Post by HawkingRage on Nov 19, 2006 16:48:54 GMT -5
Ok ill start off by saying that i think that rabbit populations are down this year and i am not having the same success i had last year.
I found a small area that has lots of trees and a fair amount of squirels. i have never hunted squirels till yesterday.
Yesterday my bird was 24.8 oz. a bit low by almost an ounce and a half. Just dropped weight ill talk about that later but RIP was hot. i opened his GH to go out hunting and before the door was open 2 inches my hand was in my birds grasp. Holy crap was that fast, i had no idea and no chance really to respond but he did let go right away kind of like, oops.. sorry about that. lol.
well i took the bird down to the trees by the river, i live a 2 minute walk from the arkansas river. i put him up in the trees and he climbed very well getting up to the top with ease. we have never hunted where there are trees little own a wooded area. i did see squirels but the bird wasnt looking for them in the trees. just looking down. I Threw things up and yelled and hit the trees with my stick but these squirels knew the bird was there and wouldnt present themselves. came home empty handed but the bird got alot of excersize. great fist responce, i couldnt believe it when he came down from 60 feet up. so fast and intimidating till he got to me and stoped and landed like a feather on my glove. i gave him some good food and put him out for the night so that we could hunt the next day.
Today i weighed the bird and he was at 25.3. hooded we went down to the trees. i wanted to try a squirel again. talked with Yarak last night and got some tips and good conversation so i felt good about going out again in this area.
We got to the area that i wanted as i could see a squirel and i took off the hood and let RIP go upinto a tree. Holy crap he was like 6 feet below a squirel and he didnt even know it. i started yelling and threw a stick up in the air to maybe get the squirels attention. well it make the bird fly over to another branch this time straight ahead of the squirel. that little rat didnt move a hair. i was hitting the tree but nothing. there where a couple haggard redtails soaring above us screaming now and then so i think that the squirel was in no mood to play. I took my wrist rocket and sent a rock up to the squirel but missed. well it was boring and my bird took off another direction. i wasnt hitting any bushes and he decided to go hunt himself. i lost him for about 5 minutes and ran into someone in the woods. he was confused about why i was there with a fishing vest and one glove on. i just told him i was hunting with my bird and he was nice about it wishing me luck as he walked away. well i walked about 60 yards in the direction my bird was but i couldnt find him. i was looking at 2 redtails soaring above me screaming so i figured that they where pissed my bird was around so i used them to relocate my bird. soon enough i found him soaring too. wow a good 100 feet up . i knew it was him cause of his jesses. no bell sound. i worked for what could have been 3 minutes triing to get him out of the soar and soon he came down to a tree way up at the top a good 70 feet up. I decided that i would start hitting some bush when i noticed a squirel up in a tree very close to the tree my bird was in. this little guy was eating and paying no attention to me. i sent up a rock with the sling shot and missed but i did hit the wood right next to it. THIS IS FUNNY. the little Guy started chattering at me as if to give me a piece of his mind. he didnt even know it but he had a red tail hawk closing in to his possision fast. just before they connected the squirel saw what was coming and jumped about 30 feet out of the tree. THe bird was diving and just a split second after the squirel hit the ground running RIP hit this little bugger full speed right in the head and back of the neck! Holy Crap I Couldnt Believe It! it was like a rodeo as this squirel jumped up in the air taking my bird with it. they tumbled and twisted like crazy, it was like my bird was on a jack. I ran in as quick as i could. It was hard to get the right possision but i eventually got it to where i could take my ski pole and jamb it into the chest of this animal at least to stop the tumbling. I dont think ive ever seen my bird so possesive of anything we have caught. He would not let go of that head and neck. soon i knew that it was dead so i tried a trade off. NOPE the bird didnt want it. I covered the squirel with my vest and got the trade off eventually. cropped up i put his hood on and got the vest back on for the mile walk home. I forgot the camera in the truck but the batteries where dead so i had to wait for pics till i got home and charged the batteries for 10 minutes. the wife took pics i think they turned out good.
All and all it was truly an awesome experience. it rivals my first chase and first kill. almost like being reborn. wow. my bird was 719 grams and the squirel was 640 grams. Totally amazing that my bird took an animal that weighed almost as much as himself with so much tenacity.
Cigar in hand i think this day off was extreemly productive and educational.
