Mystic ~ my new PFRT!

[jballone]

Well, I've reached another milestone in my short falconry career. On September 16th, Michigan's trapping season opened and after a long day, I finally trapped me a keeper! Meet Mystic, my first passage RT that was trapped at about 5:00pm and weighed 1265 grams (including abba & hood).

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/2341/mystic1fu3.jpg
(she's puffed up a bit because my cat just walked by the sliding door)

The fateful day started at 5:00am on the 16th. I was trapping with my sponsor (Kenn Filkins) and 3 good friends (Kory Koch, Tim Riley & Scott Stratton). This was the 3rd RT trapped and the largest. The first (2) weighed in at 890 & 860 grams. I was looking for a larger RT for squirrels and snowshoe hare in the U.P. (Upper Michigan) and I think Mystic will fit the bill nicely.

Her crop felt empty at trapping and I was able to tidbit her quail on the first night. She even ate a tidbit off the glove and pulled at a quail leg for a second this first night :D On day two, she ate/tore at quail on the fist and even hooded moderately well. Her weight has been coming off slowly....I'm still learning and the weather has been warm here lately. Yesterday & today, she preened on the glove and when I took her up for her feeding this afternoon, she picked at the glove as if she was looking for food. I made a mental note of this and was slightly encouraged I'd get a hop but still felt she was too heavy today (down 35 grams from trapping). I placed her on her perch (in the garage), loaded up a larger tidbit of washed beef, turned to her, blew the whistle and after a 10 second head bob, she jumped to the fistjaww I was shocked but didn't skip a beat. I re-loaded the glove, presented it to her (a bit farther away) and blew the whistle...she came after 5 seconds! I re-loaded and did it one more time, the length of the leash and she jumped to the glove after a couple seconds. I only prepared 3 pieces, do to their size and she was at the stage to jump to the fist or not. All I had left was a quail wing for a tiring, so I loaded it up and she jumped again for it! I couldn't believe it...wow! I called my sponsor shortly after and shared the great news with him. A little while later, I took Mystic outside and got two more jumps (length of leash). These were slower (15 second pauses) but still exciting none the less.

I have started to introduce her to her mews but have had to block the windows because of excessive bating and will work at slowly revealing the windows over time. While in the mews, she was really leaning towards me so I presented my ungarnished glove and after a bit, she hopped to my fist! She did this three times..too cool.

Anyway, I hope everyone else was or will be successful in getting their birds this season. Here's some more pics:
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/1584/rtvv7.jpg
Dusted, jessed, hooded & beer in hand...LIFE IS GOOD!

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/5099/rt2jt3.jpg
Scott & I admiring Mystic!

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/4687/rt3ib0.jpg
First night home.

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/9497/imgp0344ce9.jpg
Perched on back deck

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/7969/imgp0345hd1.jpg
Back deck

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/3372/imgp0350mp5.jpg
In the mews.

Next step creance, lure & free flight! Can't wait. Thanks to all those who helped me get to this point clapp

[sevristh]

Joe,

Awesome progress for 5 days! Sounds like you got one of the 'easy' ones! Congrats!

[Tiercel78]

Nice looking bird! I really like the banding on her tail. Good Luck with her!

[KidK]

Joe,

Thanks for taking the time to finally post something about Mystic! She looks great at home!

We did have a ball for sure.. To add to the story, we flew Kenn's Harris cast on Monday night (opening day of small game season) and his female Sadie caught her first wild rabbit.. We had dozens of flights (flushed somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 rabbits) but the cover was super thick.. We had a blast hawking though.

Trapping a nice bird for Joe was the icing on the cake! Joe was a nervous wreck for a while there when we had yet to trap a larger bird, but as we were running in to the BC and saw how nice she looked, all the worry melted away!

I hope Kenn will add some photos when he gets settled back home after his week of hawking and trapping and more hawking...

Here are a couple more I took of the Proud Papa Joe!

[laj]

Congrats! She is beautiful and seem to be a fast learner, too.

[Ken S.]

Nice looking RT!! It's always such an amazing feeling when holding a new hawk on the glove for the first time and those first weeks of training.

[wesleyc6]

Very exciting and a fine looking bird! I just don't understand why you are grinnin' so bigtoungeout

[Eagle Owl]

Congrats on trapping your first bird!!! clapp Your heart will skip a beat every time she progresses, but nothing will compare to that first kill!!! By the sound of it, you will be there in no time!!!!! rockon

[Bryant Tarr]

Congrats Joe! Sorry I missed you. I was at Kory's on Sunday but had to get back. Would have loved to stay for the trapping fest! Best of luck with her.

[MadAustringer]

clappRight on! Don't think of her as a Red Tailed Hawk, but instead, think of her as a Red Tailed Hawk Eagle and you will appreciate the buff killing machine you now possess...

All the best wishes,
Tom

[FredFogg]

Way to go Joe! Congrats on the new bird! She looks like a good one. She must have been pretty sharp to progress this fast. I would say you won't have to take her weight down as much as most of us normalld do. I actually trapped a bird once that weighed 39 oz and was as sharp a red-tail as I have ever trapped and had to raise its weight and it ended up flying at 41 oz. But that is very rare. Have fun and enjoy this first year, it will go by fast! clappclappclapp

[Kenn Filkins]

Joe,

Great work with your new hawk! I am home again and will post some pics, very soon!

Congratulations again. What a great time with Kory and the crew. I wonder if Kory went back to catch that male RT by his dad's house.... What a fun bird his was to watch and to try to trap.

I may have to write a story about that day of trapping.... There were many highlights for sure.

[hawkstir]

clappJoe,

Sounds like a great first bird.

[Takasho]

Very cool! I remember the first bird I trapped, I was absolutely freaking out I was so excited. You'll always remember her as your first bird.

