I had lost my magnet that I turn the transmitter on Hope's tail with and thought that I had lost my cup as well. So I decided to start at the spot of our last kill, with my next hunt, and hunt down the hill. Plus I would be changing up my approach, and perhaps throw the Jacks off. Well to make a long story a bit shorter, I walked my butt off while Hope did every thing she could think of to put a Rabbit in the bag. Nothing! Of course there were some close misses, and hair pulled a time or two, she even had one in her feet for a couple of jumps, but nothing came home with us. That's OK, a little lesson in what happens when you don't catch anything can be as valuable as success.
It had rained in the early morning and resumed when I left, so I was soaked clear through. Not a problem, my pants were covered in lots of nasty stuff anyway. So every thing went into the washer, and I spent the rest of the day sleeping and lazing around.
The 19th Hope weighed 913 grams. She was hungry and began a creaky vocal greeting when I fed Jessie. I had hoped that she would remain silent, but it can't be helped. She has to learn that to eat, she must kill. The only tidbits she gets is being picked up, and coming out of the box. I also toss a tidbit on the ground and give her one on the fist when I put her in the box after we hunt. So she got four tidbits the day before.
I decided to try another spot to see if the populations there were worth the drive to get to them. I have a friend who lives about 20 miles South who has lots of Jacks coming in to his Haystack. I had tried it in earlier years and found nothing in the Sage close to the ranch. This year appeared to be different. I found a small population of resident Jacks, and Hope pulled a hand full of hair out of one of them, but after two hours of trying and walking I decided that the populations that were eating his Haystack were coming from a long distance, not residents. I tried two different areas there, but nothing like what I need to be successful, or merit another trip.
I loaded her up for the third time and went to the ranch next door. She had a lot more Jacks to work with and although she tried, again pulling hair from two of them, just couldn't connect solidly. I spent another couple of hours walking back and forth, trying every thing we both knew, but couldn't make it happen. With three different areas in and out of the car, she got a total of 12 tidbits for 5 and half hours work.
Today dawned clear and quite cold at 30 degrees. I did my chores and weighed her, before putting her in her box. She weighed in at 896.
Karen and the dogs went with us today. I went to Arock and as usual, I changed up my direction of attack. This time I decided to spend more time and go through some of the areas that I usually pass by. It paid off, I was seeing a lot more Rabbits than I usually do. She was again taking the long shots that have little chance of success. We got a few that were closer and after a couple of close misses, she flew to the other side of a little depression about a hundred yards away. I thought that I would walk towards her and perhaps drive some Jacks out towards her. I looked up and she had flown to my left and chased off a Red Tail that was on a post at the corner of the field. First time I had seen that. I stopped and waited for her to return. When she did I decided to check a small area on the right side of the road, that I normally pass by. On the way a Jack jumped and she gave chase, missing him. I picked her up and again started that way. Another Jack jumped and I saw her stick her feet out and blow through a hole in the Sage after him. The hole was no bigger than the Jack, but she went through it feet first, wings out behind her, and her head thrown back. Missed him, but not by much, she got up again and made another strike at him which missed as well. Again I picked her up and within ten steps flushed another Jack that she chased up over the hill and across the dirt road. I walked in her direction and she flew back to the perch. Karen later told me that she saw two other Jacks that snuck out of that patch. Pretty amazing as it was only about 40 feet around. We walked up to the top of the little hill that rimmed the basin, and within 30 yards flushed another Jack out of very sparse cover. He was only about 15 yards ahead of us and this time I saw her close and grab him right at the top of the shoulders. I guess she got tired of only getting hair and losing them. By the time I got to her she had changed up and now had him by the head.
I was rather amused and very pleased when I was killing the Jack, that she released one hold that she had and reached over my hand to grab him in the face. I will confess that I was surprised that she was deliberately avoiding grabbing me while I was "messing" with her Jack.
After the Jack quit moving, I gave her a front leg, and the rest of the tidbits in my cup. She moved off the Jack to eat while I took the Jack to clean. I gutted it and tossed the cleaned Jack to the ground for her to eat. She was not loath to comply. After what she has been through in the last three days, she needed a good feed. It will make her try all that much harder the next time she goes out.
While I can't say that she has learned all that much new these three days of failure, she has not quit, and there are slight flashes of awareness there. She has several times flared up to watch for the hiding Jack, and only bad luck has prevented her from being successful at it. I do wish that she would shine some of the long range flights, and she showed some signs of that today, although I don't expect it to last. I am impressed with the fact that she will not give up. She has made somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 flights and misses over the last three days. It should give you some insight into what a feat it is for a young hawk to survive its first year, as well as awe that there are enough rabbits around to supply that many misses.
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