I could learn to like this!

 The weather has been a bit interesting, especially the wind part. That is of course one of my problems with Hope, is that she isn't made for chasing Rabbits into a head wind. It was windy enough that several bulky but heavy objects were blown across the parking lot and into the yard. One of them an aluminum, truck tool box, big enough to span the width of my truck.

It was supposed to be windier later in the day, so I got out a bit earlier than normal, or comfortable. The wind was only about 10 mph. She can handle that, but at 15 or more she is at a disadvantage, because the Jacks run right into the wind.

Since the wind was due to rise later in the day, I decided to hunt here at the house. It's been about a week since I hassled this group, so it wouldn't hurt to hunt them again and I wouldn't have all that far to walk when we got blown out. 

I once hunted a group of fields intersected by canals, so there was a physical separation of the fields. I only hunted each section once a week. When I began I found that there averaged three rabbits for each chunk of ground. I had a Goshawk that was really really good. The first Jacks that I took out of those fields weighed in the 6 pound range. I found that as I took one of the dominant Jacks out of the field, a new smaller (less able to hold the territory ) Jack would move in. I hunted them all season and when I finished there were still three Jacks per field, but they now averaged 2.5 pounds. That experience has been repeated many times over the years, so I know that it is not just coincidence. That is also why I try not to hunt a field more than once a week.

 Hope weighed 992 again today.

 In the field by the house, I know from observation, where each Jack calls home, but between Pat and I, we have caught the ones that hang in easily noted landmarks, and nothing had taken up those particular spots yet, so I cut through the middle of the field. There is a path made by my quad, and it seems to hold a couple of jacks as a boundary. They typically use either their paths or natural ones, and I jumped today's rabbit by that path. Hope caught him instantly, about 20 feet away, and they rolled in a ball on the open ground. The Jack broke free and as he ran I could see his ribs showing, where the skin had ripped away. It was only a superficial wound in that, she had only grabbed hair and skin, not actual meat, and the skin had torn. Hope righted herself and again caught him before he had gone 20 feet. This time she had a substantial chunk of flesh that wouldn't tear away. I tried to get in front of him to grab him, and he broke out of the bush and dragging Hope behind him, ran into another Sage bush. This time she changed her grip to his neck, and held him long enough for me to help.

You can see where she first grabbed him.

 Today's flight 1200 steps total. I may have to go on a diet, or at least for a walk.

Nov 12th- a "quickie"

 It was 9 degrees this morning. Winter seems to be in a bit of a hurry this year, but as they say "The only thing that stays the same, is that every thing changes"! Perhaps December will not be as cold for a change.

I had to go out to the Hangar last night about 10 PM to get something, and I noticed that I had at least four Jacks mowing my lawn for me. I always skip the last time that it needs mowing just so the Jacks have a last feeding on it. By spring the rabbit pellets will be almost as tall as the grass. As well as almost as plentiful as the blades of grass that's left. Its nice to know that I have some in reserve to hunt if worse comes to worse.

I waited till about 11.AM before I got things ready to go Hawking. I don't know how Hope feels about it, but my hands get pretty cold holding the tee perch, so I gave it a chance to warm up a bit. I loaded her up in the Hawk box and with the dogs running in front, drove to the end of the runway to begin my hunt.

Hope weighed 992 this morning, and seemed pretty anxious to hunt. We were just getting started, when she flew off the tee perch, gaining a bit of altitude, and slamming into the ground about 60 yards in front of me. A Jacks death song followed the strike, followed by silence. When I got there, I found that she had him by the head, and he wasn't struggling at all. There was quite a bit of blood on the ground from his head wound. I broke his neck anyway, just to make sure  that he wasn't suffering any more than necessary.

 Now what am I going to do for the rest of the day? 1400 steps for the entire morning. :-/

Nov 10, a first for Hope.

 I am afraid that the title is a bit over blown. Yes Hope did catch her first Quail of her career, but in truth the success was more the fault of the Quail than in her prowess. What the heck, even the success that comes of Happenstance, is better than none at all. It all still counts as one. I have never taught her that she can catch winged quarry. She will try for them on the ground, but when they fly, she forgets about them. I have been content with that arrangement.

Jack Rabbits don't have horns, no matter what you have been told, so the only trophy that they possess is their tails. They pull off easily and don't stink so they serve to keep me honest. My memory banks are full of trivia so there is not all that much room for things such as how many rabbits my hawk has caught this year, so exaggeration can easily get away with me. By keeping the tails right in plain sight, they assist me in my quest to be humble.

I decided that a different angle would better allow comparison, so I put them both on the floor. As you can see at the top of the picture that I had an interloper, who himself aspires to be a great hunter, and was actively stalking what he perceived to be his prey.  The string on the right is this years count. The ones on the left is last years total. 

The Quail head may end up stinking for a bit, as the kitten has no problem sorting out the one tidbit that should be tasty. I had to choke the little sucker out to retrieve my trophy Quail head, just added today. 

Connie is off to the Valley this week and I am "kitten sitting". These two characters are of course charming, while still being challenging. However you need to keep a wary eye out, or they might attack when your back is turned.

I had attempted to hunt Hope yesterday, but she did not seem all that interested. I did change hats, and I am not sure if that is why she chose to not stay on my fist, but return to her perch, It didn't matter. We didn't go hunting.

Today she was anxious to hunt. The wind is due to come up and we are supposed to have a bit of snow, so I went out a bit earlier than usual. She got a flight while I was still walking to the fence, but missed. I crossed the fence and hadn't gone very far when I heard a Coyote yipping an alarm call not very far away. Well that was just great, having to hunt a field that has been worked by a Coyote is not one of the best ways to find an unwary victim, especially since it kept up a constance warning yipping at us. We did find at least two highly motivated Rabbits to chase, with no success, even while the Coyote was yelling his fool head off.

I was zigging and zagging all over the Sage, when Hope launched off the Tee perch and slammed into the ground. Two Quail flushed out of the skimpy Sage, and then two more as I approached where she was crouching.

 

This was the first time she has actually connected with a Quail, usually they are in pretty heavy cover. there is not a lot of chance to see the Quail in her feet, as she kept her back to me. She had a few tidbits to reassure her out of the cup then jumped to the fist with the Quail when I held out my gloved fist.

The wind was coming up and I could not find a reason to continue. Our deal is, when she catches she gets to eat. It was time for me to live up to my end of the bargain. I traded her some Jack for the Quail, and we began our trip back to the house. She got her fill of Jack Rabbit, and I will have Quail for dinner.