Looking forward to the hunting stories! rockon

[jballone]

Thanks everyone. Every day has been an adventure with her so far. Today she flew 20+ feet on the creance (day 6). Started at 5ft and slowly walked it back for 7 flights. Her initial response was slow but after that, she was eyeballing me, waiting for the whistle. The last flight was slow and she looked as though she was gonna fly off to a tree but she came and I ended the session. I'll be moving to a local soccer field for future creance flights.

The only issue I'm having right now is she's bating while in the mews. I introduced her to it yesterday and she started bating after about 15 minutes (she's tethered). I covered the windows up with plywood and she stopped. I spent about an 1.5 hrs with her in the mews then put her up in the GH. Today I installed white bedsheets over the windows and plan on slowly rolling them up. She's in their now, with the sheets all the way down and I can hear her bate every 10 minutes or so. I hope she slowly gives up on bating as her weight drops and she settles down. My sponsor suggested the sheets and he's hopeful she will settle down as time goes on.

Other than that, all is GREAT!

[Eagle Owl]

Joe, do you plan to free loft her or keep her tethered all the time?

[jballone]

Joe, do you plan to free loft her or keep her tethered all the time?
I plan on tethering during the hunting season and freelofting during the off season. Obviously this can change and depends on how the hawk does with each.

[Eagle Owl]

I plan on tethering during the hunting season and freelofting during the off season. Obviously this can change and depends on how the hawk does with each.

What I have done with my birds is keep them in the house until they are out hunting, then put them in the mews. But I always freeloft. I do know falconers that could not freeloft, even during the molt, as their birds would continuously bounce of the walls. If covering the windows doesn't work, I would definitely try other things...see what works best for this individual bird.

Good luck! Can't wait for the hunting stories to begin!!!:D

[h-bob]

Firstly, great looking bird and nice job flying 20' in 6 days is awesome.

Just my two cents worth, I have only flown a RT but learned after my first season to tether during hunting season and free loft during the moult. My experience with my hawk at hunting weight is he would bounce off of the walls and bang the bars whenever I was anywhere near the mew or coming to pick him up to go hunting. His talons became very dull and it cost us a lot of kills. He also broke one, (the same one) twice. In his second season, I tethered him as soon as I started to drop his weight and his talons stayed a lot sharper.

I have now modified my mews. Right now, I have an eight foot by 40 shelf, padded with carpet (upside down) for padding with a bow perched screwed down on it. He cannot get close to the edge so hanging is not an issue and his talons are like needles. This shelf is approx. 4 feet off of the ground, so excessive cold is not an issue.

As in all falconry, some folks are gonna say this is a terrible way to keep my bird, and others are gonna agree with my experience. Find what works for you, discuss things with your sponsor first and make sure you look around and check out other mews if you can get access to them.

Yours in sport,
Henry
Chatham, Ont.

[Grahame]

Brilliant work in 6 days Joe.

Well done.

[FredFogg]

Joe,

Great job getting the red to fly 20 feet in 6 days! You have heard several suggestions and I will be glad to add one more, but as you already know, do what your sponser and you feel best, as your two opinions are the only ones that count! LOL For me, on a fresh trapped red-tail, I keep it in the giant hood until it is free flying. I will perch it outside on a bow perch and weather it, but only with me sitting right there. After it has had its time weathering, it goes back into the box. Then when it is free flying, I move it to the mew. That is what has worked for me and I am sure others do it differently, so good luck with what you and your sponser decide is best! And have more fun, all those pictures of you and the bird and no smiles, I don't understand it! LOL toungeout:D

Happy Hawking,

[TR541]

Great job Joe!!!

I really had a great time trapping, I might have been a little nervous but things worked out for the best!!

We will have to get together and hunt those SS hares.

[KidK]

Joe,

Update please?!?!?

[jballone]

Update Day 11:

Everything's been going really well thus far. The only real issue I was having is that she was bating a lot when perched next to me outside (1 bate every 1-2 minutes and I was worried about a leg injury). After some discussion with my sponsor, I ended up timing her bates the following days to see if she would slow down. The first day (26th) she bated 10 times in an hour and a half. It was like someone flipped a switch. Today she bated 5 times in an hour. Obviously an improvement and I'm very happy. The other thing I did which I believed helped (and was a no-brainer but had forgotten about) was when she was bating a lot, I was tethering her to the same perch she had been doing her hops & creance flights on. So now, she has a training perch for creance flights and two tethering perches.

Yesterday (27th) she flew on the creance - 6 times at 125ft. She also came 5 times without being called. Her first 2 flights were 10-15 second delays and all the rest were instant. This even against a strong headwind. I finished up with the lure and then to the fist for a chick leg. I was really excited on her response and the long flights. She's was at 1146gr (down 94 grams from trap weight) . Here's some pics from yesterday...
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/3281/imgp0316qb8.jpg
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/164/imgp0315qj2.jpg
http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/8746/imgp0317qi0.jpg

[everetkhorton]

Joe:
Sounds like everything is coming along fine. What is the game plan as far as game.

[jballone]

Joe:
Sounds like everything is coming along fine. What is the game plan as far as game.

Squirrels (Pine & Grey), SS Hare, Cotton tail and anything thing else she puts in for ;)

[EricADugan]

Joe,
Reminds me alot of my bird last year. You are moving along nicely time wise. I overfed during the intial stages which cost me time in getting to free flight. I wouldnt worry too much about the bating. My bird was a bating maniac. I would keep an eye on the bottoms of her feet and the sharpness of her talons. I had to treat two small areas on her feet as a result of bating. It ended up not being a problem, but that was due to catching it early. I would check her feet often if she keeps bating. Nice bird though.
Eric

[everetkhorton]

Squirrels (Pine & Grey), SS Hare, Cotton tail and anything thing else she puts in for ;)

Joe:
I have been watching in the Broad Wing thread for you action. Great to hear things are moving along good for you. Are you going to use a dog for SS?

