Intro

[Bobby Parrott]

Hello everyone,

Wanted to introduce myself, My name is Bobby Parrott. I live in TN. Currently flying a new female passage RT. She is flying at around 1050 grams. Not a huge bird, but she is pretty gamey. She is getting the hang of things real well. Hopefully we will get out this afternoon after work.

I am planning on trapping a Kestrel this month, waiting on my authorization to trap from the State.

I have flown mostly RTs, some experience with coops, gos, harris's. I wish the terrain around here was more suitable for falcons as I would love to fly a big long wing someday. I can't seem to get the wife interested in moving to Wyoming. lol

The most abundant quarry around here is squirrels, rabbits are around, but not plentiful in most areas. Good rabbit places are hard to come by. Plenty of starlings and sparrows though. Need that Kestrel!

Thanks for creating the forum. I look forward to getting to know you all!

Sincerely,

Bobby Parrott

[wesleyc6]

Welcome Bobby,
If you figure out how to persuade the little lady to move out West, let me know, as I want to reside in Amarillo. :lol:

[Bobby Parrott]

Thanks Wesley

Amarillo rocks. We usually head that way in Jan for a week. Looking forward to this year. My passage RT of last year hammered a jack there last Jan, it was awesome. They really have the game. Hoping for a great week with low winds (yeah right)

[`Chris L.]

Bob,
Welcome to the board. I hope you get the permit soon for that kestrel.. we have some falconers who have done well with them on here. I have not taken one yet, I thought about it just havent made the comitment.

I too want to move out west. Are the winds bad in Amarillo? Take some pics when you go, i would like to see what it looks like

again, Welcome

Chris

[Bobby Parrott]

Thanks Chris,

Wind can be an issue but it has usually been managable the times we have been there. Typically 10-20 mph and its mostly flat, unless you get in a canyon, so there is nothing to break it. Days when you get a 5-10 mph wind are awesome. We usually get a day or two like that when we go. We always go in Jan., other times of the year may be different. The jacks tend to use the wind to their advanatge and run right into it if givin the chance. Downwind slips are desireable, or even cross wind, but not always acheivable. Sometimes the jacks will sit tight when you try to push them downwind and scoot out the back door into it. I'm sure they know this gives them a great advantage. Good places there afford a lot of slips though, so eventually a gamey bird will figure them out. My friend had a female HH who had been there a bunch of times. She had the jacks pegged pretty good. It is a lot of fun. Lots of cottontails too. Several HH's flown as a group can be very effective. I have heard people say that a RT can't catch a jack from the fist, but I have seen it done. It takes a good slip and a fast bird. A good gos would be great. Many areas have few or no trees. A tee perch might work well of your bird is trained to use one. Some creek bottoms have trees to hunt from. I don't have any pictures on an accessible server to show, but would be glad to email some. I'm sure someone more familiar with the Texas panhandle can give a lot more insight on the area. I look forward to going every year and would like to hit the next NAFA meet there.

Bobby

[mystichawker]

[smilie=dontknow.gif] OK now as a long time resident of Amarillo, grew up there and then spent anouther three years there recently. Other than the game why in the world would anyone want to live there. A lot of the good hunting spots there are vanishing under housing developements, and soon after I left about a year ago there was some kind of disease that went through the rabbit population there, but I don't know how it is now, I had friends tell me it got grim late in the season last year. There is no public land around there , one of the reasons I left for Colorado, and some of the land owners are not overly friendly. It is good long wing area, and just north of there is some great pheasant land. The wind is a constant there and you and the bird have to learn to live with it. So beyond that the job market there is aweful unles you want to be in the prison system. Don't mean to sound bitter, I just wonder why anyone in their right mind (oh yeah falconers are in their right mind.) would want to willingly move to Amarillo Texas. Cause it is just not cool to go out hawking and have the winds suddenly pick up and your RT sail past you sideways with a look of "CRAP can't get to the fist. Can we go home now."

Andy

[wesleyc6]

Hi Andy,
I have spoken to a local falconer in Amarillo and he likes it there pretty well. I went only once and loved it. It is quite beautiful to me. I would love to hear more about what you would share, since you have such a different opinion of the area. It looks like wind is the worst part of the climate, but at least it is sunny a great percentage of the time, right? Also the winters won't find you buried in snow, but you will get some good cold, correct? Maybe even see a little powder on the ground occaisionally? The job market doesn't appear terrible there. The cost of living is pretty nice and average house is fairly cheap. Please elaborate as we are SERIOUSLY looking to go to Tex and we want to make a good decision!