Another major change in plans...

[Lee Slikkers]

Well, once again my job outlook/responsibilities have shifted and it appears I will be able to return back to a semi-normal year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping it will remain this way now.

So, since I had to back out of the Gos from Barry and I saw he had a home for him I went out with a couple local guys looking for Coopers nests. We located 5, the 1st one looked like “pay dirt” but after the climb it was empty, possibly from last year. We continued to search the ground for signs since we knew that Coops were heavily using this mixed Pine & hardwood lot. About 50 yds away from the 1st tress I located a continuous loop of mutes, molted feathers, etc. but the nest looked tiny, almost blown out and in a vey spindly tree. Up the tree and down came the bag with 2 eyas Coops, roughly 9-14 days old.

One of the guys I was with took the older, larger female and I was a sucker and ended up coming home with what appears to be a male Coopers. He weighed 207g last evening so we’ll see. But from his head shape and comparing foot size I’d agree on it being a male.

So, my 1st imprint journey begins….he isn’t the Gos I had longed for but he’ll do just fine I think!

[frootdog]

Sweet! Congrats and good luck.

[Kenn Filkins]

Lee,

You'll enjoy that little guy. It should be a fun summer, chasing English sparrows and starlings.... Great flights await you and your Coops. Enjoy him and keep us posted.

[wesleyc6]

Congrats Lee. I know you are torn up about the Gos, but enjoy the bird in hand. Glad the work situation changed!

[Hawkingcolorado]

Lee,
That's a pretty good turn of events!! Keep us posted daily, if you can...Tim

[Bryant Tarr]

Alright Lee! Congrats! Glad you are able to do an imprint this summer...I'll enjoy it vicariously!

[Takasho]

Man there's gonna be flocks of imprint coops out there this summer! Can't wait for all the stories. Definitely keep us posted!

[everetkhorton]

Way to go LEE I would have thought they would be done by now.

[Saluqi]

SUCKER!!! No really, congratulations!! You'll have a ball, eyasses are so much fun!!

[wesleyc6]

Alright Lee! Congrats! Glad you are able to do an imprint this summer...I'll enjoy it vicariously!

vicariously......................and through Lee

[Lee Slikkers]

Thanks guys...this really was about as "spur of the moment" as there is...they asked me twice as they started to haul the bag of chicks bag up to the nest and I couldn't take the pressure. I crumbled, selected the smallest footed and narrow headed chick in the bunch so we'll see where we end up.

I'm still pretty nervous about the whole Coops thing since they are the last bird to learn imprinting on but I guess "Trail by Fire" it is this year...

[chris kimble]

Congrats Lee, Im looking forward to seeing your progress!

[John]

Have fun, Lee. Yeah, it's hard to resist when someone's up the tree and you're right there. I don't blame you. Talk about trial by fire though. My first imprint was a male coops, and boy are you in for it!! Just kidding. I'll look forward to seeing how he comes along.

[Lee Slikkers]

Have fun, Lee. Yeah, it's hard to resist when someone's up the tree and you're right there. I don't blame you. Talk about trial by fire though. My first imprint was a male coops, and boy are you in for it!! Just kidding. I'll look forward to seeing how he comes along.

Well, I'm in it now...so you might as well spill the beans. Any last minute "heads ups" you care to toss my way?

[John]

It was about nine years ago, but the one issue I remember was problems on the kill. I'm sure in my excitement and haste I insulted him in one way or another early on and it stuck with him. So I guess I'd say on the kill and with the lure, mind your p's and q's early on. Those little guys notice everything and are pretty unforgiving.

[Lee Slikkers]

It was about nine years ago, but the one issue I remember was problems on the kill. I'm sure in my excitement and haste I insulted him in one way or another early on and it stuck with him. So I guess I'd say on the kill and with the lure, mind your p's and q's early on. Those little guys notice everything and are pretty unforgiving.

duely noted....one of my bad habits is rushing in on the kill so this whole thing will be a major shift in my approach to everything.

[kimmerar]

Congrats Lee. Good to hear and I'm already learning from your thread!! I'm bad too about rushing in to fast. I'm getting better. Maybe you can learn something from flying kbirds besides weight management!!

[Lee Slikkers]

...Maybe you can learn something from flying kbirds besides weight management!!

Its a coopers eyas...

[kimmerar]

Yes I definately know whatcha got there Lee!!

OK - I'll change that - maybe flying a kbird can teach ME (apprentices) something besides weight management!!

[Lee Slikkers]

LOL, just bustin your chops Kim...

[kimmerar]

LOL, just bustin your chops Kim...

This is gonna be a great thread!!

[Lee Slikkers]

well, its been much too long since my last update, sorry folks. He is doing well. Standing more and more, flapping and hoping all over the place. Feathers are coming down nicely now too.

