The last hawking blog of the season.

The regular duck season ends in this zone this Sunday, but for me and Jessie it ended on the 16th. For whatever reason the ducks and the hawks have all gone somewhere else. I assume that due to the longer days they are returning north to eventually arrive at their breeding grounds. Yeah I know, in February they will be so thick here that I will wish for the sight of Jessie in the air again, waiting for the flush, but that will have to wait for next season. The winds forecast for the rest of the week, the soft condition of the roads to get to flights, and the lack of game, just doesn't justify the effort. There are for all practical purposes no upland game to fly here, so it is time to regrow feathers that have been damaged by fights with Geese and cranky Prairie Falcons.

We have had a great season. The totals are nothing to get excited about, but falconry is not about large numbers of bodies for the freezer and table. It is about the flights, the cooperation of man, dog and hawk. It is about the eagerness of the falcon when she steps to the fist in anticipation of the hunt. The eager wing pumping when she sees you step out of the house wearing your hunting vest. We brought to bag a total of 20 birds this year. Eighteen ducks and two Geese. For the first time in a long time I actually ate something that Jessie caught. Normally I make her eat the ducks. I would rather have a spam sandwich. Nothing goes to waste, but I got tired of ducks long ago. I can recommend smoked Goose however.

Peg supplied us with a lot of fun and exercise this year. She caught 12 head of game that included Jacks, Bunnies, a Black bird and of course a Bullfrog. She learned a lot and will do better this next year. We intend to get a hunting pardner for her and her maturity will improve her abilities a lot.

The weather was pretty darn good this year, there was water in the ponds and the ducks came. Upland game is making a slow comeback, but it will be many years before they are in numbers that are huntable. Until then we will depend on the ducks.

This has been Jessie's 6th season. She has again improved both in temperament and style. I do not know how much longer I will have her to enjoy. Life is tenuous at best for a Falcon. There are so many things that can go wrong besides disease. It only takes a whim from an Eagle, a fence wire, or just a slight miscalculation to end every thing.

It may be a while before I post anything again. Falconry for sure will not start before next July or August. The posts between now and then will be about fishing and flying. Again, if you do not want to read these musings, you have only to send a request to remove you from the email notifications, and I will gladly do so. lcottrell@fmtcblue.com

I have included some of my favorite pictures.