekend! On Saturday we hunted 2 different fields. The first one she had 3 spectacular flights in, but was trying to get the rabbits from behind instead of above and kept getting hung up in the broom weed. She did take 3 rats in this field which she transferred off of nicely and did not carry (thank goodness!!) The second field we flushed a rabbit out of a large brush pile that made the mistake of heading straight out into the open. Katana narrowed in quickly from her vantage point in a nearby tree and slammed the rabbit with some gusto. She also pulled 3 small mice out of this field. Today we hit 3 different fields. In the first field she had some spectacular chases, but the cover was so thick that she lost sight of the rabbits before making in on them. In the second field, she took a nice high perch atop a building and slammed through some thick cover to snag a rat. Other than that we did not see much. The last field she took 3 mice and a large rabbit just as it tried to make into a brush pile. We also took our 3 mos English Pointers out hunting with her this weekend, and they did great. They stayed close to me the entire time and also showed Krys there was a rat hiding under a rock. They are going to work out great and can't wait to see them in action next season!
45 rabbits, 5 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 2 frogs, 10 mice, 9 rats, 1 crawfish

My little carrier...

I took Katana to a new field today. We kicked up 2 rabbits right off the bat, but she was not following well enough to get a good chase on them. She tried though. Perhaps it is because I ruined her rhythm when Krys and I did a demo at Belle's school. I let her go with the plan of calling her back it to the fist a few times, and then the lure. Unfortunately, she booked it to the nearby woods and declared it hunting time. I eventually got her to come back to the lure, but it took a lot of persuasion. I think this is why she was stubborn in the field today. Needless to say, on the way back to the car Krys flipped aboard and kicked up a rat. Katana came in and grabbed it. As I made in to transfer her off she took off with it into a nearby tree. This is the first time that she has ever carried, but usually her prey is too large for her to take. When she was done she came to the lure about 100 grams heavier, so we called it a day. I think that I will stick to rabbits and not flip any rat boards for her in the future, not unless I am done hunting for the day.
42 rabbits, 5 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 2 frogs, 4 mice, 5 rats, 1 crawfish

Ultimate Crash

We took Katana out in the heat of the day today, and it is official: Summer is here. It was HOT! Needless to say, we only flew her at one field and only saw 3 rabbits. She was getting dive bombed by some nesting crows and the cover was very thick - both strikes against her. She was perched high in a tree as Krys and I worked the area, and the second rabbit up ran through the brush and under a tree. I thought there was no way she could have gotten it after hearing the familiar crashing sound in the brush, but I was wrong. Krys and I found her underneath a bush and I could not see how exactly she got there. We had to crash our way in and pull her out, but she had a firm grip on the rabbit and was not letting go. We worked our way back to the field and then I fed her up on the lure. It was hot and miserable and we were done. I brought her home and sprayed her down, the weather forcast for tomorrow predicts cooler weather. I hope it is right!
42 rabbits, 5 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 2 frogs, 4 mice, 4 rats, 1 crawfish

Best Flight of the Season

WOW!! Is all I can say. I took Katana to a field that we have not hunted much this year with thick cover and rough terrain. We started out not kicking much up, but had the occasional brush crash at unknown prey (probably rabbit). Today was very windy, weather guy said gusts up to 25 mph but I knew Katana was strong and could take it. The first rabbit that she got got away, probably due to dull talons which I sharpened tonight. The second was was the most spectacular flight I have ever seen her do. She was following great and taking some super perches. Upon moving up in the field she caught the wind and began to soar overhead of us. She has done this a few times before, but I have never been able to kick up any game for her when she is soaring. Today was different. Krys and I started running like crazy while she was overhead. I hear Krys yell, "ho, Ho, HO!!" and immediately turned around just in time to see Katana about 100 feet overhead fold up and barrel straight down. She crashed right in front of Krys who immediately started yelling, "Yes! Did you see that?!?!" YES!" She had gotten the rabbit. I think at this point I was still standing there with my jaw dropped. It was a perfect tear drop right onto the rabbit. There are really no words that I can use to give it justice, but I am sure she is not the only red tail to do this and for those who have seen it - WOW. I transferred her off and we started walking back to the car. She had another awesome brush crashing flight on the way to snag rabbit number 2 for the day. Today was one of those great hawking firsts that remain with you forever. I hope to get her soar hawking more often for her awesome power when she dives is what falconry is all about.
41 rabbits, 5 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 2 frogs, 4 mice, 4 rats, 1 crawfish

