I have been having trouble with Sue, as she is getting aggressive on the perch. It is almost like the fable of being easier to catch a Tiger than it is to turn it loose. I have no idea why she is this way, and I sure haven't tumbled to anything that will help it. She is fine in the field, but a terror on the perch. I have been leaving her outside in the weathering area all night. As long as the weather stays reasonable I can do so.
The weather was nice today and the Harris's were close to their flying weight, so Tami and I loaded them up for some exercise. Sue was thinking about being cranky, but when I took her to the truck, she changed her mind and hopped into her box with no hesitation. Peg was about 4 oz. higher than her normal weight, but she is always willing.
One of the spots that we normally hunt was pretty muddy, so we changed and went back to our old stand by field. The girls went to the top of the telephone pole in the field when they got tired of waiting for us to get our stuff together and get on with it. Sue actually came back to the truck for a bit, then turned around and went back to the pole. We started walking toward them and jumped a Bunny. The girls were both after him, but he got into a really nasty deep hole in the Lava rock. We got the girls back on the perches and started on into the Sage. We hadn't gone more than 30 yards when Sue whipped off the perch and was really pumping back the way we came. She crashed into the brush rimming the same hole that the bunny had gone in earlier. A Bunny scream soon wafted its way back to us. To my knowledge we didn't jump anything, I can only guess that for whatever reason the Bunny decided to come out of the hole. He didn't make it back in. Sue was suspended with her chest across a Sage main trunk with her foot stretched as far as it would go with a Bunny butt in it. I reached around her and pulled the Bunny up to where she could see it. She wasted no time in grabbing it by the head. I killed it for her and tossed her a cross section of Jack Back bone and meat as a reward. When she let go of the now dead Bunny I put it in my bag, and we moved on with Peg, leaving Sue to finish and catch up when she was done.
We hadn't gone very far and jumped another Bunny that managed to get into a Badger hole before Peg could catch up. She came back to the perch after it became clear that we weren't going to be able to get it back up again. Sue finished her food and flew back up to my Perch. Within another 15 feet we jumped another Bunny. Peg was after him, and he ducked into a Sage. Peg followed him around the other side, and he turned to avoid her, just in time for Sue to blow through the bush. Another scream, and Sue had caught two Bunnies in less than 10 minutes. I killed that one as well, and tossed her a front Bunny leg. My vest was beginning to get heavy.
We had several more chases on Bunnies, and both birds took off across an open field chasing a Jack that decided that he wanted to be in another field. They were too far behind to do any good, so they sat on the rocks on that side. As we walked a bit further another Jack took off running at them. I yelled and they started flying straight at him on a head on interception. The Jack didn't loose his nerve and kept running. Sue closed in, and he jinked left, then right and left Sue sitting on the ground where he had been. Peg took her shot, but missed as well. I decided now that they were both over there, I would clean the rabbits. Well apparently they are physic, because they both headed our way, and I got nothing done.
The next Bunny that jumped, peg was pushing him very hard, but he beat her to a hole. I went up to look and saw the bunny trying to get out another hole. I jabbed the perch in his face and he turned and ran back. Apparently too far, as Peg was coming in from the other side and grabbed him. She got her first reward of a front leg, and we took Sue the other direction to let her eat in peace.
Sue by this time had a pretty good bulge in her crop, and had decided that Jacks were too much trouble, and was going to concentrate on Bunnies. I couldn't blame her. Apparently they had forgotten about us, since we hadn't hunted this area for more than a month. We jumped another Bunnie around some Lava and Sue took off after him. The Bunny checked under a large Sage when it became apparent that crossing to the next bush would allow the hawk to catch him. Sue also checked and grabbed a bit of altitude. The Bunny was so confused as to his next move that he was just spinning underneath the bush. Sue piled through the bush knocking him out towards me. She jumped up off the ground after him, but he got into a big hole under the Lava. When we walked over to where he had been there was a hand full of bunny hair where she had hit him.
Today was a testament to how far the girls had progressed. Before today Bunnies were really hard for them to catch. We were catching 10 Jacks for every Bunny. They are catching them now by out thinking them and just plain determination.
We walked back to the truck without catching any more of them, and put the birds in their boxes. When I got home, I tied Sue to her outside perch with a Bunny head and neck to finish her meal.
A bit of an update is in order. Tami finally got her capture permit last week, and we caught her a male (Tiercel) Kestral right there on the ranch. His name is Roy, and he is doing quite well. It is surprising how quickly a hawk can tame down with a house full of kids to help with the manning process. He is starting to fly to the fist, and all of the family likes him.
Tara, Tami's sister that lives in Portland, just passed her test with a 97 score. She will not be ready to get her bird before summer, but with the way that government agencies seem to work, it should be about the right timing. Congratulations girls! Karen and I are proud of you.
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