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