In the Reeds

I took Katana first to a small field that usually has a few rabbits in it. While she followed expertly, I was only able to kick up one rabbit for her...she did chase it, but ended up crashing in some very deep cover as the rabbit made its escape.
After Belle got out of school and finished her homework, we headed to another field in the area. This field is thick with marshy reeds, a feature that holds Katana's attention strongly. Today was no exception. While the reeds are full of rabbits, getting them to flush in a huntable way is a different story. Katana took an incredible perch atop an A-Frame tower where it was clear that she soulc probably see for miles. She fixated on the reeds below and I would try to flush under her gaze. After a few hard crashes, a rabbit made the mistake of running in the less dense area and Katana folded up and slammed the reeds to grab it. She was so far buried under the marshy mess that it took me a moment to find her. It was the familiar screaming of the rabbit that gave up her wherabouts. We then worked our way out of the field, and stopped only long enough to watch Katana stoop out of a tree to snag a mouse, which she promptly ate. I fed her up again today, but her metabolism has been so crazy she will probably be at weight again tomorrow. This was the case today after I had fed her 200 grams yesterday. I am trying to feed her up and give her a day off, but if she decides to burn and happens to be at weight, I will take her out flying. Even after the 8 hours total hunting over the weekend, she still shows no signs of fatigue and her performance is stronger and better than ever.
39 rabbits, 5 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 2 frogs, 4 mice, 4 rats, 1 crawfish

Can't Wear Her Out!!!

I try to take Katana out marathon hawking at least once a week, and today was that day. We started at one of her old time favorite fields. Right out of the car she perched on the building, which is rare for her. Usually I can't get her up there even if I try! Awesome! She then soared overhead about 50 feet up, circling Krys and I waiting for a slip. Unfortunately, none came up. She then landed on a telephone pole above the marshy reeds. There are always a lot of rabbits in that area, but getting them to flush is a different story. Krys and I worked under her, and still nothing. We tried to move on to a different part of the field and Katana held her perch. I tried to call her to the lure...nothing. Krys said she was acting like she didn't want to play ball, but I told him she must be fixated on something. Turns out, I know my girl. While we were standing there arguing Katana dove of the pole to snag a rabbit. Got the Easter Bunny! This was the first rabbit that we had seen, and obviously Katana was not going to give up until it flushed. We started walking back to the car, working the field as we went. We kicked up several rabbits across the railroad tracks but they ran into the wind and she didn't get them. As we paused for a train, Katana took off over the train and to the far side of the field and went down. We had to wait for the train to pass, and then we started making our way to where she went down. She had not come up yet, so this meant that she probably had something. I figured by the time that we found her she would have a nice crop, but I was wrong. We found her clear on the other side of the field waiting patiently on top of rabbit #2 for the day - the Easter Bunny's Brother :). The transfer off of this one did not go smoothly, as she had been hanging on to it for a while and did not want to let it go. She did though, and we went back to the car kicking up one more quick miss on the way. I then took Katana to 2 more fields, thick with heavy brush. I know how much she likes to crash, and crash she did...and crash....and crash..... She did not get any more bunnies, but each flight was more spectacular than the last. The more she missed, the harder she crashed. I can usually tell when she is getting tired, as her perch selection gets lower. Not today. I flew her for around 4 hours, and her perch selection never faltered. She always picked the highest branch in the highest tree. I finally gave up on wearing her out, as I had only succeeded in wearing myself out. What a great day of hawking. Why does she have to peak at the top of her performance at the END of the season?? Hopefully it will be a foreshadow of things to come for next year. :)
38 rabbits, 5 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 2 frogs, 3 mice, 4 rats, 1 crawfish

