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