Oct 21st

Yesterday when we finished hunting, I contacted another landowner for permission to hunt a different area, one that borders one of our other hunting spots. We were in need of another spot to hunt to let our other ones rest a bit, since we have been hitting them hard lately.This particular property covers several square miles and should completely fill our rabbit needs.

I guess, like most people I have a selective memory. It seems to me that the last Harris Hawks that we had were much more effective than the birds that I am flying now. Our last two trips covered about three hours each, and we still didn't come away with any rabbits in the bag. Today appeared to be more of the same. Granted Peg could most likely lose about an ounce, but Sylvester should be pretty well right on at 710 grams. The cover isn't that high or thick.  Sure the Bunnies are generally pretty close to the burrows, but somebody should screw up some of the time. It isn't late enough in the year for all the slow and dumb ones to be dead yet.

Today was looking like more of the same, and I was getting cranky. Sylvester had pulled a bit of hair out of a bunny that ran into the rocks. Peg was behind the chase and really not affecting the outcome, but she got there in time to follow the bunny to the hole. I stuck the end of my Tee Perch in the hole and could feel rabbit. I called Peg over to where I was, and poked it again. Out come the rabbit right at her feet, and she still missed it. That one was funny. We went a bit further and they got after another one, and I could see its nose. I called her over again, held her right over the hole, and she still missed. That one made me grumpy. I was just expounding to Karen about how it was time for "tough love, Don't catch, Don't eat". Apparently they heard me, and when a Jack jumped they both took off, peg made a shot at it and turned it into Sylvester and he grabbed it by the butt. It had a split second to squeal before Peg grabbed him by the face and front shoulders. That saved Sylvester some pain. This was an old male, that would have strained him through the bush if he hadn't had some help.

So they got another reprieve and they were fed up one more time. We will take them out again when their weight comes back to flying weight.They are working well with each other. Peg's manners are quite nice actually.