Getting Hotter

I took Katana for a quick hunt yesterday, even though her weight was a little high. She had some great flights but did not connect, and her following was definitely a little poor due to the higher weight. It was a quick hunt just before dark but I was able to at least get her out for some exercise.
Today we met early and flew Krys's Harris' Hawk. After he left to go to sleep (he worked last night) Noel and I took Katana to 3 fields. In the first field she did well, but was getting dive bombed by 4 crows in the area. She had some strong flights, but the crows were relentless and refused to leave her alone so we moved on. In the next field, we did not see much. I turned my back at one point and when I looked up she was gone. I found her on the ground close to the perch she was on atop a large half-eaten rat. I transfered her off and we kept going. Noel flushed a rabbit that she chased and pulled off as it put in under a tree. She did get in on the reflush although I did not see the flight as I was on the other side of the tree. I put her up for a bit to hunt Noel's bird, and then closer to dark we hunted one last field. The field was super thick to the point that she did not stand a chance on any rabbit that was flushed. She flew very hard and despite not having bells on I always knew where she was by the distinct crash she made on every flight. I called her in to the lure and fed her and then we called it a day. Tomorrow we will go out looking for the Easter Bunny!

36 rabbits, 5 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 2 frogs, 3 mice, 4 rats, 1 crawfish

I'll perch where I want to, thank you

I had planned on hunting all week long over Spring Break, but Mother Nature decided not to cooperate. On Monday, it was very windy and after flying Katana so hard on Sunday I decided not to hunt her. Tuesday....it poured to say the very least. I did take her out on Wednesday, and the nice soggy ground made for muddy hunting. She did catch herself another snake though...yea.
Today I had the whole day to hunt, so I hunted her until she could not take a decent perch. I started in a field that is thick with rabbits, one I had not hunted her in before. There we no trees to perch in, only light poles. Katana said, "Nope." She decided that she would rather perch on the ground than to get on the light poles, which is a shame because we busted tons of rabbits. She did have some flights off the fist, but the cover was so thick that she did not stand a chance with out the height advantage the light poles would have yielded her. Sigh. That is my girl, stubborn as ever. I took her to another field and she had 2 fantastic brush crashing kills through the trees to add 2 more rabbits to her total. She also gracefully swooped down to scoop up a mouse that she promptly ate. How rude. I flew her for about 3 hours today, and she remained steadfast until the end, even as the wind grew stronger. I fed her up nicely, and she is sleeping in the mew now satisfied with her baseball sized crop. I have to go paint some rooms in a friends house tomorrow, so we will hunt again on Saturday.
35 rabbits, 5 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 2 frogs, 3 mice, 3 rats, 1 crawfish

Wild Game Cook Out

What a fantastic weekend (so far :))! This weekend was our 3rd annual TOD Wild Game Cook Out. It all started on Friday when Paul Moore came into town with his Harris' Hawks. We took to the field and it was not long before his male caught a rabbit, followed by his female catching her first rabbit of the season! They both followed that up by each catching a frog and finishing the hunt with a bath in the field. As soon as we finished up, Lynne Holder arrived with her passage Red Tail Artemis. We hit the field across the street and her bird hit the first rabbit up from a beautiful stoop off the tower. #3 for her for the season! I had Katana with me and day light was fading but I put her up to let her fly and feed her. I did not expect to even kick something up, but I did and she got it on the second flush. It was a nice brush crash ending in success.
Saturday morning we all met at 7am for a full day of hunting. Man, am I tired. We flew Noel's Harris to catch a duck, Chuck's Red Tail to catch 2 rabbits, Lynne's Red Tail, Kenny's Red Tail, Kurt's Harris' to take 2 rabbits and Ed flown by Brandi soon to be Krys' new Harris to catch a rat. Katana flew twice and successfully took two more rabbits with fairly straight on flights which was great for her. Those are the ones that she usually misses. She did perform one fantastic stoop for us that ended in a miss, but was as beautiful for ever. When all was said and done and the light was leaving us, Chuck and Kurt took to the field one last time to hunt Chuck's Red Tail and he took even a third rabbit. He has trouble finding rabbits near him and definitely took this weekend to his advantage. We all retired to the Hideout for beer, friends and food and ended with a fantastic evening. What a blast! Spring Break has also just begun, and we are headed back out to the field again in a few hours with Noel and Brandi! It is still going....
33 rabbits, 4 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 2 frogs, 2 mice, 3 rats, 1 crawfish

