Jessie 3rd Duck

I rolled out the plane to check for ducks after I finished my post about Peg and Sly. The Lake didn't have anything other than Coots, there were some ducks in the horse pasture, along with all the horses at the ranch, so I decided to go to "Appendix Point" for our afternoon hunt with Jessie. After putting the plane away, we loaded everyone in the truck and began the bumpy ride to the pond.

There were ducks on the pond, and I went to get Jessie. She had thrown a fit and pulled her hood on the trip up there. I actually only hood her to prove to her that I can. She rides really well without a hood, and I rarely ever hood her after she has flown. We had a bit longer walk and she flew a lot more than I would have preferred, or allowed if she still had her hood on. A Kestral wanted to contest ownership of the pond, but she paid no more attention to him than a Mosquito, and soon took her pitch over the pond. Apparently there has been a turnover on the residents, these blew out without any influence by me.

 

You can see her coming down after the ducks, who have pitched back into the pond. I thought that she would pull up and I would have to flush them again, but she skimmed over the water and scooped up a duck and took him to the bank with her momentum. I was a bit amazed that she had managed to pull it off.

I was amazed to find that the duck she caught was a Red Head. For one thing it is quite a bit heavier than she is, so she was cooking when she grabbed him, since she was about 30 yards from the water. I don't recall ever seeing a Redhead here. Karen had the audacity to complain that it was over too fast, not me, my butts dragging, Jessie was panting with the exertion of the flight.