Hi to all

[Mitchellbrad]

Hey Forrest. Sorry this thread got all tangled up, you know falconers<G>

Brad

[Dakota]

OK, everybody I think I have some rights here, after all it is my introduction, if you'all remember. "Howdy how are you, welcome". I take some blame because I was unaware of all that took place, and needed to understand but it's taking off on a flight of its own, or what I call hijacked. So I am sure you are all great people, but do you think this discussion could continue somewhere else? I would truley like to meet new people on my introduction and right now it is not happening. Thanks

fkeefe

[Lowachi]

Hi Forrest. Welcome to the party. You close to Brad's location?

[Dakota]

Hi Lowachi! Brad and I our in the same state, but hours apart on the road. Different terrain, I guess, he has partriage I have none. What is it like in Illinois? I went to training there in the Airforce, didn't have a bird then but met a couple falconers in Champain, back in the early 70's, can't remember their names but one had a Redtail and one had a Savanna Hawk, Lots of phesants and corn fields.

[Eragon]

Hey Forrest! Welcom to NAFEX! Hope you enjoy the time you spend here. It's a great group of people! What is a "Savanna Hawk"? I've never heard that term before? I can't speak for Rich's part of the state, but here (40 miles west of Chicago) it's mostly industrial park bunnys. I've only got one field that holds phesants somewhat consistently but it isn't large enough for a longwing. Perfect for an apprentice with a Red-Tail though!

[Dakota]

Hi Erogon, That looks like a huge Red-tail you have! Well, I am not sure of the "real name" but back in the sixties and seventies those birds were sold under the name Savanna Hawk, the seemed to be available for not to much. The one in illinois I saw looked grey with long legs and neck, really no that big. I am sure others know more about them and could write in and say more. Have you been taking bunnies with that RT.?

[Mitchellbrad]

Hi Lowachi! Brad and I our in the same state, but hours apart on the road. Different terrain, I guess, he has partriage I have none. What is it like in Illinois? I went to training there in the Airforce, didn't have a bird then but met a couple falconers in Champain, back in the early 70's, can't remember their names but one had a Redtail and one had a Savanna Hawk, Lots of phesants and corn fields.

Forrest,

The game populations here have changed dramatically in the last 25 yrs. When I first got here it was hun city. I could drive down the road and pick from the coveys I saw. which one to fly? Which one for the best flight? Without a dog. Often I'd stumble into a covey trying to get a flight on another. In June of '91 there were pairs everywhere. I used to find their nests and even had a formula of where and how to look. That year someone turned on the faucet and forgot to turn it off. It was wet!!! We had plenty of young CRP which was great for ducks. Pheasants will breed and produce young no matter the weather all they need is some decent grass which they had. That fall we had ducks and pheasants. This duck explosion went on until around '98 or a little later. Then the grouse started popping up, the pheasants took a hit in winter '97 which made them a candidate for the ESA. <G> Around 2000 we even had some huns but that winter did it again. All the time the weather people were telling us the winter of '97 and 2000 were 50 yr events. I have 5 fingers on each hand and didn't need to count very far to realize two 50 yr events in less than a hand's worth of fingers was a little odd. This year might be another 50 yr event but at least I used up all my fingers counting. Anyway the grouse slowly went bye bye as the CRP aged and was taken out of the program to make corn. I saw a flock the other day but nothing like in the past. Now it's pheasants. Few ducks locally this year since it was so wet and cold the crops got to stay in longer then normal and the ducks had nowhere to feed so they went other places.

So you were at Chanute too? I went there when I got back from southeast asia. Rich and I have some mutual friends I got the chance to meet while staying there. One had a famous imprinted female redtail. I understand the other has quit falconry and is in to photography.

Brad

[Dakota]

Brad, Yep, Chanute! I here it is closed now. I went there in febuary, imagine a south Texas boy! I thought I was in hell!! Too cold! But look at me now!
The grouse here are pretty consisient in population. Pheasants are thick. The old timers tell about huns but to see them now is unlikley. The ducks zip through in the fall then it all freezes up. Jacks are few and far between, see them on the roads at night sometime, never in the day in the fields. Cottentails are all around town and shelter belts. For some reason the really large flocks of horned larks are not here like in Nebraska, so we don't see many wintering Merlins, My kids and I went on an expedition to the Cave Hills to look for Merlin eyries. We found about 6 magpie nests, all but one had collapsed from old age, only saw one pair of magpies the week we were there. Must be hard for Merlins to find suitable nesting sites, We saw no Merlins, Say do you know what a Savanna Hawk is, and who had it in Champlain?

[Mitchellbrad]

Brad, Yep, Chanute! I here it is closed now. I went there in febuary, imagine a south Texas boy! I thought I was in hell!! Too cold! But look at me now!
The grouse here are pretty consisient in population. Pheasants are thick. The old timers tell about huns but to see them now is unlikley. The ducks zip through in the fall then it all freezes up. Jacks are few and far between, see them on the roads at night sometime, never in the day in the fields. Cottentails are all around town and shelter belts. For some reason the really large flocks of horned larks are not here like in Nebraska, so we don't see many wintering Merlins, My kids and I went on an expedition to the Cave Hills to look for Merlin eyries. We found about 6 magpie nests, all but one had collapsed from old age, only saw one pair of magpies the week we were there. Must be hard for Merlins to find suitable nesting sites, We saw no Merlins, Say do you know what a Savanna Hawk is, and who had it in Champlain?