That time of year again :(

Let me preface this be emphasizing again - I HATE SNAKES! Katana, however, loves them.
I am getting ahead of myself though. Today we flew 2 of our regular fields. As we entered the first field, we did not see anything at first. After a bit, we finally kicked up a rabbit which narrowly escaped Katana as it made cover. It was not as lucky the second time around, as Katana grabbed it cleanly by the head at the reflush. Yeah! #30 for the season! We kept on hawking until Belle called and said that we had to pick her up an hour earlier than planned, so we left the field. We picked her up and headed to a field closer to the house. A couple of rabbits flushed, but none satayed out in the open long enough for Katana to get from her high vantage point in the overhead tree. As I was heading to the car, she flew down and it seemed that she had landed on the ground. She usually does this when she does not like the perch options available to her. Not this time. Krys walked over and she was wrestling with a 3 foot Grey Rat snake. Krys tried to get me to transfer her off, but it still makes my skin crawl to think of it. Fortunately for me, he has been there for every one of her snake catches, and this was no exception. After making fun of me excessively, he did the dirty deed. I do know that it is only a matter of time before she will catch one with only me around, but until then I will let Krys take care of it.

30 rabbits, 4 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 2 frogs, 2 mice, 3 rats, 1 crawfish

Awesome Day!

I took Katana out to a new field today, recommended by a fellow falconer. The field consists mainly of tall grass and huge brush and trash piles. It was hard to get rabbits out of them, but I did get a few good slips. I have started noticing that Katana has a difficult time with the wide open slips, but does great when she has to crash brush. Needless to say, she missed a couple of open ones, but had an awesome stoop into thick brush to catch her first bunny. I transferred her off and we started working our way to the car. She is following well, and flying hard at everything we kick up. Under a board Krys found a rat that she immediately grabbed for her second kill of the day.
We headed across the road to another field. I try to fly her long and hard at least once a week, and today was the day. Again, she missed some wide open flights but eventually came down on a frog. Third for the day! She started eating it, but I could tell she did not like it as she was flicking more than eating. I transferred her off and away we went. She got back on a really high pole and then came soaring to the ground. I was sure that she had nothing but when she did not get back up I went over to find her on a full dead bunny. Another transfer, but I am not counting it. Put her up one last time, and she took off on a long flight followed by a beautiful stoop on her second bunny of the day. Four head of game! YAHOO! I fed her up on the kill and we called it a day. I have started letting her handle herself on the rabbits, and I am not running Mach 3 to get to her anymore. After all, if she can't control a cottontail, she will never get used to hanging on to a jack. She had both bunnies by the head today, and in perfect control. I flew her for 2 1/2 hours today, and it is flights like this that make falconry truly spectacular. Taking game also helps!
29 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 2 frogs, 2 mice, 3 rats, 1 crawfish

Wet and Muddy Day

Took Katana out hunting this afternoon even though it way wet, muddy and windy. She did really well and used her home filed advantage nicely. After the first couple of flights, she was dripping wet but kept on trucking. Most of the rabbits did not stay our long enough for her to get and ended up taking cover seconds before she could get there. Several rabbits also stumbled in puddles which she did not anticipated as she hit just after them. She did end up catching a mouse, or at least I think that is what it was. After her flight I arrived just in time to see a tail disappear. At this point she was dripping wet and her talons were caked with blood, so we called it a day. I fed her up and will give her tomorrow off. We will hit the fields again Wednesday!