[jballone]

Ev,
I'm not sure yet if I'll be using my dog or not yet. I'm slowly introducing them and we'll see how that goes. The SS hunting spots I've got picked out have all been hunted successfully w/o dogs.

[TexasFalconer]

Good advice, Fred. Passage RT's during training naturally bate a lot, and minor scale damage is often the result, no matter what you do. I'm fortunate to have a room in my house that serves as a indoor mew that I can make totally dark. My bird stays there until I have her hunting. Last year I flew a dark morph that was more psycho Coopers than RT. He never did stop bating- drove me nuts. frus


Joe,

Great job getting the red to fly 20 feet in 6 days! You have heard several suggestions and I will be glad to add one more, but as you already know, do what your sponser and you feel best, as your two opinions are the only ones that count! LOL For me, on a fresh trapped red-tail, I keep it in the giant hood until it is free flying. I will perch it outside on a bow perch and weather it, but only with me sitting right there. After it has had its time weathering, it goes back into the box. Then when it is free flying, I move it to the mew. That is what has worked for me and I am sure others do it differently, so good luck with what you and your sponser decide is best! And have more fun, all those pictures of you and the bird and no smiles, I don't understand it! LOL toungeout:D

Happy Hawking,

[TexasFalconer]

That last post reminded me of something I've been wanting to ask- when it comes to Red Tails, is there a preference for wide or narrow anklets? And made of what type leather? I've tried the wide kangaroo anklets but notice that with a batey bird they tend to cause some abrasion to the scales at the top of the anklet. I switched to a narrower anklet (just slightly wider than the grommet) and this seemed to help. I also always feather the anklets at the top and the bottom. What are others using?

[wesleyc6]

That last post reminded me of something I've been wanting to ask- when it comes to Red Tails, is there a preference for wide or narrow anklets? And made of what type leather? I've tried the wide kangaroo anklets but notice that with a batey bird they tend to cause some abrasion to the scales at the top of the anklet. I switched to a narrower anklet (just slightly wider than the grommet) and this seemed to help. I also always feather the anklets at the top and the bottom. What are others using?

Greg,
I take the pattern for kestrels in Mullenix's book and I blow that up until it is long enough for a RT and that seems the perfect width for me.

[TexasFalconer]

Neat idea, Wes. Thanks!

[jballone]

Well things are going very good. I've been slowly dropping her weight and she's at 1130gr (-110 gr from trap). She's been flying the full length of the creance (125') for the last 7 days. For the last 5 days, she has come numerous times w/o being called (no tidbit for these) and there's been zero hesitation when called for the last 4 days.

Today, she started off by flying to me 6 times as I attempted to walk to the end of the creance. Finally, on my 7th attempt, I was able to jog to the end and call her. She flew a total of 20 times ~ 10 calls & 10 no call flights. I threw the lure about 3/4 of the way through training and finished with a couple flights to the fist.

[Takasho]

Sounds like she's ready to go! rockon

7 days on a creance (especially if she's coming 125') seems a bit excessive but I know "cutting the cord", so to speak, can be difficult. Have you got telemetry?

[EricADugan]

Joe,
Sounds to me like she is ready to go as well. As long as she is wed to that lure, you should be fine. I flew my bird without telemetry for the beginning of the year, however she is extremely wed to the lure and responded to it accordingly all year. Seven days with such good results means you need to get your bird out into the field. Think of it as doing it for her sake. That will calm many of the concerns.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Eric

[FredFogg]

Well things are going very good. I've been slowly dropping her weight and she's at 1130gr (-110 gr from trap). She's been flying the full length of the creance (125') for the last 7 days. For the last 5 days, she has come numerous times w/o being called (no tidbit for these) and there's been zero hesitation when called for the last 4 days.

Today, she started off by flying to me 6 times as I attempted to walk to the end of the creance. Finally, on my 7th attempt, I was able to jog to the end and call her. She flew a total of 20 times ~ 10 calls & 10 no call flights. I threw the lure about 3/4 of the way through training and finished with a couple flights to the fist.

Joe, now is the time to slap some telemetry on her and go through your same flying routine in the same place without the creance. She will never know the creance isn't there. And then it is just a matter of getting out there and flushing game for her. Also, if I may ask, when you give her the lure, are you practicing trading her off. I find that is the best time to practice this as it doesn't go to well when you try it for the first time on the first kill. LOL

[jballone]

Spoke with my sponsor and I'm going to continue with creance and lure for another week and will focus on exposing her to as many distractions that I can find. I'll be doing creance in a field in town so she'll have to deal with traffic noise, dogs on leash and people. I'll also continue to wed her to the lure. This will also give me some time to try to dial in her weight. This is my first hawk so I'm going slow and steady. She is making me look good though :D

I have telemetry (Thanks Kory) but I'll have to redo the tail mount, seeing she preened it off on day 3 frus

[jballone]

Also, if I may ask, when you give her the lure, are you practicing trading her off. I find that is the best time to practice this as it doesn't go to well when you try it for the first time on the first kill. LOL

My Lure Work:
I give the lure call, swing it a couple times and throw it down. She flies up and eats off it and I tidbit her and flip the lure over to expose more meat on other side. By the time she's done, I have another tidbit waiting on the glove and once she finishes, I blow the whistle and she jumps to the glove. She has begun to look at me when she's done in anticipation of the glove tidbit.

I plan on using the above technique to trade her off the kill in the field.

[FredFogg]

My Lure Work:
I give the lure call, swing it a couple times and throw it down. She flies up and eats off it and I tidbit her and flip the lure over to expose more meat on other side. By the time she's done, I have another tidbit waiting on the glove and once she finishes, I blow the whistle and she jumps to the glove. She has begun to look at me when she's done in anticipation of the glove tidbit.

I plan on using the above technique to trade her off the kill in the field.

