Mielikki

[Chad L.]

Pippa? There's no pictures from behind but I assume she has a super sexy butt?

She looks great Joe, good luck on the season.

[ikcus]

This year has been very different from the last. Head count has been minimal, but attitude and demeanour from Mielikki has been much of an improvement from last year. I made many mistakes with this gal my first season\my first Gos, and cutting her weight to get her to take jacks last year played a big role in our relationship issues we had. The first kill last year was the most important thing I had on my mind and I did not take a look at the subtle clues she showed me on those early hunts. Looking back I remember some wonderful pheasant flights on some of the first hunts I ever took her on. I did not look at these wonderful traits she possessed and continued to cut her to get that ‘first kill’ on a jack instead of leveraging her natural pursue of game. If I would have recognized and capitalized on these wonderful traits last year I would be way ahead of where I am this year. I was a jack hunter prior to taking this gal on and my hawks and I have taken many jacks, but pushing her on jacks her first year was a mistake due to the cut I had to make with her in weight. Mielikki took some of the best flights on pheasants her first year, and I did nothing to make it happen for her, nor did I reward her for her pursuit. I was too concerned with taking that ‘first head’, and jacks were the most abundant prey we pursued so we pushed on jacks. I finally understand that if I was to assist her last year in taking a pheasant at a nice upper end weight, that jacks would have come eventually without the great weight cut that happened and hindered our relationship.
This year I toke the hinesight from last year and flew her at her upper end weight on pheasants. We have only been flying for four plus weeks, and her pheasant flights, have been improving with each and every outing. I still pushed her hard and only took single flush flights in the beginning, but after four weeks, I took a re-flush tonight and she connected. After tranfering her off the pheasant to the lure, I let her eat and gorge on a pheasant leg. I put a very nice, well mannered Gos back in the truck and we headed home. She was my friend tonight, and we will be out in a day or two to make it all happen again. We just got seven inches of rain, so the ducks should also be coming in. Then crow seasons begins. If she wants to tackle jacks this year she will do it on her on accord, and at the weight she chooses. I would much rather see her chase a piece of game down at a comfortable weight and find her a half a mile from where we started and see me as a friend when I approach the scene of the crime.
It is nice to have a friend this year.






And Dinner

[Ally]

Joe,
Sounds like you're doing it the way everyone wants to Have a great hunting partner and enjoy every outing. Love it.

[lewsouder]

Alright Joe! Good to hear things are turning out well for you. That pheasant sure looks good on the grill. Nothing more satisfying than sustaining oneself with game taken with your hawk. Good stuff.

Lew

[Chad L.]

This year I toke the hinesight from last year

You can toke hinesight? Hmmmm, who knew.

In all seriousness looks like you 've found her sweet spot. Give me a shout tonight if you have time, we have some catchin up to do.

[ikcus]

Mielikki and myself are doing great. We had a wonderful pheasant season and now we are enjoying one's company.

[FredFogg]

She looks fantastic Joe! Are you going to try and AI her? If so, save an egg for me! LOL

[ikcus]

I am definitely going to try! The two males are in nest building mode and and flaring. She has been twitterpated for about a month, and I just hope the males donate in time. If not we have another female who comes in a little later. Hopefully this will be the year. 'fingers crossed'

[FredFogg]

I am definitely going to try! The two males are in nest building mode and and flaring. She has been twitterpated for about a month, and I just hope the males donate in time. If not we have another female who comes in a little later. Hopefully this will be the year. 'fingers crossed'

Good luck! I am courting my male now, had one of my females display a little bit for me yesterday, so if I can get him to give, I might be in luck. I am not counting on it though, this being my first year trying. We will see! All I want is to make just one, for ME! LOL

[ikcus]

Here are the first two, and egg number three arrived yesterday. Still a long way to go.

[Chad L.]

Sweet Joe!

[hcmcelroy]

Looking good! Those eggs are beautiful!

Harry.

[carlosR]

Wow, that's great. Good luck.

[ikcus]

Mielikki is being a wonderful Mamma. One could not ask for any better.

[ikcus]

Two days out of her condo and doing well. She has about an ounce to drop, and then back in the field. I thought about leaving her up this year being she did a great job of laying and sitting, but we have to chase some more pheasants and some jacks. Three more week until a nice jack hawkin weekend with friends. I think we will have some great fun. I have truly enjoyed every experience I have had with this Gos. The good and the bad.

[ikcus]

The breeding project was not successful last year but this year was different. Mielikki has produced her first and has come full circle. DNA results should be in tomorrow. I am hoping for a female needless to say, but I am overwhelmed that we have succeeded in the second year.

Thanks everyone for your advice and help. You know who you are.

[JRedig]

Congrat's joe, that's awesome!

[FredFogg]

Way to go Joe!!!!

[Saluqi]

Congratulations! Quite an accomplishment! Did she incubate the egg(s)?

[ikcus]

She incubated the three eggs for 30 days before I pulled them.

[goshawkr]

She incubated the three eggs for 30 days before I pulled them.

Hey Joe,

Congratulations on the success!

After many years of not trying hard enough to make a success out of breeding goshawks, I have a female incubating what may be a fertile egg. I candled it at week 2, and it was entirely dark. Very drastically different from the known infertile goshawk eggs that I kept on hand as a control.

I have never really had to work through how to handle the hatching process before, so now I am really curious how you handled that and why.

I don't have an incubator other than mom, so artificial incubation is just not an option for me. This is just as well, because the mother is very calm, and has lived here with me since she was ~15 days old. I guess my current plan is to let her go through the entire process of hatching and raising until I decide to pull it, but I may rethink part of that.

[ikcus]

The reasoning behind my decision to pull at 30 days was the following:
My Gos was very good last year incubating, but I pulled at 21 days and had no results. If you do not have an Egg Buddy to detect fertility, candling is almost useless on Gos eggs. I had two dark ones last year and two dark ones this year.
I think natural incubation is best. Mom knows better than me.
I did not know how my Gos would treat a chick, so I played it safe by pulling.
I have incubated quite a few things and wanted to give it a try in the last stages with a Gos egg.
My Wife wanted to see the hatch and she puts up with all of my birds and is one great assistant.

If you do not have an incubator, then I would suggest getting three of them if you want to attempt the process. One for the last days of incubation with low humidity, one for hatch at high humidity, and one to dry the chick off. Then you need to worry about an open air broader to get them regulating there temperature.

[ikcus]

DNA results are in. The Gos is a female. My wish has come true. An imprint Gyr was so much fun last year, but another imprint female Gos is what I have been looking for. I have some work cut out that I am definitely looking forward to. If I lived some where cooler in climate the Gyr would have stole my soul. I am looking forward to working with a Gos again, but I definitely need to move to a colder climate so I can fly both for the rest of my life. Some day it will happen.

[Rmoglich]

DNA results are in. The Gos is a female. My wish has come true. An imprint Gyr was so much fun last year, but another imprint female Gos is what I have been looking for. I have some work cut out that I am definitely looking forward to. If I lived some where cooler in climate the Gyr would have stole my soul. I am looking forward to working with a Gos again, but I definitely need to move to a colder climate so I can fly both for the rest of my life. Some day it will happen.

Congrats, Joe. Nothing beats goshawks and gyrfalcons ;-) I look forward to seeing your new gos fly this year.