Jessie and Jasper

Karen and I took Jessie to Appendix Point to try for a Duck today. I was hoping that the pond would be thawed and there would be Ducks on it. About half of it was thawed and did have some Ducks, so I turned Jessie loose.

She was quite anxious to go and wasted no time getting up and over the pond. I flushed the Ducks and we both lost her in the flock that came up off the water. Ducks were milling every where and finally out of the flock I saw her with a Duck in her talons trying mightily to carry it to dry land. She was in front of the cliffs on the other side, and it became obvious to both of us that she wasn't going to make it. She dropped him into the pond and flew over to our side to land on the cliff behind us.

I called the dogs to me and ducked down behind the Sage to give the Ducks a chance to land again. Several of them did land and I looked up to see Jessie getting in position again. I waited until she was in as good a position as she could get, and flushed again. Again I lost her, and then there she was with another Duck in her feet stroking for the bank. This time it was closer and she landed in some really thick Rabbit Brush.

I went to look for her, but could not find her anywhere. I made three trips back and forth through it, and still could not find her. Karen came up with the truck and I requested the Telemetry receiver to cut down on the search. Josie was in front of me and quickly went on point and with her help I could see her.

 Of course the little darling wasn't going to do anything to give her position away.

 The Duck (Drake Gadwall) appeared to be dead, so I gave her a Pigeon to eat, and clipped her up.

 I tied her to my vest and let her get on with her meal while I picked the Duck. I decided that I was going to try smoking this Duck in my smoker to see if my memory of how bad Ducks taste in correct. So while she ate, I plucked.

Tami called when we got home and inquired as to whether 99 grams might be too much to fly Jasper. He caught a Sparrow at 98 grams the last time. I told her that if his attitude was right to bring him over. If he doesn't chase, it is no big deal.

Tami and Isabel came over and we turned him loose. He wasted no time in going to the outside pen and taking a stand. We rousted one out of the pen, and Jasper chased him to and under the Pigeon house, then a skirmish on the rock fence. He lost the Sparrow in the rocks and went to the captive Chicken pen. I had a couple of Starlings in my trap, and I was hurrying to get them out of sight before he crawled through the wire to see if he could get one of them. I was worrying for nothing as he made a dive off the top of the pen and nailed a Sparrow on the back rock wall.

Tami picked him up and we retired to the shop to let him eat where we could be warm.

As I mentioned earlier in the year, weight is real important in getting a hawk to pay attention and hunt. However as I also pointed out attitude is just as much a driver as hunger. We had to keep this little guy at 92 grams when we started. He killed today with no fooling around at 99 grams. 7 grams to him is like several ounces to a bird like Jessie. When you love your job, it isn't work!