Puddy is finally working

If you remember in the last post, I was a bit steamed that Puddy seems to be on welfare, rather than actively working to support the cause. (that would be replacing the food that she ate all last winter and this summer) Its all well and good that she does contribute, by anchoring Yogi's kills, but that just isn't enough. Things seemed to be looking up after the last flight when she actually got tired of waiting for Yogi to catch something for her, and she killed one of her own. Tonight was a repeat. I am smiling.

I have been having trouble with a bunch of deer that seem to be determined to dine on the hay that is stacked in the yard for the horse that Karen insists that we keep. They were here yesterday at 4 PM lined up and doing their best to get on the outside of as much of my hay that they could. I felt that a few loads of bird shot would be sufficient to move them elsewhere, but they are either thick skinned, or I need to get closer. I pelted them with a total of 8 shells, and I had to run them off with the quad. They also came back last night about 11 PM and I repeated the experience. I am going to have to up the ante on my aversion therapy I think.

Well when Tami and Reuben came over to hunt with us, they were back in creek bottom again. When we picked up the hawks we walked that way both to see if the Jacks were down there and to move the Deer off again. The Deer at least appeared to pay attention, but I don't think they went too far. My drive way alarm just went off, ( 11 PM ) and I went out to see if they were in the hay again, and one of them tore down the garden fence. He could have gone out of the gate, but no that would be too easy. %^*&#@^

We didn't see any rabbits at all in the bottom, so we moved back up on top. The rabbits were scarce, and while the girls got a few slips, all of them were from long range. (time to change fields) We finally got a decent slip and Puddy plowed into the jack after Yogi missed. Atta boy, girl!

 There are actually two hawks in that scrum, although there is only one head showing.

You can see from the photo that Puddy tore a hole in his guts on the first strike. Apparently the girl was serious for a change.

We actually didn't jump that many rabbits on this trip, and I was happy enough that Puddy seems to be on track, that I didn't mind. We wandered on back to the house in the fading light.

Winter is here

This picture was not "Photo shopped", I only sharpened the image a bit. 

 This is the sunrise that we were blessed? with this morning. I checked and I didn't see any sailors  on the creek, but if there had been, they should have taken warning. I am sure your parents repeated this old saying when you were young. "Red sky in the morning, Sailors take warning'.

Well, it snowed a bit later in the day. While I didn't have to shovel the driveway, it was a reminder that the comforts of fall are fast slipping away.

 We had decided to not fly yesterday as the wind was much too brisk for the Harris' Hawks. Karen and I were on our own today, and at 6 PM we picked up the girls and started around the house to hunt some of the rabbits that hang around the house. Yogi decided to try to see if we would help her catch another Chicken, but we had our sights set on Jacks and were not any help at all. When we began chasing Jacks with Puddy, she decided to join us. It was just as well as she grabbed the first rabbit that we jumped.

We were walking into the Sun, and I stepped around these two thinking that they were just a boulder. This Jack was the first one that I have not had to kill. Apparently Yogi grabbed him in the chest and punched a hole in his heart, as he was dead by the time that I found them.

I guess I am going to have to cut Puddy's weight and take her out on her own for a while. She seems quite content to let Yogi make the catches and then just join in to get her chunk when one is caught. Some of her pursuits were plain pitiful.

We had gone through the field that borders the property to the West, and then started on the West side of the runway. There was a good group of rabbits in there, and just as I was about to take Puddy back home, she saw one sitting in a bush and slammed into the ground hard enough to cut her foot. I noticed blood dripping down the T perch, but when I checked her, it was nothing that required any attention.

It was getting a bit darker, so we turned back to the house. I was just about to go through the gate when Yogi flew off, and back behind us. A Jack had stayed hidden and let us walk past, but Yogi had seen him, and made a shot at him, but missed. Puddy saw where he was hiding and slammed into him hard. Yogi was the back up this time. We gave them their meal instead of a front leg, and while they were busy, I cleaned rabbits.

If you look close at the jacks in the sink, you will get some idea of the wounds inflicted by the girls. The Jack on the right was actually at least a year old, and the one that was killed out right. He had a substantial amount of fat on his body.

These are the wrapped packages ready for the freezer and destined to feed the girls through the molt. The two Jacks supplied 11 meals, plus chunks  and tidbits for the next hunt. Nothing is wasted, and all appreciated.

Change in hunting times

I decided that I would change to evenings for our hunts. The temps in the mornings are down right discouraging, and the rabbits are on the move from their feeding spots to their day time territories. Here at the house I will have any where up to about 30 Jacks in the evenings, but they come from all around to come here to feed and get water. If I go out in the Sage flats around the house I may only see 3 or 4 Jacks. Besides it interferes with my exercises. At my age, I can't be missing my exercise, and I sure don't feel like exercising after an hour or two of hawking.

Not sure if you have ever given it much consideration, but rabbits have territories just like any other wild animal. There are only so many on a given amount of ground. The biggest and best get the best territories, and the rest have to commute. I do not know for sure how far away some of these rabbits are traveling to get to my lawn and hay stack, but I do know for sure that the only place that I can find them in such numbers is on the lawn. Our last hunt in the morning required about three hours to get about 10 slips at Jacks, and probably covered about 3 miles. This evening we had lots of chances and only covered perhaps a 1/16th of the ground that we did in the morning hunt.

Yogi as seems to be her norm, caught the first rabbit that we jumped. There was a bit of a variation this time, in that they both had their feet on the Jacks head. Puddy was apparently more excited and aggressive this time. They still were not grabbing each other, which is a wonder all on its own. In the past I was giving them an entire front leg as a reward for catching a rabbit. I have since been cutting a front leg in two pieces. This time I had to give Yogi a second piece of leg, so that Puddy could finish the one that I gave her. I figured it would possibly slow Yogi down enough that Puddy would have a chance to catch a rabbit on her own. Yogi has been on fire this year, which is great, but I would like Puddy to get back in the groove as well. Last year Puddy caught twice as many rabbits as did Yogi. Not this year.

I stuck my video camera on my head and made a short movie of the hunt. It can be viewed at this URL.
https://vimeo.com/51893350
The password is -   owyheeflyer