27 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 2 mice, 2 rats, 1 crawfish

Jacks and Pheasant :)

What a FANTASTIC weekend! We went up to visit Dave Stevens and Pam for his birthday and to do a little jack rabbit hunting. Arriving on Friday, we headed straight for the field. Katana was a little moody, probably due to the 10 hours she spent in the giant hood, but performed very well. The pictures are from her first jack flight which yielded a STUNNING stoop on the rabbit. The wind was to her disadvantage on the rest of the flights, but this one was spectacular. We then flew Dave's Golden Eagle, Aden, and he gave a marvelous performances as always taking 2 jacks. He has started flying to the left or right of the rabbit, steering it in the direction that he wants it to go. The head games he is playing is unbelievable, and he gets better and better every time I see him fly.
Saturday morning, we headed out again. Katana was a little heavy and her response in the field was weak. I was kicking myself for not compensating for the fact that she was sleeping in her giant hood instead of in the mews or on a perch. We put her up to fly Aden and Spike (Jeremy's new Harris' Hawk.) Spike took his first cotton tail with us since the transfer, and Aden masterfully took another two jacks. We flew Katana one more time later in the day and her weight was on. There was no wind and she gave the jacks a run for their money. At one point she was dancing around on the ground in the middle of the field, refusing to come back to me. I called and called, pulled the lure - nothing. Next thing I know, a pheasant broke out feet in front of her and off she went. From that point on, she LOVED chasing the pheasant. She had a nice stoop on one and got a hold of it, but it got away pretty quick as she obviously did not know her best plan of attack. She flew several more pheasant and jacks beautifully, but had to leave the field with only the bit of fur that she pulled of of one.
Today on our way out of town, we gave it one last shot. It was windy, and Katana has quickly realized that she does not stand a chance on the up wind slips. Coming over the top of a hill a cottontail broke and off she went. After the effort that she has been putting into the jacks, this flight was welcomed and she easily got a hold of the rabbit. I transferred her of and we kept working. YEAH! After walking a bit further, I was stood on a hill as everyone flushed towards me. Right below Katana a jack flushed and she took off. This was the perfect downwind slip that we had been waiting for. I have never seen her fly so hard and so fast, climbing higher all the way. When she began her stoop I knew that it would be powerful - and I was right. She slammed as hard as I have ever seen her but alas, a few seconds later the jack ran away. She was so far out, that there was no way I would have been able to grant her any immediate assistance, even though Krys and I took to running the second she took off.
According to Dave, the jacks that are left are the breeders. These are also the ones that have been out running his Goldens all season. They were tough. I plan to get there early in the season next year and get her going. They might have won this round, but it ain't over yet!

27 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 2 rats, 1 crawfish

SNOW DAY!

I had planned on taking Katana on one more hunt before heading up to Dave's this weekend, but the weather decided not to cooperate. When I got out of school it was in the 20's and sleeting like crazy. The sleet eventually gave way to snow and we accumulated several inches by 3pm. Katana has never done well in the snow (she won't commit to the chase) so I just gave her a day of rest. The snow in Fort Worth was incredible, and is still coming. It is supposed to snow through most of the night which should give us a pretty eventful drive tomorrow. The weather forecast for the weekend looks great though, so I am looking forward to some great hunting! Here are a couple of pics from the snow today.

Interesting Kill

I took Katana to 2 fields today. In the first field, she did not follow very well, but was in position for the first few flushes. All of the rabbits came out of a brush pile, but did not stay out for more than several feet prior to going back in. Katana just could not get there quick enough. At the end of the hunt when we were working back to the car, she went down looking like she was after a rat. She did not come back up so Krys made in as he was closest. Turned out that she was picking at a crawfish that she caught. She started eating it but decided that she didn't like it much so she jumped up for a tidbit. The second field she followed great, I just could not produce much game. She did chase one rabbit several times, but it kept going back and forth under a fence and it finally got away. Overall, it was a great day and she flew well.
26 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 2 rats, 1 crawfish

