D@mn RT!! I wish I could get my RT Ms. GRIM to take a duck. I had a couple of slips that went awry before I could get her in position. Can you tell us a bit more about how you got that one. -Joe
I tried hard for ducks after that and had a few other close shots and had her connect again but the duck broke free. The Key is to get your bird as high as possible above the ducks, they need speed, ducks are super fast. I took that mallard by having my bird high in the tree on a hill and then flushing the ducks towards her, she took off when they did and went into a stoop that carried her below them, then she used her momentum to shoot back up into the duck. I tried this technic again on the next duck slip and she grabbed another one out the air but it twisted free and dumped back into the pond, she then took a perch and as soon as she landed the duck took off and so did she but she couldn't keep up. I also tried putting her in trees right over the pond, and then tried flushing the duck (it didn't work) the ducks wouldn't flush for one thing they were watching the hawk more then me and wouldn't compromise there safe watery refuge, I was throwing rocks, sticks and everything I could get my hands on, my bird got keyed up over all this and started stooping them, but as soon as she would get close they would dive under water and pop up 10 feet away, this went on for about 10 minutes until she was slightly out of position in a tree, and ducks saw there chance, ducks know right when to make there move they time it perfectly most of the time. I think the key is to flush the ducks with them not knowing the hawk is there, try to flush them toward the hawk,only fly small bodies of water and the shallower the better some redtails will crash in after them some don't. If I were you do some mock hunts with bagged ducks Grim will find the best method for use. I did a duck baggy with my Harris this year, and had him pull feathers on a wood duck so I hope to try again this season for ducks.
One of the fields i hunt has a small culvert and once in a while some ducks. A couple weeks ago i tried to slip Modoc on a pair of ducks. The only problem is no trees so its not a great setup. But there is a 20 ft high embankment so not impossible. Modoc was slipped off the fist as i threw some rocks to get the ducks moving, modoc chassed fora couple seconds but then veered off and landed on the other side, as the ducks dissappeared off in the horizon. afterward Modoc was intensely watching a clump of reeds, i saw movement and then modoc took off at it, it was one of those black mud hens, he swoopped down and then veered up and hovered, then landed on the edge again still watching. This went on for several minutes, modoc hovering and the mudhen submerging and hiding,, it was fun to watch. just another example of how opertuneistic the redtail is.
Post by UTLongWinger on Jul 14, 2008 9:34:22 GMT -5
I hope to get a few shots at some canal ducks with my wife and her RT this year, we'll see what happens. I don't think ducks are really a good quarry as a primary quarry for a redtail, but I think they can certainly take them.