Waiting for Ducks

Well today it is winter, cold wind blowing out of the South West and temps of 14 degrees this morning. The snow all melted as the ground hasn't dropped enough temperature yet for it stay, for any length of time.

Karen and I picked up Jessie to see if we could find something to hunt over at the ranch. I decided to try the lake, as I had not been there for a long time. The predominate type of Ducks present at the ranch now is Mallards, which are the local birds. The Gadwalls and Wigeon have not come in yet. Not sure if the wind is the wrong direction to get them here, or the Northern storms have not been severe enough to drive them South.

When we got to the Lake, we had to wait for the local Golden Eagle to put some distance between us before I was going to turn Jessie loose. When the wind blows the Eagles are able to hunt seriously, and that is when they are the most active and visible.

I turned Jessie loose and after she got up in the air, her flight over the lake was not promising. She didn't act as though there was anything there. Oh well it was a beautiful day, and she needed to fly any way.

 Unfortunately there were only two Divers, Buffleheads, on the Lake. I did managed to get one of them off the water and to fly over the trees. Jessie went after him, but I think he dove into the swamp on the other side of the trees. In any case, Jessie came up empty. I checked the area, and finding  some thing to flush for her was not an option.

I walked back up the hill, untangling the lure. She knew that the only other option was the lure and she came to me for the lure. I tossed it on the ground and she settled to eat. The dogs were happy to just run around checking things out.

Tami was supposed to come over when she finished helping Dave with the Cows, but at 5 PM, I was pretty sure that things hadn't worked out, so Karen and I went to fly the Harris' here at the house.

I turned both the girls loose since all the Cats and Chickens were already put up. We got out of the weathering area, and I tossed Puddy in the air, and Yogi took a perch on the power pole. Puddy saw a Jack in the front yard and started off after him. He cut in behind the "cat house" with Puddy close behind. He cut through the corral and apparently lost her somewhere in there. The two of them flew out to the property fence and took a perch on one of the fence posts there. Karen and I started that way. Yogi spotted a Jack hiding around the horse trailer, but she missed him. He ran out of the yard and into the Sage outside the fence. Yogi took off after him, but he lost her in the Sage. We got through the fence and Puddy decided that she wanted a ride on the T perch. I had not gone more than 20 yards, when Puddy took off after the same Jack. He managed to dodge her, but Yogi swept around the corner and rolled him in a cloud of dust. Puddy joined in and the fight was over. Yogi stuck a talon all the way into the Jacks lungs, and he was dead before I could figure out a way to break his neck.

 It was getting dark and the wind had a pretty nasty cut to it, so after they finished their reward, I tossed them the rest of their meal.

 One of the guy's that I know had said in regard to how well the girls were doing on game, that " he could do that well if he could hunt in his yard".  I had thought it funny, as this is the first time that we have caught a "Yard Bunny". I don't have to drive 40 miles a day to hunt, but it still takes as many miles walked as when I did.

I often forget just how big Yogi is, until I see her on either Karen or Tami's fist.

She is a real sweetheart though, and remarkably gentle.