Chasin' squirrels with the RT

[MtnMan]

Had a great day chasin' squirrels today with the redtail! I hunted a new area today (a "closed for the season" family campground) and she went three for three. I don't normally go for that many, but she caught the first two within 15 minutes of letting her out, so I figured we could keep walking for a bit.

We did hava an "incident" though, on squirrel #2. She (my RT) had the squirrel pressured from above, and the dog (Tucker, my JRT)was trying to climb up and help. The squirrel came down the tree, blocked from view for the hawk. Tucker saw it, and darted in. The squirrel was at the base of the tree, facing up. My RT saw it then, and dove in. Meanwhile, Tucker tried to bite the squirrel, but the squirrel was faster, and bit him hard on the nose, just as the hawk hit the squirrel from behind! The squirrle wouldn't let go of Tucker, and had him good. He was doing some serious protesting, and Belle wasn't helping, as she shifted her grip onto the squirrels head, also pinching Tuckers nose. Not good. I had to squeeze/kill the squirrel to get it to let go and stop squirming, and pry a talon out of Tuckers snout. When he was loose he ran over to my wife (who wasn't too pleased at this point...) for some lovin', and seems to have forgotten all about his bad day now. He was all in favor of catching squirrel #3, hehe!

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[MtnMan]

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[everetkhorton]

Phil:
Nice to see you have a helper! Three for Three is good in anybody book.
Thanks for posting the pictures, nice look Rt.

[Hawkingcolorado]

That looks like fun!! WTG!

[Bryant Tarr]

Great stuff! clapp rtsqrl

[h-bob]

Excellent, great photos, thanks for sharing and looks like a ton of fun.

[Raptorick]

Nice! congrads;)

[hg750]

That's a good day's hunt. I wish it would snow like that here in TN. Beautiful bird, I like the coloring. Did she have more white coloring as a passage, if you had her then? Just wondering because I'm thinking my bird might turn out like that.

[everetkhorton]

That's a good day's hunt. I wish it would snow like that here in TN. Beautiful bird, I like the coloring. Did she have more white coloring as a passage, if you had her then? Just wondering because I'm thinking my bird might turn out like that.

Hassan:
Have you been drinking that clear stuff out of a mason jar. Wishing it would snowfrus We have had so much snow that last three day to last all year. <G> Come on up and I will take you sqr. hunting in the white stuff. Dress warm and have hi top boots. :D

[MtnMan]

That's a good day's hunt. I wish it would snow like that here in TN. Beautiful bird, I like the coloring. Did she have more white coloring as a passage, if you had her then? Just wondering because I'm thinking my bird might turn out like that.

Here's a picture of her before her first moult.
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m309/Mtnman_03/DSC_0014.jpg

The snow can be too much at times- I actually went to this area to chase bunnies. That campground is loaded with them, but we couldn't get a single flush because of the deep snow. They don't want to come out, and I can't blame them. In a week or so it'll be easier when the snow starts to pack down. Right now the snow is almost knee-deep here. The chases are much better with less snow too, or at least after a crust forms. In deep powdery snow the rabbits are pretty easy for an experienced bird to catch.

[everetkhorton]

Phil:
Nice picture, it looks like she is going to wait for that sqr. to come out of the holefrus

[hg750]

Nice pic Phil, she looks alot like my bird. I noticed the chaps, did they work out for you? Ev, I guess you could call me crazy but I like snow.crazyy
thanks

[everetkhorton]

Nice pic Phil, she looks alot like my bird. I noticed the chaps, did they work out for you? Ev, I guess you could call me crazy but I like snow.crazyy
thanks

Hassan:
Ok, your crazy! ;) I will post a couple of pictures I took today when it was -3 degree. I know that is a warm spell for the guy in MN.

[MtnMan]

Nice pic Phil, she looks alot like my bird. I noticed the chaps, did they work out for you? Ev, I guess you could call me crazy but I like snow.crazyy
thanks

I'm not sure, to tell the truth. I've had my birds get bitten while wearing chaps, and get bitten while not wearing chaps. I've had them get bitten while wearing jesses, and without jesses. To me, I suspect it has more to do with luck and experience, but I admit to having a low knowledge base to draw from. As my birds get more experienced, they seem to get bitten less. My bird this year is death on squirrels, and hasn't even recieved a minor bite this year. She had some wicked ones last year though. The bird I flew before this one ended up needing to have a toe amputated as a result of a bite received with chaps. I'm also confident that chaps have absorbed bites that could have done a lot of damage had the squirrel bitten the bird instead of the leather. Then again, I've heard the argument that all that baggage can slow the birds footing and possibly contribute to getting bitten.

So, after all that, I just don't know. I've tried both, and haven't been sold on either argument. I generally don't fly with them on, but if my bird gets bitten a few times I generally strap 'em on then... And if she gets bitten a few times with them on I think they're not helping, and shelf them again. They were fun to make... But I think they look "clunky" on the bird...

I guess I have no official opinion, hehe! What I see as positive and negative aspects could simply be superstition...

[MtnMan]

Hassan:
Ok, your crazy! ;) I will post a couple of pictures I took today when it was -3 degree. I know that is a warm spell for the guy in MN.

This weather has been nuts, eh Ev? We finally saw a nice day today, and should see one tomorrow, then back into the cold again <sigh>

I hate summer. I think anything over 65 degrees is unreasonable (apart from the bikinis). 78 degrees puts me inside with the AC on, waiting for fall to come back. That said, this frigid cold is a bit much too!