Lost SE Michigan Juvi RT

[tagz]

Last seen heading west over Detroit Metro Airport, was getting some altitude. 216.025 Mhz. Hunting jesses and bells. Tom-(734) 288-8675

[rsimone]

Tom, did you get him back yet?

[London Rob]

I will be in the area tomorrow, Jan 8. I have my receiver in the truck so I can have a poke around. Will call if I get a signal.

Rob

[AdamS]

I'm about 4- 5 hours southwest, but I'll be scanning that channel.

[rsimone]

The morning Tom posted, I picked up the signal from my house so the wife and I took a ride. We were able to visually locate the bird. Tom was already there but his Rt was very content inside airport property. She just wouldn't come out of there. Airport animal control was helping him at the time, I was hoping he got her back by now. Good luck Tom

[DirtHawker]

Good luck getting her back. You might find her much more approachable as this nasty weather comes in and slows the activity of the small stuff, and the cold ramps up metabolism.

[tagz]

Sorry all I haven't updated this post, didn't realize I had some comments on it. Here is whats happened since.

Bird was found on Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) property. Another falconer located him there and notified me, I work just a few minutes away and showed right up. At first he looked to be responding to lure and came towards me. He landed above me on the other side of the property fence but then spooked when an airport security guard came by. I continued to try and get him, along with the help of DTW animal control on the property to try and get him closer to me. Watched him successfully hunt mice and had a noticeable crop upon arrival and he just was not responding. Rich showed up while I was still trying but he was just staying on the property. I had to leave but Animal Control kept me in touch via text on the birds movements and even set up bownets on the property they had to try and help. But they lost sight of the bird as well. I checked his location few hours later at dusk but he was deeper on DTW property, where I had no access. Next morning he was holding in that location. I had to get to work but another falconer tracked his movements that morning till he was chased out by a haggard RT. I was able to locate him at noon outside the airport and again he seemed to respond to me calling him but just wouldnt come down. Set up a BC with mice in it right below him and hung back some and waited. He turned his back and went down in another field after mice.

Basically this has been the just of it. He is holding and roosting in the same area each night. I have been there before sun up to attempt anything. At this point retrapping is the only option, he has no response to me but is not afraid of me approaching for the most part. So far multiple baits have been used in different style BC traps, he's just not falling for it. He will drop down on a mouse and return to the same perch all the awhile a mouse in a BC is right below him. I now have a remote trigger bownet on loan from another awesome falconer in the area that is one of many offering and helping me. Today the wind and snow just proved too difficult to get anything under him. I watched him most the day kiting and flying all around with some other immature birds over a field off in the distance. Not giving up yet.

Was trapped less than 6 weeks ago. We had just started hunting and while previous free flights and outings had gone perfect and great response to the lure things were still being tweaked. This hunt started off the same, following great. But this was the first time I had some haggard's approach us and he simply bolted, immediately. While I was certain he was on DTW property that first day, due to the limited access and size I was unable to get a visual. Had I of found him that first day Im fairly certain he would have came back. Unfortunately though when visual was made the next day, he was clearly successfully hunting and not hungry enough.

[OATS]

Tom, I had a similar situation several years ago. I recovered a 10yo rehab RT that had escaped from a raptor center. He had been loose for a couple weeks. He was hanging in the same area and folks had tried everything to get him to come down to food, traps, etc. I trapped him in under a half hour using mice. PM me for details as I'm not sure all non-falconer audiences need to know how.

[Buckeye Falconer]

Have you tried a pigeon harness yet?

[460shooter]

I like gerbils as trap bait. Seems to work for me when the mice won't.

[tagz]

Pigeon Harness has not been used, that was the plan with the bownet but pigeon source fell through.

After watching him successfully hunting mouse after mouse over the last almost week now he's been free Im thinking that's going to be the best option. What he's been eating. But all the store bought mice I can find are just not enticing him, so I have some live traps set up and hope to have some in the morning. Was thinking mouse tethered in the middle of the bow net. But I think a wild mouse even in a BC just might work as well. Hes holding in the same area today but when I checked after dark he was deeper into some woods. Im limited this week on getting something set up during daylight so I am just monitoring his location each night.

