I need some opinions on reasonable expectations for a RTH's jump-up abilities. My bird's training log is posted in that section of the forum. He's doing resonably well: started hunting about a month ago and he's killed 1 rabbit and 3 squirrels. Yesterday I decided to try some jump-ups as I didn't have enough time to hunt. His perch was about 6 feet from the base of my ladder. The best he could do was to reach my glove when held 6 feet above him (45deg climb). Any higher and he would fall short! This seems pathetic to me and a possible sign of very poor fitness. We hunted this morning and he flew well. Comments?
Give a man a fire, make him warm for a day. Set a man on fire, make him warm for life.
Forget jump ups. The birds don't need them. Many people say our birds are not as fit as wild ones, but then again when do you see wild bird following for over an hour or chasing game that has been flushed. These birds will sit around and wait for an easy meal in the wild. If the bird needed the exercise would it not find a way to do it. Young birds when they try and get into shape hold branches and beat their wings. You dont see our birds doing that.
With my last bird she did not have any exercise during the molt. No jump ups, no controlled bates, no exercise flights. So first day of the season after not being flown she takes a squirrel after 3 reflushes. Also this bird and others are not flown for two weeks during shotgun deer season when we can not leagly hunt. No ill effects are shown when we fly again. People are confusing bird anatomy and physiology with that of humans.
Birds will lose muscle mass when you bring their weight down.I use fly ups on off days( no free meals). At the end of last season my bird could do 40 8 ft fly ups without a problem. Try decreasing the angle slightly and hydrate your bird well. My sponsor is an advocate of fitness training and talks about it in his books.Kurt