I think it's some sort of South American bird. There was a school teacher and another fellow in Champlain I met while there. Had lunch with them but neither struck me as being falconers. They struck me as being interested. I had to go to Pekin to meet a couple of falconers. Those guys were flying birds not talking about it.

There hasn't been much around here the last couple of years probably due to the weather. Some years the gosses are so thick I can see 5 a day, every day. We get the occasional gyr, prairie falcons and merlins here in the winter. There just hasn't been much the last few years. All winter long I've seen one merlin. A haggard jack.

Brad

[sharptail]

I saw 3 goshawks while trapping, around Pierre. One rang a big herd of pigeons up over the river, next to the hi way bridge in town and caught one in January.

A tiercel hit a harness for an instant, maybe 5 miles north of town, but was driven off by a rough leg.

There was a huge, very dark hawk(female, and no it was not a 'hen') with a bulging crop on Okabojo point that bumped out of a draw and flew to a distant tree. All three were haggards.

[Lowachi]

Forrest,

One had a famous imprinted female redtail. I understand the other has quit falconry and is in to photography.

Brad

Guenivere!!!! More likeinfamous, she was a bunny taking fool and one of the nastiest b*tches I've had the pleasure to watch.

[Eragon]

Hi Forrest. She is a big girl. She flew most of the year at 48oz (1360 for those that use grams). We took somewhere around 30-35 cottontails I'd guess (haven't gone back to add them up from my log yet) and 1 squirrel.

I bet you are pretty excited for the new bird this summer! I've never seen a longwing flown, but South Dakota seems like the place to do it!

Would these look anything like the Savanna Hawks?
http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.htm...All&RESULTS=24
You have me interested now!

[Dakota]

Wow that's a lot of bunnies! Sounds like a pretty good bird. Yep, I am excited, should be a dark bird male 3/4 gyr x 1/4 Peales. I like Passage Gyrs and have trapped two but they are prone to get sick, adding a little Peregrine blood and raising them is a lot safer. This place screams Longwings, open, wide open land, and lots of Sharp-tail grouse.If we had a decent and stable Jack population I would fly a RT or a Ferg. Do you cook you cottentails for yourself, I think they are really good?

[Dakota]

Yep that's the Savanna Hawk, like the one I saw. Not sure what you would hunt with one maybe rabbits? Looks like it is a snake hunter.

[Eragon]

I definately owe my sponsor a major thank you for this season! That would be awesome! I'd like to try a longwing someday. Maybe a passage Prarie. I've eaten cottontail before and thought it was pretty good. I didn't cook any of ours up this year. I saved them for the molt and took some to a friend that does rehab.

I thought that the Savanna Hawk looked like the Caracara or the Secretary Bird almost in body structure. I couldn't even start to guess what you would hunt with it around here.

[Dakota]

Oh yes, the Prairie Falcon, I have a love hate relationship with them. I had a couple passage that were easy to train and gang busters in the field. But then there are those that are sooo hard to mann. They have tested my patients beyond any other bird. Yea I am not sure what Savanna hawks would be good for, unless you have lizards around. Ha! The exotic that really intriged me was the Mexican Grey Hawk. I saw some in Mexico and they were not what I expected. I thought they were just a southern Broadwinged. Not at all the few that I saw were small but faster that any bueto I have ever seen. They flew trees like a coopers, and sharp looking too. Probably have to live in Mexico to have one. The White-tailed Hawk in South Texas is a natural Rabbit hawk but last I heard they were off limits.

[Eragon]

Really? I've heard that some of them can be a pain, but it sounds like fun to me! I'd be interested to see the Mexican Grey Hawk then! I have been interested in Ornate Hawk Eagles since visiting the Peregrine Fund and seeing one in person. They look like they would be killer on jacks. I believe I saw a Zone-Tailed Hawk on my last trip to San Diego, but have not been able to find much info on their use in falconry. It's feet seemed fairly small, but it may be a bird hawk of some sort.

[Dakota]

I think there might be a guy that breeds Oranate Hawk Eagles in Virgina. At least use to. I was sent a Zone tailed Hawk that was rescued from a pet shop and asked to release it in South Texas, which I did, I didn't think it measured up to the Harris Hawk, but maybe potential on birds, who knows?
So many birs so little time!

[Eragon]

I've heard of a couple breeding pairs of Ornates but mostly rumors and such. It would be fun to fly one. It would be fun to find out if it has any potential.
I agree with you there! Thankfully I've got a lot of time left (at least I hope)!

[Lowachi]

I've heard of a couple breeding pairs of Ornates but mostly rumors and such. It would be fun to fly one. It would be fun to find out if it has any potential.
I agree with you there! Thankfully I've got a lot of time left (at least I hope)!

There's an article on hawk eagles in the NAFA Journal, Jon Nevasier in VA flew an ornate, years back, but I don't know how it all worked out for him.

[JRedig]

Having raised an ornate, they are interesting. (there's a thread on the IFF about flying an ornate fwiw) Eragon, I would think that red tail you have would be murder on jacks, she's got the size for it! C'mon up to moorhead next fall, put her to the test!

[Dakota]

I know David Mancini use to breed them, he maybe a good place to start.

[sharptail]

I think there are a couple of breeders in Calif.. Check out Randy Landus and Mark Mogolich.