Quick Hunt

Went to a local field today to fly Katana and ran into Ryan on the way there. He has been trying to enter his Prairie Falcon on rabbits. I decided to beat the brush for him and the bird did very well, but did not catch a bunny. I went to a nearby field to hunt, one that I have not hit in months. It was close and time was short so I figured it best to at least get Katana some flight time. I left Ryan at 2:00. Pulled into the field and tossed Katana up. I was crossing the tracks when the first rabbit broke and Katana was on it from her very high perch. She nailed the rabbit by the head and had it completely under control when I got there a few seconds later. I transferred her off, which went beautifully, and fed her up. I gathered everything up and went back to the car. The hunt was over by 2:20. it was a short day, but she flew hard on her one chase and received a nice reward for her efforts. Tomorrow I will fly her longer as time won't be as much of an issue.
26 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 2 rats

Another Double!

Today was another great day of hawking. We started out flying Katana in a fied that we have not hunted before. Her first fight was beautiful: a climb upward from a light pole followed by a tear-drop straight down. We had quite a few people in the field (including my sponsor) and they were all very impressed. unfortunately, she missed that one. On the third flight, she took off from a tree tail chasing a rabbit across the field. She did not take off when it flushed, I do not think that she saw it, so there was a few second delay before she left the tree. I thought there was no way that she could catch it, but she did. I found her on top of the rabbit under a tree, a nice head shot and she had it under control. I put her up to fly Michael and Sheldon's Harris hawks, but this field did not yield any more rabbits taken. We then flew Boo and after several spectacular flights she grabbed a female grackle. Chasing the sunlight we hit one of our newer (and better fields) and tossed Michael's birds back up. The first rabbit up Padme nailed. He then put her up and flew his male Neo solo. The second rabbit up, he nailed. Working back to the car we flushed one more that he grabbed through a chain link fence by the head. Miraculously, he help on tight until Michael made it in. I tossed Katana up one more time, and we immediately flushed a rabbit for her. She took off out of the tree and just narrowly mossed it when it made into a brush pile. Diligently working the pile, Michael and Krys were able to reflush the rabbit, and Katana was ready. From he vantage point high in the tree, she came down with another clean head shot. Her aim is definitely getting better, and she is getting most of her rabbits by the head now. I hope this keeps up when we go hunt jack rabbits next weekend!! This is her second double for the season, and she has now surpassed last season's rabbit total. With a month or so left in the season, I just hope she continues to get better and better!!
25 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 2 rats

Where have all the rabbits gone??

I guess that it is that time of the year...the weather is getting hotter and the grass is getting browner. All of this leads to a shortage of rabbits as the hide in the deep cool of the soil during the hot muggy days.
I gave Katana Tuesday off and we resumed hunting on Wednesday. Michael Beran came into town so we hit some of our better fields. We still managed to kick up a few slips, but Katana was unsuccessful. The field that I flew her in has a lot of brush piles and the rabbits would just run between them yielding a lot of close misses.
Thursday was a lot of the same, some great flights but no connections.
Friday I took her to a field that I have not hunted in a while but was close to the house. She had some trouble deciding where to perch, and her selection was not great. Because of this, she had some nice long chases but the rabbits would get away. Working back towards her, though, we kicked up a rabbit that she stooped out of a tree to grab. A beautiful flight, straight down and another bunny in the bag.
Today we went to several fields that are usually great, but the rabbits were no when to be found. I flew Katana in 3 fields, the first one yielded no slips. The second only gave us two chases in heavy reeds. She was perched atop a building giving her a great advantage but just could not crash hard enough. At one point she had a rabbit deep in the reeds that got away and she obviously gave up a great fight as it was screaming and she was covered in mud. If I had to speculate, she was probably sitting precariously on top of the reeds and barely had the rabbit by the butt when it got away. We hit one more field, in desperate search of a few more flights. She was perched high in a tree when the first rabbit broke. She headed out for a nice long tail chase that ended in a crash and tumble. As we made in she had the rabbit completely under control and it was a nice clean head shot. Yea! I transferred her off as she had now flown almost 2 hours today and the heat was obviously making the rabbits scarce.
I am also trying to get her used to the mews. Last year she would bounce around like crazy, but she seems to be doing better this year. I hope that she will settle down so I can molt her there. When we got home, I hosed her off and into the mews she went. So far so good. I am only putting in there when I am home and can keep a good eye on her until she gets used to the mews.

