New Addition

[Saluqi]

Here's the latest addition...meet Frieda

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/100_0319.jpg
There were four young in the nest. She's the second from the left.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/100_0284.jpg
She weighed ~350g when pulled, she ate a half of a quail 15 minutes after I got her, she ate the other half about 3 hours later.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/IMG_0593.jpg

Here she is this morning (6-12-07) she weighed in at 944g today.

[Jimmy]

She's a looker!

[Falcon Boy]

Sweet! Congrats!

[`Chris L.]

Paul,
[smilie=icon_thumright.gif] ..he looks great. Thanks for posting the pictures. Keep us updated for sure.

Who did the climbing???

[Grahame]

Sorry, but did I miss somewhere the species of the bird?

Thanks.

[Grahame]

Sorry, but did I miss somewhere the species of the bird?

Thanks.

[wesleyc6]

Great for you Paul!!!!!!


I believe that it is a North American Goshawk Grahame.

[Saluqi]

Sorry, but did I miss somewhere the species of the bird?

Thanks.

Sorry, female goshawk.

[Saluqi]

Here are some shots of the climb. I climbed using a friends arborist gear, so it was pretty much fail safe, though it was a little daunting when the female didn't leave the nest until I was just a few feet below it. She flew up about six feet and screamed at me, I wished I'd brought up a camera she was so close it was unbelievable. She made repeated passes at me but never made contact, which was nice.

The first pic, low quality, but shows the female shading the young.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/004.jpg

Getting closer...
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/009.jpg

Now she's pissed...
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/020.jpg

Score!!!
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/032.jpg

One of the best falconry experiences.
Paul

[Lee Slikkers]

That is so excellent...thank for sharing those pics and your experience. Its one of the list of things I need to do in my falconry "life" before its all said and done and seeing stuff like this is such an inspiration.

Regards,

[Rudd]

Those are great pictures.

[Jimmy]

How high was the climb?

[gabboon]

k

[`Chris L.]

Paul, [smilie=eusa_clap.gif] Great pictures. Wow what a great time. I have to put that on my list of things I want to do. I know you are excited. It just add's to the experience that much more.

Thank you for taking the time to post those.

[chamokane]

What a great beginning to a new adventure.

The only time that I looked into an active Gos nest, the female hit me in the side of the head so hard that it bounced my head off the trunk of the tree like a billiard ball. If I had not been wearing a good motorcycle helmet, I think I would have been in trouble in spite of the fact that I was roped in pretty well. After all that, there was only one chick in the nest and we had to leave it there.

It will be fun to read about Frieda's development.

[Saluqi]

How high was the climb?

I think it was about 60 feet. The 1st nest we visited was about the same height except the nest was about 15 feet out on a limb...we walked around it for a half an hour trying to figure out a feasible way to get into the nest, but eventually came to our senses and headed for this nest - what good is an eyass gos with a broken back?

Paul

[Saluqi]

Cool pics. We trap the adults before we climb so they don't bother us. I did climb a failed nest once that thinking the adults had left. Male came in on me as soon as I got to the nest. Made several passes only inches away.

Nothing beats climbing into those nests. I never get tired of it (although I'm darn tired when I get up there).

You know those spurs are a lot more comfortable if you put the pad over the shins.

If anyone is planning on getting their own climbers and has the money, go for the Gecko climbers. Lightweight and super comfortable. Plus the gaffs go in and come out easy. My old iron climbers go in ok, but I work harder trying to pull them out each step.

Someday I also hope to take home a little one to raise.

This gal wasn't going to leave the nest for nuthin', I was just feet away before she flew up above the nest, I don't believe trapping her was an option.

I think the padding was over my shins. The gear I had this year was frickin' great, five years ago when I climbed for my tiercel I had ancient gear, no padding on the spurs and just a belt with a wore out hemp rope as a lanyard, which would have done me more good if I'd smoked it!! I ended up tossing the belt 3/4 of the way up and surviving without it - pretty stupid! But, yeah, nice climbing gear is priceless!

Paul

[Grahame]

Thank you for the reply.

I am surprised she did not nail you. I have heard many a horrer story about N. Goshawks from fellow bander (ringers).

After climbing trees to band young Great Horned Owls for 10 years, I know the feeling of being nailed. I have permanent scars in my back despite wearing head protection and hockey shoulder pads. The highest I climbed was 64 feet, the lowest 9 feet. Climbing spurs and and duplicate ropes and carabiners for getting around branches did the trick. Getting up is the easy part, getting down is much harder. All part of the experience I guess.

Congratulations on the new addition.

[gabboon]

k

[Saluqi]

Here's Frieda yesterday at about 30 days of age, 996g.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/IMG_0612.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/IMG_0610.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/IMG_0609.jpg
Gotta love those feet!

Paul

[gabboon]

k

[everetkhorton]

Paul:
Those feet look like size 12 x-wide. She is coming along nicely

[`Chris L.]

Paul, she is looking great... Thanks for posting the pictures

[Saluqi]

Thanks to everyone. Someone with more knowledge than me sent me a journal article "A Photographic Guide to Aging Nestling Northern Goshawks" by Clint Boal, and from that article it looks like Frieda was more like 32-34 days old in the pictures above. They change so fast at this age.

