Hope has been a bit on the heavy side of the scale, but so far it hasn't affected her style or success rate. I felt that on a couple occasions that she would have tried a bit harder if she had weighed a bit less. However she still killed, so who can say.
She was hanging on the wire and calling this morning and I felt that she might be a bit lighter than the 940 that she weighed the last hunt. I had fed her a Bunny head, as well as a chicken leg and thigh from some "laid out" hens that I disposed of. I had stripped off all the fat, and they were a bit skinny, so I was quite surprised when she tipped the scales at 980 again. I believe that "CRAP" was the expletive that came from my lips when I saw the scales. Ah well, attitude is more important than weight when it comes to hunting.
As we were driving up to the field, Connie remarked to the dogs, who were getting more and more excited as we neared out hunting spot. " She will take off from the perch before we even get into the field and catch a rabbit, then we will let you dogs run back at the ranch when we get back". Myself, I pictured walking our butts off trying to find a dumb one that wasn't smart enough to evade her, drenched with sweat in the process.
We had arrived at my expected hunting spot, crossed the fence, and turned to cross into a bordering field, when Hope blasted off the perch burning for all she was worth, did a wing over and slammed into a Sage, from which came the wavering death song of a Jack Rabbit. I think I said "Damn" this time.
She was buried pretty deep into this one. I had to get down on my knees to even see the Jack.
I gave her her tidbits, and then a bunny front leg and rib cage.
She had caught him by a back leg on what would be the calf on a person, and was able to hold onto that until I got there.
This was not a young Jack. He was rolling in fat, and quite hefty. We took the long way back and let the dogs get in their run before loading them in the car for the return trip home. Some times it happens that way.