Joe, talk this over with your sponser, but I think you are going to find it more difficult to call her off a whole rabbit. She is used to eating everything on the lure and then trading off. You might want to put an entire squirrel or rabbit on the lure and make in, let her eat a little and then practice a trade off of where you cover up the rabbit and toss a trade off piece or have her step up to the glove for a trade off peace. Not trying to tell you what to do, so please don't take it that way. As I said before, talk it over with your sponser and of course, do it the way he wants you too.

Good luck,

[jballone]

Maybe I didn't explain it right. I plan on letting her settle down on the kill, then I'll throw the lure out away from her. When she goes for the lure, I'll pick up the kill (which I'll be kneeling on) and tuck it away. When she's done with the lure, call her to the fist.

Maybe I'm way off on this but this is how it's been explained to me and I've seen done in the field with good results. I guess time will tell.

[FredFogg]

Maybe I didn't explain it right. I plan on letting her settle down on the kill, then I'll throw the lure out away from her. When she goes for the lure, I'll pick up the kill (which I'll be kneeling on) and tuck it away. When she's done with the lure, call her to the fist.

Maybe I'm way off on this but this is how it's been explained to me and I've seen done in the field with good results. I guess time will tell.

No, that is correct! I just misunderstood your prior post! You got it all under control, I will just shut up! LOL

[h-bob]

I tried the whole lure toss thing to get my bird off of a kill. It did not work for me. My RT comes instantly from anywhere for the lure, but to get off of a kill, forget it. My advice is patience. Just kill singles and let him eat his daily ration from it and trade it off with the front leg and hide the rest.

As for distractions, the more the better, especially with dogs. Are you hunting with a dog? It is the best way to enjoy the flights of your RT. Once the team "clicks" you are nothing more than a ride and an observer of some fantastic hunting. I love those days.

[FredFogg]

I tried the whole lure toss thing to get my bird off of a kill. It did not work for me. My RT comes instantly from anywhere for the lure, but to get off of a kill, forget it. My advice is patience. Just kill singles and let him eat his daily ration from it and trade it off with the front leg and hide the rest.



I don't use the lure as a trade off on a red-tail, I just use what ever ration I am going to allow them to eat. The first 10 kills, it is a huge ration, then they get smaller. I only use the lure as an emergency retreival system. Anytime the lure comes out, the bird gets a full meal. Just my way! Totally different when I fly other types of birds.

[Hawkingcolorado]

Joe,
Nice RT....I like early trapped birds like yours, personally. From what you've described, she's ready to get out and kill stuff. Good job, and keep us updated. Pics,pics,pics.....;)-Tim

[KidK]

Joe,

You are doing great bud.. Can't wait to her of your first kill.

Sheezee... What do we gotta do to get Kenn to post some of the photos he took while we were trapping? :D

[Kenn Filkins]

Sheezee... What do we gotta do to get Kenn to post some of the photos he took while we were trapping? :D


Joe and Kory,

Here are some pics of that GREAT day.

Kory is awesome with setting up the trapping adventure and hospitality for all the crew. The "hero shot" at the end of these pictures shows the group Kory gathered for trapping Joe female Redtail.

Thanks to Kory, Tim and Scott for the great day....

Here are the pictures.

This is Joe, Kory and Scott just after she was caught.
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn122/jaakmerlin/8205foto.jpg

Here is her reaction to being caught.
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn122/jaakmerlin/8213foto.jpg

Joe the happy falconer....
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn122/jaakmerlin/8220foto.jpg

Redtail with new gear....
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn122/jaakmerlin/8248foto.jpg

The Happy Falconer again... at Kory's house near Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn122/jaakmerlin/8262foto.jpg

The Crew...
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn122/jaakmerlin/8266foto.jpg

Enjoy! :D

[FredFogg]

Redtail with new gear....
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn122/jaakmerlin/8248foto.jpg



Great pictures Kenn! Question for you all as I don't know who helped Joe put anklets on his bird. I put my anklets on exactly the same way except I punch a hole at the top and use a cable tie to put my bells on. I would like to put in those small grommets like shown in the picture and put the bells on that way because last year I had 3 bells come off where the cable tie ripped through the leather when my bird crashed brush. What size are those small grommets, what tool do you use to close them and where can I get said grommets and tool?

Oh yeah, the first picture answers that long lost question, how many guys does it take to get a bird off a trap! LOL

[jballone]

The Crew...
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn122/jaakmerlin/8266foto.jpg


Kenn,

Thanks for posting the pics! I think this one is pretty cool :D Sun setting, bird on the fist and the whole trapping crew.

[jballone]

What size are those small grommets, what tool do you use to close them and where can I get said grommets and tool?


Fred,

I gotta laugh because I caught some "ribbing" from the guys for the precision anklets I put on her. The metal ring for the bell tie is a 1/8" long shank eyelet: CLICK HERE (http://cgi.ebay.com/EYELETS-1-8-BRASS-LONG-SHANK-AMERICAN-TAG-E10LS_W0QQitemZ330209959253QQcmdZViewItem?hash=ite m330209959253&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C 240%3A1318&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14)

The setter is HERE (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-1-8-Eyelet-Setter-scrapbook-embellishment-tools_W0QQitemZ200246463975QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid= p3286.m20.l1116)

Hope this helps

[Kenn Filkins]

Fred,

I gotta laugh because I caught some "ribbing" from the guys for the precision anklets I put on her. The metal ring for the bell tie is a 1/8" long shank eyelet: CLICK HERE (http://cgi.ebay.com/EYELETS-1-8-BRASS-LONG-SHANK-AMERICAN-TAG-E10LS_W0QQitemZ330209959253QQcmdZViewItem?hash=ite m330209959253&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C 240%3A1318&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14)

The setter is HERE (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-1-8-Eyelet-Setter-scrapbook-embellishment-tools_W0QQitemZ200246463975QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid= p3286.m20.l1116)

Hope this helps


We did put it to Joe, about the "precise" nature of his anklets.... But I think it was jealousy mostly.... ideaa

[FredFogg]

Fred,

I gotta laugh because I caught some "ribbing" from the guys for the precision anklets I put on her. The metal ring for the bell tie is a 1/8" long shank eyelet: CLICK HERE (http://cgi.ebay.com/EYELETS-1-8-BRASS-LONG-SHANK-AMERICAN-TAG-E10LS_W0QQitemZ330209959253QQcmdZViewItem?hash=ite m330209959253&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C 240%3A1318&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14)

The setter is HERE (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-1-8-Eyelet-Setter-scrapbook-embellishment-tools_W0QQitemZ200246463975QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid= p3286.m20.l1116)

Hope this helps

Joe, after losing 3 Counce bells last year, I am not laughing! I think it is a great idea! Like I have said before, I is a poor white boy and them there bells are expensive! LOL Thanks!