I think I really mis-guessed his original age when I took him as I've compared lots of pics of others and their ages and now think he was much younger than I thought. I would guess him now to be around 19-20 days...here are a few pics from last night's trip to the buzy kids playground in town (love this place, dowgs, screaming kids, loud Harley's rumbling down the road 30' away. He rarely takes note of anything or makes a fuss. He did about unscrew his head when we had a Dove buzz us though...he stood up in a hurry, about tipped over trying to follow the flight path and then starred and starred at where it had disappeared to...

Enjoy. Oh, I almost forgot...I named him Genghis. A bit of a large name for such a fuzz dude but I think he'll grow into it.

[chris kimble]

Thanks for the update Lee. Now thats a fro!
Lookin good

[Kenn Filkins]

Lee,
Awesome pictures! Do you need another job? We have a photog company.
I loved your description of the tiercel seeing a dove pass through.... Nice work! And that is one of my favorite names -- Genghis!
I look forward more posting of your "mighty warrior!"
With that name you should fly him off horseback.... He would be a natural!

[wesleyc6]

Lee,
Beautiful bird, beautiful grass, beautiful scenery......................average looking falconer


You are forgiven ONCE for waiting so long to post updates.

[everetkhorton]

Lee:
Looking Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood!

[Bodarc]

Great pictures Lee and a beautiful bird. I noticed he is banded. Do you have to band pulled eyasses in Michigan?

[Lee Slikkers]

Thanks for the update Lee. Now thats a fro!
Lookin good

He does have a fro...or did, just two days later and there are pin feathers coming in on his head

Lee,
Awesome pictures! Do you need another job? We have a photog company.
I loved your description of the tiercel seeing a dove pass through.... Nice work! And that is one of my favorite names -- Genghis!
I look forward more posting of your "mighty warrior!"
With that name you should fly him off horseback.... He would be a natural!

Thanks Kenn, he has been a real ball. These pics were just lucky shots. I can only hope I can help him earn his name.

Lee,
Beautiful bird, beautiful grass, beautiful scenery......................average looking falconer


You are forgiven ONCE for waiting so long to post updates.

Thanks Wes, yeah, the falconer is ugly but he is the dogs danglies

Lee:
Looking Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood!

Thanks Ev!

Great pictures Lee and a beautiful bird. I noticed he is banded. Do you have to band pulled eyasses in Michigan?

As far as I know we have 5 days to put the marker on them...no exceptions for eyasas that I know of???

[bluejack]

Very cool Lee. It's great that you have that park stocked with little kids all over the place, oughta make it easy to come up with lots of easy bags.LOL
Keith

[FredFogg]

Lee, just out of curiosity, since your work schedule changed back so you could do an imprint, was there a reason that you didn't go ahead and get a male gos from Barry or did just pulling the coops sort of happened due to the ribbing from the guys that were pulling one at the time? LOL

[Lee Slikkers]

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted an update on Genghis so here goes...

Genghis (imprint male Coopers) was at 296g last evening when I headed out with him, his lowest weight so far. I decided to go on an honest field hunt with him. I chose a field across from the house I grew up in as a kid since they have left this field fallow for a number of years and it just looked right.

He made his 1st wild kill last night (he was 50 days old yesterday) flying down a LBJ (little brown job) off the glove. The bird got up about 30 yds ahead of him and he was off the glove in a flash and sucked that LBJ up so fast it made my head spin...LOL, I couldn't be more pleased at the moment. Hopefully there are MANY more field hunts like that to come here in the next 2 months or so before the small birds head south.

He mantled on the bird a lot and lost his kill in the tall grass as I trying to clip him in...I think he thought I stole it and so proceeded to tattoo my hands. I backed off and let him settle in again and after he had finished eating he jumped up to the glove nicely. He even tried to leave the glove after a sparrow on the walk back that flushed wild off to our right but I had him already clipped in, I guess having him hood trained would have been a nice option.

Sorry there aren't any pics but I had not recharged my camera so when I reached in to grab it all I found was a useless, dead piece of electronics, such is my luck it seems.

~ Lee
P.S. It was a blast...I'm soooo hooked!!

[Takasho]

Congrats!

I know I'm not the only one who would like to hear about more flights!

[everetkhorton]

Lee:
Have you put a bell or transmitter on him yet?

[Lee Slikkers]

Congrats!

I know I'm not the only one who would like to hear about more flights!

Thanks Isaac...I only wish I had tried this Coop's thing long ago!!!

Lee:


Have you put a bell or transmitter on him yet?

Ev, I have a backpack setup I was going to install on him but my wife refused to be a part of it so needing to get him out a.s.a.p. I took 30 seconds out my day and installed a tail clip mount for my Marshall Micro...which is ok since I wanted a method to attach a tail-saver to him and really didn't want a bell on his decks.

I have been toying with the idea of adding a neck bell so I can here him plucking in the tall grass but I am undecided having never used one or tried one before...

[chamokane]

Congratulations, Lee. A male Coops is the perfect first imprint. He will leave much smaller scars on your face than a full sized bird.

I really enjoyed the male that I flew. He seemed to think he was Superman, and he was pretty smart about cooperating with me on a hunt.