Nov 14th

Things are back to as normal as it ever gets around here. We did have a skiff of snow last night. and the temps were down to 25. Not too bad really. At Burns, 100 miles north, it was 2 degrees. The wind however was doing a pretty good job of making it miserable outside. Peg was down to weight, but from what I learned the other day, it takes a bit for the rabbits to get acclimated, so I decided to wait for the better weather that is forecast for tomorrow for her flights. Jessie however was a different story, wind doesn't bother her and she is much better able to handle the cooler temps. She was also pretty insistent about going hunting. Her weight was 860 grams, which is good for the muscle that she is carrying and the temps that we are having. So after I picked Jess up, I tossed Peg a duck leg to hold her over until tomorrow.

We rarely get very much snow here, lots of wind, but in the three winters that we have been here a big snow is 4 inches. It generally doesn't stay any longer than a couple of weeks. Average rainfall here is 4 to 5 inches. Snow is good, but the water in the ponds freezing is not.

Betsy and Curly were both begging to go with us. Curly looks at you with those soulful eyes of his and puts his chin on Karen's legs obviously begging to be allowed to go with us for once. I haven't been taking them when I am hunting Peg, as the last time I took Curly, he ended up crippled for about three weeks. He just over does, and he is getting to be about 9 years old. Brittneys generally do not live much past 11 years. He doesn't look it, but he is an old man. Karen and I put Betsy's vest on her, so both knew that they were going to get to go. I loaded up the truck with dogs and Jessie and we trundled off to the Lake over at the ranch next door with Betsy whining and fogging up the windshield. The dogs are really a plus when it comes to flying Ducks. Curly will swim for all he is worth to find and flush ducks. Betsy hasn't been too much of a plus since she gets so excited, but she goes with the bird and the ducks where ever they are. They always go on point when I take the hood off Jessie, and hold it until she flies. Betsy runs with Jess, and Curly comes to me.

I have been doing some thinking about Jessie's "problem" over the past two or three weeks, and noticed a few days ago that she has some contusions on her right foot. No swelling, but perhaps it might give a bit of insight to her recent state of mind. I of course forced her to overcome what ever reservations that she might have had, by refusing to feed her until she killed something.

I turned her loose at the fence with the idea that if she decided to sit, then I wouldn't have to stand around waiting for her to fly. There is no reason to worry about her running out of gas at this date. She should be in great shape and able to fly hard for 30 minutes or more. If I have a fault as a falconer it is my patience. When the bird gets high enough to handle the  ducks on the pond, I will generally flush. If I could only wait, the falcon would go higher. pobody is nerfect however, even me, I just do the best I can.

By the time that we got to where we could see the Lake, her pitch was about 350 to 400 feet, perhaps more, but definitely high enough to handle this water. At first I couldn't see any ducks, so we kept walking and finally to my relief a couple of Gadwalls swam out of the reeds. Jessie was high enough that I doubt that they even knew she was up there. They flushed out the end and started back towards the main ranch. Jessie dropped lower than the duck and knocked or tipped it into the ground. It got up again and she used the height from her "throw up" to smack him into the ground again. She did a quick circle and landed on what I assumed was the duck. I saw Betsy get there about the same time that she landed on the ground. She was running around Jessie and the Duck (I thought) and I was both glad and relieved, as she could furnish protection for Jessie until I got there. One of the things that I encourage in my dogs is to stay with the hawk, it gives a bit of protection to the hawk if a Eagle should decide to rob her. ( I would also like to take credit for Betsy's actions and training, but I cannot lie like that. what she does is instinctive) I was several hundred yards away and had rocks and brush to negotiate so I concentrated on my footing. Karen told me later what occurred while I was trying to get there without busting my butt.

According to Karen, Jess didn't land on the duck, but on the ground about 15 feet away. Betsy got there just after Jess landed, looked at Jessie and made a big circle out in front of her. Jess took off right behind her and flew to grab the duck, which squirted under Jessie and was making its best time towards the water. Betsy in the mean time had run around both of them and was between the duck and the water. Betsy will not grab any bird as her instinct is to point, but the duck didn't know that and stopped long enough for Jessie to turn and grab the duck.  Betsy stayed with her until I got there. Jess was looking daggers at Betsy, thinking in her twisted little mind that Betsy intentions were to take the duck rather than help her. We are used to that attitude however.

I helped her to kill the duck and clipped her up as well. I let her eat the neck and pluck while I was warming up half of the breast of the last duck that she killed. I picked her up without any trouble and let her eat while we made the trek back to the truck. She jumped to her ledge in the truck and ate while I cleaned the duck. I gave her the liver and heart to eat as well. She got enough food that she would not eat any more.

I have been mulling over her actions recently and have just about decided that she somehow managed to hurt herself on one of the ducks that she caught, although there was no swelling present in her feet, she did suffer some sort of trauma to her right foot. Of course she could just be a cranky bitch.  :-{)