23 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 2 rats

Soaring the Wind

Sunday I took Katana to two fields. She had some close attempts in the first field but no luck. She did take the first rabbit up in the second field though. It was a long flight and she nailed it atop a rock pile across the field. She is definitely flying much stronger now, I am glad that I am able to hunt her 6 days a week. I would take her out all 7, but it is nice to have a day off for both of us.
Today I took Katana out hunting, despite the 25-30 mph winds. The first field I came to yielded a few slips. When I hunt this field and get lucky, she will perch atop the bill board at one end. Today was such a day, and the billboard was upwind from where I was flushing - perfect. She had a beautiful flight from the top of the billboard, but all it yielded was a broken tail feather :(. I took her to another field that has fewer perches, and something amazing happened. She began to soar. Instinctively I reached for the lure, that is until I realized that she was circling above me. I began running around like a crazy person, desperately trying to flush a rabbit. She must have been 300 foot up when the rabbit broke. She folded her wings and dropped straight down. I could only sit and watch in awe. Even though she missed the rabbit, probably due to the wind, it was one of the most amazing things that I have ever seen her do. And that was not all, she did it twice. We left the field empty handed, but I consider this a very successful hunt. Her flight styles are evolving, all she needs to do is fine tune them.

21 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 2 rats

Still going :)

I gave Katana Tuesday off and took her back out on Wednesday. It was VERY hot, but I still flew her for almost 2 hours. She had some strong flights, but I did not get her the best slips. We left the field empty handed. On Thursday, Krys and I took her out and she was flying like she was tired. We cut the hunt short and gave her a days rest. I guess the long hunt and the wind from the day before wore her out. On Friday we hit a different field and after a long hunt and a lot of slips she nailed another rabbit. It almost seemed like she waited for the longest slip in the deepest brush but it worked. She was still flying like she was a little bit tired, but it all worked out. Today, we went to another field and she nailed the first rabbit that we slipped for her. I transferred her off and we kept on going. We had a few more slips, but they all made cover a split second before she made contact. She did have a few incredible brush crashes though, and was definitely flying strong again.
I have also added 2 new hunting dogs to my team: Sadie and Cooper. We picked up a pair of English Pointers and I plann on working with them and hope to fly Katana with their help next season.
20 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 2 rats

First Double of the Season!!

Took Katana out today to a field across the street from one we usually fly. She started out very strong and followed closely. Second bunny up, and she scored! Yea! I transferred her of and decided to keep hunting. The transfer was beautiful. I held her on the fist for a few minutes until she roused, and then kept on going. We had some more hard chases, but no success. After an hour and a half, we decided to make our way back to the car.We worked the outer edge of the field on the way back, but no flushes! I was starting to give up hope when I saw a rabbit sneak into a pile of wood. Katana followed to a tree nearby the pile, and Brandi and I began to flush. After pulling the pile apart, the rabbit finally broke free and Katana was in hot pursuit. It was a LONG flight, several hundred yard, and then I heard the familiar screams of a rabbit. Running as fast as I could, I made in. About halfway there the screams stopped but I kept running. Katana had the rabbit tightly by the head, and there was no escaping. I transferred her off and cropped her up for her efforts. She won't fly tomorrow, but will be ready to go again Wed! 2 in the bag - first double of the season! YAAHHHOOO!
18 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 2 rats

Yeah!