THANK YOU YARAK FOR YOUR WORDS LAST NIGHT. THIS IS GREAT!
I found a small area that has lots of trees and a fair amount of squirels. i have never hunted squirels till yesterday.
Yesterday my bird was 24.8 oz. a bit low by almost an ounce and a half. Just dropped weight ill talk about that later but RIP was hot. i opened his GH to go out hunting and before the door was open 2 inches my hand was in my birds grasp. Holy crap was that fast, i had no idea and no chance really to respond but he did let go right away kind of like, oops.. sorry about that. lol.
well i took the bird down to the trees by the river, i live a 2 minute walk from the arkansas river. i put him up in the trees and he climbed very well getting up to the top with ease. we have never hunted where there are trees little own a wooded area. i did see squirels but the bird wasnt looking for them in the trees. just looking down. I Threw things up and yelled and hit the trees with my stick but these squirels knew the bird was there and wouldnt present themselves. came home empty handed but the bird got alot of excersize. great fist responce, i couldnt believe it when he came down from 60 feet up. so fast and intimidating till he got to me and stoped and landed like a feather on my glove. i gave him some good food and put him out for the night so that we could hunt the next day.
Today i weighed the bird and he was at 25.3. hooded we went down to the trees. i wanted to try a squirel again. talked with Yarak last night and got some tips and good conversation so i felt good about going out again in this area.
We got to the area that i wanted as i could see a squirel and i took off the hood and let RIP go upinto a tree. Holy crap he was like 6 feet below a squirel and he didnt even know it. i started yelling and threw a stick up in the air to maybe get the squirels attention. well it make the bird fly over to another branch this time straight ahead of the squirel. that little rat didnt move a hair. i was hitting the tree but nothing. there where a couple haggard redtails soaring above us screaming now and then so i think that the squirel was in no mood to play. I took my wrist rocket and sent a rock up to the squirel but missed. well it was boring and my bird took off another direction. i wasnt hitting any bushes and he decided to go hunt himself. i lost him for about 5 minutes and ran into someone in the woods. he was confused about why i was there with a fishing vest and one glove on. i just told him i was hunting with my bird and he was nice about it wishing me luck as he walked away. well i walked about 60 yards in the direction my bird was but i couldnt find him. i was looking at 2 redtails soaring above me screaming so i figured that they where pissed my bird was around so i used them to relocate my bird. soon enough i found him soaring too. wow a good 100 feet up . i knew it was him cause of his jesses. no bell sound. i worked for what could have been 3 minutes triing to get him out of the soar and soon he came down to a tree way up at the top a good 70 feet up. I decided that i would start hitting some bush when i noticed a squirel up in a tree very close to the tree my bird was in. this little guy was eating and paying no attention to me. i sent up a rock with the sling shot and missed but i did hit the wood right next to it. THIS IS FUNNY. the little Guy started chattering at me as if to give me a piece of his mind. he didnt even know it but he had a red tail hawk closing in to his possision fast. just before they connected the squirel saw what was coming and jumped about 30 feet out of the tree. THe bird was diving and just a split second after the squirel hit the ground running RIP hit this little bugger full speed right in the head and back of the neck! Holy Crap I Couldnt Believe It! it was like a rodeo as this squirel jumped up in the air taking my bird with it. they tumbled and twisted like crazy, it was like my bird was on a jack. I ran in as quick as i could. It was hard to get the right possision but i eventually got it to where i could take my ski pole and jamb it into the chest of this animal at least to stop the tumbling. I dont think ive ever seen my bird so possesive of anything we have caught. He would not let go of that head and neck. soon i knew that it was dead so i tried a trade off. NOPE the bird didnt want it. I covered the squirel with my vest and got the trade off eventually. cropped up i put his hood on and got the vest back on for the mile walk home. I forgot the camera in the truck but the batteries where dead so i had to wait for pics till i got home and charged the batteries for 10 minutes. the wife took pics i think they turned out good.
All and all it was truly an awesome experience. it rivals my first chase and first kill. almost like being reborn. wow. my bird was 719 grams and the squirel was 640 grams. Totally amazing that my bird took an animal that weighed almost as much as himself with so much tenacity.
Cigar in hand i think this day off was extreemly productive and educational.
THANK YOU YARAK FOR YOUR WORDS LAST NIGHT. THIS IS GREAT!
