Sorry couldn't help myself. Have you tried having someone pull a rabbit carcus from one concealled spot to another were your hawk would have to catch the lure before it disappears into another clup of impenatrable what ever it may be. It's just a thought. This will require the help of another and i don't know if it will help. The other is bagged game that will run but not to hard at first. It's possible that your bird specialized in mice and isn't confadent when it comes to larger game?Or it may need better conditioning and an increase in weight. It's possible that your birds don't have the energy reserves to put out the higher effort. But this is just brain storming trying to remember different things I've read and have been told. Hope something in the previous mess helps and my spelling doesn't confuse things too much. Best of Luck Chris Foster
FB, I spoke with our sponsor about Zach's bird (she does the samething. I let FB know about it in an earlier post). He mentioned one of Chris' ideas: the bird may be set on smaller prey. Zach's caught a nice little garter snake yesterday! He also suggested the bird might be in low condition. It hasn't been flown very much for about a month now. Our sponsor put his birds up for the season because he wasn't flying them enough to keep them in condition. His birds were hitting behind the bunny, too. So, Zach is doing jump ups twice a day with his bird. He works her until she is cropped up. He'll do this the rest of the week and we'll fly her again on Sunday. It may take longer than that, but we'll give it a shot. It sounded like a plausable scenario. The peices fit... lots of short glides... no stong flying... that could lead to an out-of-shape bird. I thought i'd share that with you. I'll let you know how it works for us.
Post by Falcon Boy on Feb 25, 2004 19:01:53 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing Bob. I have just been taking my bird out every chance i can, that way he can fly from tree to tree. I will start doing jump ups too.
Falcon Boy Apprentice Falconry Administrator
Ethics make the individual, not the other way around.
This jump up thingy seems to be catch , I've just starts Mary on jump ups because the days finally long enough that there is still light when I get home so I can start getting her back in shape for gophers and hare when they reopen unless her condition is good enough to go out before the season shots down for the month of April. Best of luck Chris
Is it possible that your bird specialized in mice and isn't confadent when it comes to larger game?
If thats true could you buy a rabbit, rubber band its hind legs and cover it somehow so that only the head is showing? Wouldnt this force the RT to attack its head? Or what about using a rabbit's head on the lure? Im inexperienced have no RT yet but I might have this problem in the future so are these possiblitys?
Post by CoolCharlie on Feb 26, 2004 3:37:49 GMT -5
I just read about this in North American Falconry & Hunting hawks.....It recommends that when flying at the lure (if the bird is hitting the rear) to drag the lure once footed & let the hawk kinda chase it to encourage a frontal hit. The book said after a few successful tries, the hawk will learn to hit the head.
I have no experience (yet), just thought this might help.
Hey! good brainstorming! good ideas, all. we'll work on them. It seems that the jump-ups are working. Volo is flying higher and stronger than ever. Our state organization (MFA) is having a meet on March 20th. Lots of rabbits at this meet location . We'll see how it goes. FB, how did your bird do over the weekend? Any hassenpfeffer on the table?
Post by Falcon Boy on Feb 26, 2004 15:22:23 GMT -5
Last weekend is when he got knocked out of the tree Im gonna try to fly him this weekend, its been hell to get rabbits out, i dont know why, last time i was out with no hawk just looking and only flushed 1 rabbit in 3 hours. I dont know where they are all going!
Falcon Boy Apprentice Falconry Administrator
Ethics make the individual, not the other way around.
I don't know about you FB but a pack of wolves have moved into the area where i was catching snowshoe hare for winter feed for Mary so I'll have to find a new locatiuon for my snares. With the spring melt starting some of the better winter hawking areas are getting hard to get into. Ya things are tough all over and Mary's not really redy to get back out there yet. Keep your heads up who knows why the rabbits down but it shouldn't last long. Perhaps the breeding season is starting up and half the population is in the borrow for a while. Chris