Just checked the link, did you use the long shank ones?

[Kenn Filkins]

Kenn,

Thanks for posting the pics! I think this one is pretty cool :D Sun setting, bird on the fist and the whole trapping crew.

Joe,

I'll burn a CD of all the pics for you. We have some great ones that you'll enjoy. I like to ones of a little male RT by Kory's dad's home. I only wish we'd gotten pics of the several places your hawk landed before we caught her. We'll have to go back and get them when we're hawking in the area this fall.

[jballone]

Just checked the link, did you use the long shank ones?

Yes, the long shank. It fit through both ends of the anklet, just like the grommet.

[jballone]

Joe,

I'll burn a CD of all the pics for you. We have some great ones that you'll enjoy. I like to ones of a little male RT by Kory's dad's home.

Thanks Kenn!

[FredFogg]

Yes, the long shank. It fit through both ends of the anklet, just like the grommet.

Ok, thanks!

[sevristh]

Fred,

I've got some grommets that are in between the 1/8 and the normal size ones that I use in the same way as Joe. But the have a longer shank on them. I would say, from my experience anyway, that I see no reason to use the long shank grommets. My leather is pretty heavy duty, and the normal shanks go through fine. To me, all the longer shank does is make an ugly mess when it gets crimped down on leather that does not 'fill the void' so to speak.

Joe,
I like the double layered look to those anklets, can you explain further how you did that? Did you glue the two layers together?

[FredFogg]

Fred,

I've got some grommets that are in between the 1/8 and the normal size ones that I use in the same way as Joe. But the have a longer shank on them. I would say, from my experience anyway, that I see no reason to use the long shank grommets. My leather is pretty heavy duty, and the normal shanks go through fine. To me, all the longer shank does is make an ugly mess when it gets crimped down on leather that does not 'fill the void' so to speak.

Joe,
I like the double layered look to those anklets, can you explain further how you did that? Did you glue the two layers together?

Dave, I think that is why Joe uses the long shank, he uses double leather and the shorter ones probably don't work. I sometimes glue an extra piece on the inside that is just big enough to go around the leg so I don't have double leather where the grommet goes through, so the long shank may be too long, but I think it will depend on how thick of leather one uses.

[sevristh]

Any purpose for the extra bit of leather on the inside other than for looks?

[jballone]

Any purpose for the extra bit of leather on the inside other than for looks?
It's a laminated anklet. The inner layer provides the fringe for the top and bottom of the anklet and has the smooth side in (against the leg).

The inner layer leather grain runs perpendicular to the outer layer grain. The inner and outer pieces are glued together with contact cement. The kangaroo I originally bought was too thin to use alone but is perfect when laminated.

Finally, by using the eyelet for the bell attachment point I achieved a nice finished look which will prevent the zip tie from wearing away the leather.

[KidK]

I heard a rumor that Joe Ballone and his sponsor Kenn Filkins went and flew Joe's PFRT "Mystic" today for the first time..:D:D

I also know that Joe is about two more hours from home (driving back from Kenn's)... I hope he is not too tired to post about his day when he gets home at 9:00 pm EST..:eek:

Maybe Kenn can post some photos too, of course, after Joe posts his story..

Common' gang, let's get a chant started..

Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe,...clapp

[TR541]

Come on Joe, How did it go. I know that the first free flight is such a great feeling!!!!

[h-bob]

Joe ? Joe who? it's been a while since I have heard this name...............

LOL, just ribbing you a bit, hope all went well today.

[jballone]

Well, Kory is right, I flew Mystic for the first time today at my sponsor's place. Prior to going out, Kenn gave her the once over and agreed she looked good and we would re-attach the telemetry (the first one was preened off on day two & low and behold I have to re-do this one (plectrum) because it slid down, ugh!)

Anyway, we took her to some woods a short ways away (while carhawking Kenn's male harris to the field. The harris had about 10-12 slips to and from the field with some great flights, it was still exciting to watch.

So we arrived at the field and I put her on a branch. She came before being called as I walked away. Good sign :D So, I tried to get her on top of a shed I was standing next to with a jess throw but she hasn't learned that trick yet and she just flew to a nearby tree and took a low perch. We started walking the other way into the woods and as soon as she lost sight of us, she came flyng over and took a perch above us amennn

We pushed into the low area that we hoped would produce a hare. She kept up with us and would move up to us as soon as she lost sight of us. It was thick, so we never got too far ahead. At one point she came ripping through the trees, banking and weaving, buzzed just about me and took a perch. Kinda scared me how fast she came through the trees. Every time, she took a perch she was a little higher. We continued through the cedar and low pines but didn't kick up any hares. Through the final push, she got hung up in the thick stuff and I had to call her out with a tidbit and whistle.

We circled around and did another pass through some neighboring cedar. It was very thick but she kept up well. After breaking through some especially thick cover, I saw her flash on the other side as though she was looking for a hole to fly through. She ended up perching somewhere on the opposite side so I threw a tidbit on the glove and whistled for her. I could hear her flying on the opposite side of the cover, so I kept calling her name. She came zipping through and popped out in front of Kenn. She saw me and banked hard around a tree and landed on the glove. Too cool!