Took Katana out both Sat and Sun, but Sat was a bust. As soon as we got into the field it started pouring rain, so I had to put her up prior to any flushes. Sun was great. She had a couple of REALLY hard and long flights, and finally I flushed a rabbit right under her. Stooping out of a tree, she nailed it! I mad it, and another beautiful transfer. It just does not get much better than this. I think that she has decided to play ball again, and I will start trying for multiples soon - especially if she gets a rabbit early in the hunt. :)

16 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 2 rats

So much better :)

Katana got Monday and Tuesday off while turning her crop. Wednesday though, she was good to go! I took her out, again at 945 grams, and she nailed the second rabbit up. My first instinct was to keep flying her, but Krys was right when he told me to feed her up to reinforce her need to hang on to her rabbits. So I did. Her transfer was beautiful. As soon as I puled the lure she was on it. I took her out again today, and BAM! First rabbit was in the bag. Again, I went and fed her up and the transfer was perfect. I am so excited! I am hoping to keep her going. Soon I will try for multiples if she keeps nailing rabbits early in the hunt. It is really important for me to get her plenty of exercise.
15 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 2 rats

Interesting Week

I took Katana out hunting everyday this week. The beginning of the week was super windy, and as hard as she tried to stay up, she kept flying away. She has grabbed several rabbits, all of which have gotten away. She had started to make me scared that something was wrong with her. She has been missing the easy flights and letting go of rabbits she catches. These were the symptoms that Krys' bird Goose had when she had Malaria. He took her in and ran a fecal and blood work that came up clean though. On Wed, she finally connected. I ran in to transfer her off, and just as I did - the rabbit ran away. All this time that she has been unable to hold on - and this one was my fault! Ahhhh! No luck Thurs, Fri or Sat, but today we scored. First flight, first rabbit up and she nailed it. Perhaps the pedicure we gave her last night helped. Perhaps it was the 20 grams I took off her weight. Whatever it was, she had a good day. I let her feed up on the rabbit, the first time I have ever let her eat on a kill. I am hoping that will reinforce her to hold on. Needless to say, she won't fly for a day or two as she turns her crop, but I hope that she will keep up the good work that I know she is capable of.

13 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 2 rats

2008 Annual THA Meet

I hunted Katana on Tues and Wed prior to heading up to Abilene for the THA meet. On Wed I had her weight up to 965, and all I can say is WOW. Her flights are even stronger and harder. I will continue to raise her weight slowly as long as I still have good response in the field. At the meet, we had trouble finding game which was a shame. Katana flew harder and followed better than I have ever seen her on Friday, and the only rabbits we were able to flush were in deep briars where she could not crash hard enough to take them. On Saturday we flushed a few, but she ended up going down on a rat on the other side of a huge fence. I could not easily get to her with out risking injury, so I let her eat up and then called her to the lure. Although her huge crop made her a little more hesitant, getting her back was still pretty easy. That took her out of the game on Sunday - her weight was too high. I had every intention of flying her today when I returned home, but alas - it is raining. I guess I will have to wait for better weather, and I look forward to seeing her hunt more at this higher weight.
11 rabbits, 3 snakes, 2 grasshoppers, 1 frog, 1 mouse, 2 rats

Some much needed rest....

Well, I gave Katana 2 weeks off mid-season as I like to do and brought her weight up. We took a trip to Virginia over Christmas, and other than a couple of walks she stayed fat and happy on her perch. When we returned, the winds were howling for days and it took me a while to find decent weather to fly her in. Finally on Thursday, even though it was still pretty windy, we went out. Five minutes into the field Katana nailed the first rabbit we kicked up. I proceeded to hunt her for about an hour with many great flights, but the day only yielded the one rabbit. This is of course taking in to exception the half a rabbit she nailed halfway through the hunt :)
Friday we went back out and she is flying strong. Still fighting the wind (I don't think that it will ever stop!) she managed to score another rabbit which unfortunately got away before I made it there.
Today, STILL WINDY :(, she flew stronger than ever in the second field that we hunted. Although she did not take any game, her flights in to the wind we hard, and downwind were incredible. I just love to watch her fly, it is AMAZING! We will go back out tomorrow for another full day of hunting, and I look forward to every second of it!

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