[tagz]

Tom, I had a similar situation several years ago. I recovered a 10yo rehab RT that had escaped from a raptor center. He had been loose for a couple weeks. He was hanging in the same area and folks had tried everything to get him to come down to food, traps, etc. I trapped him in under a half hour using mice. PM me for details as I'm not sure all non-falconer audiences need to know how.

PM sent, but I have really been having issues with the messaging system here. I send messages but they never show up in my "SENT" folder, so sometimes Im unsure if anything actually gets sent.

[460shooter]

Tom, check your message settings. You can turn that feature that saves a copy of your sent messages on and off... I think.

[tagz]

Tom, check your message settings. You can turn that feature that saves a copy of your sent messages on and off.... I think.

And just like that problem solved, thanks. So things are going out, just didnt have that turned on.

[460shooter]

Good. Glad ya found it. I didn't have mine on for a while either. Anyone else looking for this feature, go to User CP. Edit Options. Scroll down to a check box for saving sent messages. Then go all the way to the bottom, and make sure to click on "save changes".

How long is your battery life on the transmitter? Sure hope your wild mouse idea works. Specially in the middle of a bownet! Don't know how it wouldn't!!!

Good luck!!

[tagz]

Good. Glad ya found it. I didn't have mine on for a while either. Anyone else looking for this feature, go to User CP. Edit Options. Scroll down to a check box for saving sent messages. Then go all the way to the bottom, and make sure to click on "save changes".

How long is your battery life on the transmitter? Sure hope your wild mouse idea works. Specially in the middle of a bownet! Don't know how it wouldn't!!!

Good luck!!

Was a new battery just opened and put in the weekend before. Its a Marshall Scout thats supposed to have 40 days life, but I know the cold will shorten it. Its will give off a double beep every 10 beeps to let me know when battery is half power. So I should have some time still.

I'm not heartbroken over this, well not anymore. I was the first couple days. I'm glad to see the bird thriving and doing well. Yes I do want to get him back, and will keep trying till I can no longer locate. While as the rest of you are aware of the time dedicated to training, it was just trapped 6 weeks ago. I would have a harder time coming to terms with it had it been a bird that perhaps escaped with a leash or mews jesses in.

As with many things in this sport, always a learning experience. I have used my telemetry more the last week then the last 10 years total I have had it. Learned a lot about how much the terrain throws things off. I have a small field yagi and a larger 3 element one. I had been meaning to get a omni directional roof mount but never got around to it. Till the day he took off. I ordered one and had rush delivery on it. Have had lots of time using it and driving around and learning how useful it is especially if you don't know the general area of the bird. Have had a chance to meet and communicate with a lot of great falconers in michigan and outside the state over this loose bird.

[tagz]

Percy had been tracked and sighted hanging in the same general area for about a week now. Attempts at recovering had been unsuccessful. Last couple days he had been deeper in an area I could not get a visual on, but he was still moving about throughout the day. Yesterday I was getting the low voltage warning beep from the transmitter and it was faint, but within the same plot of land. I was unable to visually spot him at this time. This morning his signal was tracked on the outskirts of the area he had been for the last week. A few immatures were around the location of signal but none had any equipment on them that could be seen. Sadly though, he was then located under a tree, deceased. No signs of any blood, no sharp keel and no obvious signs of trauma. One possibility being near the road was being struck by a vehicle. But that’s just grasping at straws.

I was coming to terms with the reality that the end of this story would end with him going on his own till radio signal and visual confirmation eventually faded. I would have been ok with that. Unfortunately though that's not the case.

Thanks for everyone's help, ideas, time, and even loaning out equipment to help try and recover this bird. I hope one day to return the favor.

[Breeze]

OMG Tom. So very sorry to hear this.

[Mike Oettinger]

Tom, you said the rt. did not feel sharp. Did you weigh the rt. to verify what condition? / Mike

[rsimone]

Very sorry to hear that sad ending Tom. Chin up, you tried admirably to get your bird back... Hats off to you.

[460shooter]

Sorry Tom. You put a lot more time into trying to get him back than a lot of other people I have heard of. You did right by him.

[tagz]

Tom, you said the rt. did not feel sharp. Did you weigh the rt. to verify what condition? / Mike

No a weight was not done. I choose also not to do a necropsy, maybe that would have helped with some sort of closure. I did think about it but I decided to just leave him be.