We worked our way to two leaf nests. I took out my slingshot and loaded it up with a green marble (Thanks Kory) and tried like heck to hit that nest. Just missed it. Oh well, I tried again and missed. Long story short I moved to a bigger nest and hit it twice...yet nothing came out frus I went back over to the first nest and started climbing the pine tree it was in. Mystic flew over to the neighboring tree and watched. Just as I got up to the nest, she spun and took off out of the pine trees and through the field where we started. Kenn wasn't sure what she went after, but there were rumors of turkeys being in that field in the past. Anyway, I busted the nest and it was empty, so I climbed down and went to the field and called her to the glove.

We decided to try one last spot where Kenn had seen a hare the last time he was here. We beat the brush but only found a porcupine sitting in a tree a short distance away. We decided to walk back to the van and set up a baggie with a rabbit we had brought. As we were walking back, I spotted 2 chipmunks "playing" on a pile of wood. I called Mystic over and the chase was ON! She took a low perch and looked my way as I attempt to "push" the chippys her way. She launched and chased one up a fallen tree before it made it to cover. The second one was under some fallen trees so I gathered her up and held her above me as Kenn and the 3rd member of our hunting party (I believe his name is Jason) pushed the chippy out from the cover. Mystic bolted for this one but it made it under a log. Just at this time, Jason had seen a 3rd chippy just a short ways away, so I picked Mystic up and brought her over. As I neared, she lept from my fist towards this third chippy. She was on one end of two small logs and I was on the other. I could see the chippy running under the logs back and forth between Mystic and me. The chippy made a fatal error when it tried to escape by running between the logs in from of Mystic. She grabbed it with both feet (head and chest) and I ran up and squeezed the lower half for good measure and to make sure Mystic had a good grip. I released it after 20 or so seconds and she turned and stepped off of the log and began to eat up. She polished off the chippy pretty quick and when she was done, she turned and looked up at me. I had a tidbit ready, blew the whistle and she jumped right up. ;)

After a short while, I hooded her up and we all walked out of the woods and reflected on the hunt. I know it's just a chippy but I think she did great today. Her flights through the trees were fast and sharp (except for the time she got hung up but she's still learning) and she followed very well. And to end the first free flight with a kill was just gravy.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera in my vehicle and Kenn did not have his. He did however take a couple photos with his cell. Maybe he'll post them here.

We ended the day carhawking back to Kenn's, where we had a great meal! Thanks again Kenn!

[Eagle Owl]

Excellent!!!!!clappclappclapp

[TR541]

Great job Joe !!!! I sure hope the cover starts to die down soon, I have my RT ready... Did get a couple of flights at Woodcock with the Coop's, no kills as of yet. I want snow!!!

[h-bob]

Glad to hear you are well on your way Joe. Great story and glad she caught something, that is the best learning experience she can get.

[jballone]

Great job Joe !!!! I sure hope the cover starts to die down soon, I have my RT ready... Did get a couple of flights at Woodcock with the Coop's, no kills as of yet. I want snow!!!

Tim, the leaves are just starting to fall here. Hopefully some high wind nights will knock them down.

[Bryant Tarr]

Good work Joe! The red-tailers in Maine are also looking forward to the leaves going away. I've been chasing a few squirrels, but it is so thick I can't see much. No kills for me yet, but connected with one the other day that put a big bite in one leg. First blood of the season was hawk blood! :eek:

[everetkhorton]

Joe:
WTG clapp Joe, if you are ever down this way I can put you on to sqr. real fast, like my yard. You guys are welcome anytime. What is Mystic flying weight? Did you use Ken JR's.

[jballone]

Joe:
WTG clapp Joe, if you are ever down this way I can put you on to sqr. real fast, like my yard. You guys are welcome anytime. What is Mystic flying weight? Did you use Ken JR's.

Ev,

She flew at 1090gr. Kenn said she her keel felt good and that it was a good baseline to judge future flying weights. We did not use Kenn's JR's. I'll be flying her at some squirrels in the next few days, I'll keep you posted.

[anasari]

Joe, after losing 3 Counce bells last year, I am not laughing! I think it is a great idea! Like I have said before, I is a poor white boy and them there bells are expensive! LOL Thanks!

Just checked the link, did you use the long shank ones?
I meant to comment on the bell/anklet design,. I like IT! And I understand Fred's sentiments as well.even though I'm not a poor white boy. Great ideaclappclappclapp

[jballone]

Took Mystic hunting today before work. I've been trying to kick up some cottontails that are supposedly in an industrial park area behind the mall. She followed well as I worked the thick underbrush but nothing got kicked up.

After finishing working this field, I called her down and crossed the road to work an adjoining field. My initial jess toss ended with her flying across the street and onto a sign. I walked over to her and called her back and took her into the field a bit more and tossed her to the treeline. I immediately started beating the brush and after a few seconds, she turned and launched into the woods. Her wings were set and I was pretty confident she was putting in on something, so I yelled the game call and ran in her direction. It didn't take long and I found her on the ground with a gray squirrel in her grip. I used the spike on the end on my flushing stick to assist in dispatching the squirrel as quickly as possible. I let her pick at the carcass and then cut it open with my game shears. After a little while, I cut a rear leg off and tossed it to her. The trade off went awesome. I grabbed the back end of the squirrel with my gloved hand and then tossed the lure. She jumped off the squirrel (no carry at all) and onto the lure. I put the squirrel in the bag and when she was done on the lure, she was looking for her tidbit off the glove. A quick whistle and up she came :D Oh ya, there were no bites on her either!!


http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/387/imgp0361in7.jpg
Flushing stick spike in the squirrel.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/2863/imgp0365wf7.jpg
Mystic eating up.

