Hope!

Today is Hope's fifth day, and I am pleased with her progress. I put her out in the weathering area with Jessie yesterday after writing in the blog. She did well. She seemed quite relaxed, drank from her bath and everything.

I picked her up around 6 PM and carried her for a while. She began looking at the glove, wondering when it would produce food. I carried her out to a large wire spool that I converted to a shooting bench and put her down on it. I cut up a few pieces of rabbit meat and flicked them out close to where she was standing. It took a bit, but eventually she gingerly tip toed up and picked it up. I cut up another couple of pieces and again flicked them out towards her while holding a Jack front leg in my fist. Eventually she could not ignore them any longer and she followed the "cookie trail" up to my fist and set about her meal.

I again put her out with Jessie about mid morning. I heard her at least twice calling, I think to Jessie for food. I can't say for sure, but she was wanting someone to come feed her. After the second time, I picked her up. Karen and I sat out in the shade and read while I was holding her. Several times she picked at the glove, indicating that she wanted something to eat.

Karen spent the time trying to get a few decent shots of her, but the lighting is all screwed up, and it was difficult at best. The wall too dark, the door too light, the camera kept going out of focus :-)

Again around 6 PM I got some food, and took her to the spool. She of course went to the end of the leash. I flicked her a tidbit, and she walked to it with a little hesitation. Then to a second one and on to my fist. She is actually a few grams heavier than when they took her out of the chamber, but her stomach was empty, and she is not a nervous bird, that would let anything distract her from food. Again she pays no attention to the Dogs or much of anything. We bundled her up this morning and I put a transmitter cradle into one of her center deck feathers. She took it in stride.

I am quite pleased with what I see so far. One of the traits that I consider most valuable in a hunting hawk is a calm disposition. Hope has this in plenty. She just doesn't sweat the small stuff. Most Harris's take forever to accept dogs. Yogi never did, at least with us. This gal is unconcerned about them. I believe that she will turn out to be one of the better hawks that I have ever handled. This should be a fun year. New hawk and Rabbits as thick as fleas on a sick dog.