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/8265/imgp0368lu0.jpg
The hero shot;)

[Bryant Tarr]

Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great work Joe! :) clapp

[h-bob]

Well done, I wished my RT traded off so easily, he won't let go of anything he catches for a very long time. Good thing I am patient.

[KidK]

Joe,

Great job dude! Congratulations on #2!! clapp

You are on doing a great job with her and it is awesome to see you having so much fun!:D

Just remember, cheezy smiles are allowed in the hero shot.. I wish I could have been there to remind you to smile (Mr. Serious)!

Thank for the phone call.. It is good to hear the excitement in your voice!

[Kenn Filkins]

Joe,

Wow, what an awesome day for your and Mystic!
I'm so very happy for you. I know you have many more wonderful days with your RT!
I cannot wait to see her fly again.
Soon,

[chris kimble]

Great job, and like a pro you even graced the forum with pics:D Congrats!

[everetkhorton]

Joe:
Great, wait until you get to see her work a sqr. it is a lot of fun to watch. Not much work ether. Not all that brush to get around. What was her flying weight?

[jballone]

Ev,

She was working a squirrel yesterday in the park for about 10 minutes. She laddered up and then spiraled down the trunk but ole' bushy tail got away.

When I flew her on the squirrel pictured, she was at 1105gr.

[Lee Slikkers]

gorgeous bird Joe...you are doing the apprentices more than proud this year! Keep the stories and the pics coming!

[tumble]

Good job! I'm a second year apprentice and I still get that sh!t eatin' grin after a kill too. :) When you get that first SS hare the grin is going to pull the skin right off your face. It can be hard work, but it's soooo worth it.
http://www.nafex.net//showthread.php?t=1681

[jballone]

Tom,

I remember reading that when you posted it. I can't wait to get my first SS. I checked out some great new hare habitat today, unfortunately none were found but I'll be back there.

Something else interesting happened and I'm not sure if I should be concerned or not. I had just started into the woods and Mystic was following well. She has perched about 40 ft up a pine tree when I glanced over my shoulder to check her out. I saw a large bird/hawk flying towards her from behind. She acted like she didn't see it so I ran her way, yelling and waving my arms, not knowing what was about to happen. The bird swooped up from below her and appeared to try to rake her back. When it did, it looked to be a Gos (I live in Upper Michigan) and it continued over the top and in front of her. I yelled to my neighbor friend who was with me video taping and asked him if he saw that! As soon as I finished, Mystic took of after it in hot pursuit. She looked pissed and I really didn't know what to do. As she was flying deeper into the woods, I blew my whistle and she set her wings and took a perch. She was leaning hard like she still wanted to go after it but she settled down quick and we continued our hunt.

Should I be concerned about a wild Gos coming after my hawk?

[wesleyc6]

Yeah, you should be wondering how you will get that RT off of that poor Gos;)


Hey, I just wanted to toss my congrats in there too! clappIt is great to see apprentices coming right on into the sport and doing so well. Enjoy the ride!:D

[KidK]

Joe,

Yes, you should be very concerned about wild goshawks.. :eek:

As a matter of fact, I don't have any wild goshawks down here (other than in the barn) so it would be better for her in the long run jif you just bring her down to live here with me. :D

That way, she can hunt in peace and not have to worry about any darn wild goshawks! toungeout

Joe, thing are going to happen flying a hawk.. Sometimes your hawk catches stuff, sometimes, something catches your hawk. You do your best to avoid dangerous situations, but when it comes down to it, there is so little about flying hawks that is in our control.

Just live every day to its fullest and enjoy every hunt! That is all you can do!

[jballone]

Kory,

I hear you. I'm definitely going back to that spot and hopefully bag me a SS. In the excitement of it all, I forgot to ask my buddy if you got it on video. If he did, I'll try to post it.

[tumble]

Yeah, you should be wondering how you will get that RT off of that poor Gos;)


clapp

[KidK]

Hey Joe,

How about some pictures of Mystic in her new digs? I can see some red tail feathers in your avatar now, but would like to see a bigger pic of her!

We are only a couple months away from hawking!

[jballone]

HI Kory,

Things are going well here, though the long moult is killing me.

Mystic still has 7 primaries, a few secondaries and a fair amount of body feathers to moult. She had dropped all her tail feathers though ;) I added a fluorescent light fixture to the mews about a month ago after it seemed that her moult had slowed. It has a couple full spectrum bulbs and it really seemed to kick it back in gear. 20/20 hindsight I should have added it in April. As of now, I'm not sure if she'll be finished moulting by opening day.
http://i25.tinypic.com/dqkokw.jpg

I am also in the process of building a 12x12x8H attached weathering area. It should be done in a few days and I'm sure she'll enjoy using it.

She now has 3 white talons. A few weeks ago I mentioned that her talons were sloughing off. Well, 3 of them came in all white. crazyy I ended up contacting the Raptor Center and they informed me they've see this before in wild and captive hawks and that it wasn't too uncommon. They didn't have a definitive cause (diet, gentics, etc) but said not to worry.

Well, that's about it. Can't wait to get some bunnies & squirrels!

[sevristh]

Joe,

I've never heard of white talons, could you post a picture of them?

[Dirthawking]

The talons should/will darken up with time. They probably just sloughed off the outer layer to fast.

[KidK]

Wow.. She looks great so far Joe!clapp

Lights sure can help jump start the molt and make sure it continues on consistently.

Don't worry too much about the feathers.. I am sure most, if not all, of the flight feathers will be molted by then, and those are the ones that matter.. The others will either drop or not.. Either way, no big deal!:D

Dude, you have to post a photo of the weathering area.. After the thread about building your mew ( http://www.nafex.net/showthread.php?t=2360 ), I GOTTA see this weathering area.. I am sure it will be fit for a queen!:eek:

When is your first trip down hawking going to be?

[jballone]

Joe,

I've never heard of white talons, could you post a picture of them?
I deleted the ones I originally took but I'll try to get some more in a few days.


The talons should/will darken up with time. They probably just sloughed off the outer layer to fast.
She's was weathered a lot this summer and often got the ole' sprinkler bath, which she loves.


Wow.. She looks great so far Joe!clapp
Dude, you have to post a photo of the weathering area.. After the thread about building your mew ( http://www.nafex.net/showthread.php?t=2360 ), I GOTTA see this weathering area.. I am sure it will be fit for a queen!:eek:

Kory, thanks for the compliments but it's just a run of the mill weathering area (posts and wire fence). I'll post some pics when it's done but don't get too excited, I had to squeeze it into my smallish lot.


When is your first trip down hawking going to be?
I'm not sure? I'm concerned about dropping her weight until her primaries are in. As soon as possible though!

Also, when is the expected trapping season opener and when are you going trapping? I don't believe Kenn is looking to get an RT now, last I heard he was gonna get another Harris but that could have changed. Anyone else looking for an RT that you know of?

Later

[Kenn Filkins]

Also, when is the expected trapping season opener and when are you going trapping? I don't believe Kenn is looking to get an RT now, last I heard he was gonna get another Harris but that could have changed. Anyone else looking for an RT that you know of?

Kory and Joe,

Right now I'm waiting on DNA on Harris Hawk chicks that are grand-children of Harry and Harriet.... If one of the four turn out to be a female, I am going to get her.

So, it looks like I won't get a pRT this fall. But I would like to make it down the trapping trip. If Yooper are invited... toungeout boxingg

[KidK]

I'm not sure? I'm concerned about dropping her weight until her primaries are in. As soon as possible though!

Also, when is the expected trapping season opener and when are you going trapping? I don't believe Kenn is looking to get an RT now, last I heard he was gonna get another Harris but that could have changed. Anyone else looking for an RT that you know of?

Later

Joe,

If her primaries are dropped and growing back in, I wouldn't worry too much about starting to drop her weight, but there is no hurry.. Our rabbits will still be here.

Plan on taking a few weeks to a month to get her down from molting weight and getting her ready to hunt.. So if you are looking to get started in mid October, you really have until mid September before you really have to start thinking about much..

You didn't catch your first squirrel until October 16th last year, so make it a goal to be out hawking by then, all feathers in or not..

Our trapping season in Michigan starts Saturday, September 12th. I believe that the goal will be to have it start on the second Saturday of the month of September. In the past, it was always the 16th of September.

I have a number of guys that I am in contact with about trapping. Some I am putting off until I know who needs or wants a bird before I open up invitations to newbies.

Kenn, you will be #1 priority if you don't get a new Harris Hawk this year. And Kenn.. Yoopers, native or transplanted, are some of my favorite hawking/trappin' buddies and of course are invited! I would love to have a goal for trapping you a good squirrel hawk.

If I can get an idea how many "regulars" will be down for trapping, I can figure out how many others I will be able to offer a seat in the trapping vehicle.

[Kenn Filkins]

Kenn, you will be #1 priority if you don't get a new Harris Hawk this year. And Kenn.. Yoopers, native or transplanted, are some of my favorite hawking/trappin' buddies and of course are invited! I would love to have a goal for trapping you a good squirrel hawk.

Kory,

Thanks. I'm so looking forward this hawking and trapping season.

I will get down to Mt. Pleasant and South as often as I can.....

Yoopers know how to use the Mackinac Bridge. A squirrel hawk would be great above the bridge....

[jballone]

Well, I've been working on an attached weathering area and finally have it done enough for the RT to use it. I still need to finishing painting the poles and adding some more privacy lattice on the back side but that should be done in a couple days. It measures 12 x 12 x 8H and has pine needles for a ground covering.

Mystic seems to like it and it makes me feel good seeing her in there too :D

http://i28.tinypic.com/8wdymv.jpg


http://i29.tinypic.com/zus7yr.jpg

[Kenn Filkins]

Joe,

It looks awesome! As does everything you do with falconry....

You make your sponsor proud! clapp
Even though he has nothing to do with your success. dohh

[conorhawk]

wow great set up!

[TR541]

Great job on the weathering area Joe. I am looking forward to trapping also.

[jballone]

wow great set up!
Thanks


Great job on the weathering area Joe. I am looking forward to trapping also.
Tim, I can't wait either. How's the gos? Where's the pics and updates?

My sponsor Kenn (http://www.filkinsfoto.com) sent me some great decals for my GH. Check it out:
Front w/quarry caught decals
http://i26.tinypic.com/sdk5lt.jpg

Close-up
http://i29.tinypic.com/2ihsec0.jpg

Side View
http://i27.tinypic.com/1zguybs.jpg

Close-up
http://i28.tinypic.com/vg4ojn.jpg

Thanks again Kenn!

[Bryant Tarr]

Cool! You forgot the Pasty sticker though. And what, no rutabaga pictures? toungeout

[jballone]

Cool! You forgot the Pasty sticker though. And what, no rutabaga pictures? toungeout

We've had pasties for lunch the last two years trapping. Kory heated them up on the vehicle's manifold as we trapped. We'll have to get a picture this year and slap it on ;)

[Kenn Filkins]

Cool! You forgot the Pasty sticker though. And what, no rutabaga pictures? toungeout

Bryant,

Now THAT is funny.... I don't care who you are.... THAT's funn! :D

[Kenn Filkins]

Cool! You forgot the Pasty sticker though. And what, no rutabaga pictures? toungeout

Bryant,

Now THAT is funny.... I don't care who you are.... THAT's funny! :D

[Kenn Filkins]

Joe,

Great looking Giant Hood! Even if I say so myself!

[Bryant Tarr]

Bryant,

Now THAT is funny.... I don't care who you are.... THAT's funny! :D

Ya, hey. But probably only if ya been der, don't ya know.

One time? I seen big buck der. I says to my buddy, "hey! check it out", and we turn and there he is. Gone.