Paul

[Saluqi]

I started leaving Frieda out all day last Thursday (6/21) in her "nest" tree which is right next to our driveway. She finally branched over the weekend, and is slowly gaining the some flight skills. Yesterday she flew down out of the tree and found her bath pan in the front yard and a couple of hours later made her way back to the tree and using a lawn chair flew back up into her tree. It's pretty cool to watch her develop.

Here she is yesterday at about 41 days old.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/IMG_0676.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/IMG_0675.jpg

Paul

[everetkhorton]

Paul:

This is great, this bird has the best of both worlds. Like you said, she is changing every day. It has to be a blast to watch. Thanks for sharing you experiance with us. The photo are great, what a change
Ev.

[Falcon Boy]

Shes got some huge feet!

[Rudd]

So you just leave her in the tree all day? Do you take her in at night? That is fascinating.

[Saluqi]

So you just leave her in the tree all day? Do you take her in at night? That is fascinating.

Hi Rudd-

She comes in at night and I put her out first thing in the morning. Hacking isn't really anything new in the world of falconry, though this is the first time I've tried it, folks usually associate hacking with longwings but even with accipiters it's been around forever. Lately more folks are having great success with it, like Barry who's on this forum and Steve Layman, both of those guys raise some outstanding game hawks using a hack. The hack is easier than carting a brancher/fledgling around with you everywhere you go, it's just the risk of losing the bird to some unforseen circumstance that can make you crazy.

Paul

[everetkhorton]

Paul:
How long will you leave her at Hack or is a day by day thing. Just wait and see how she progresses. What happens if she makes a kill?

[Saluqi]

Paul:
How long will you leave her at Hack or is a day by day thing. Just wait and see how she progresses. What happens if she makes a kill?

Hi Ev,

I'd like to sick it out for about 3 weeks, but we'll see. I sort of doubt she'll make a kill, but if she does and acts stubborn I guess I'll camp out for the night where ever she ends up roosting.

Paul

[Jimmy]

Has she got a beeper on, Paul?

[Lee]

She sounds like she is on the right path. I have heard if you hack out coops like that they make much better birds.

[Lee]

She sounds like she is on the right path. I have heard if you hack out coops like that they make much better birds.

[Saluqi]

Has she got a beeper on, Paul?

You bet, wouldn't have the guts to do it without one.

Paul

[Jimmy]

I thought I could see a curled antenna in the first pic, but wasn't sure.

[Saluqi]

I thought I could see a curled antenna in the first pic, but wasn't sure.

Good Eyes James! I'd been using a Merlin Systems FMV but everytime the bird bathed the thing would die, I thought that a little H2O didn't kill these things??? Switched over to a Marshall RT today, we'll if that one works when I get home later....

[`Chris L.]

Paul, does she get back in the nest towards night fall? I am looking forward to hearing more about how she does with this. Good luck. I really would like to try this as well...

[Rudd]

That is awesome. I would go nuts thinking of her all day. What about cats? Any worries of a cat getting to her?

[Saluqi]

Paul, does she get back in the nest towards night fall? I am looking forward to hearing more about how she does with this. Good luck. I really would like to try this as well...

I've decided to head that one off at the pass. What I decided yesterday was that in the afternoon when I get home, 5-6pm, I'll call her down for some food, she comes to the lure immediately, and then tether her for the remainder of the day. She's only the 2nd gos that I've raised and with my tiercel (who I didn't hack) he would always get very anxious in the early evening looking for a place to roost, I really don't want to feed her her evenining meal and then have her go up in the high branches looking for a safe spot to roost.


What about cats? Any worries of a cat getting to her?

We are blessed with a large population of coyotes so cats are not much of an issue, but I do leave two of my dogs out in the yard just in case. Not a great insurance policy, but it makes me feel a little better.

Paul

[`Chris L.]

but it makes me feel a little better.

Paul

So does a .223 [smilie=banana.gif]

[everetkhorton]

also a 22-250 [smilie=eusa_boohoo.gif]

[Lee]

12 guage loaded with number 4 buck works good here I really knock down alot of foxes with that combo, a predator call will reveal a lot of your problem predators in your area and the rabbits will love you for it.

[everetkhorton]

Lee:

I find that a large conabear trap in a bucket help cut down on unwant animal in a the area. The work 24/7 [smilie=icon_hang.gif]

[Saluqi]

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/IMG_0714.jpg

Frieda at ~55 days old, this morning (7-9-07) on her "T-perch" in the garage. She's been at day time hack for the past 2 1/2 weeks, will probably continue hacking for another week or so.

Paul

[chamokane]

She's looking really good. I love it when they start looking like a grown up hawk. What kind of transmitter do you like for tame hack?

[everetkhorton]

Paul:
You have had no trouble with hacking her with wild bird around or crow etc.

[Saluqi]

She's looking really good. I love it when they start looking like a grown up hawk. What kind of transmitter do you like for tame hack?

Thanks. I tried using my Merlin Systems FMV and mini FMV but it seems like every time she'd take a bath, which is at least once a day, the batteries would die. I haven't been able to get in touch with anyone from Merlin, so I don't know what the deal is, I didn't think water would do that? So, I've been using a Marshall RT, which works fine but it drains a 1/3N battery every couple days, and at 4-5 bucks a pop it's kind of pricey, but better than a lost bird.


Paul:
You have had no trouble with hacking her with wild bird around or crow etc.
We have lots of ravens here and they come around and harass her once in a while but nothing too bad, also our pair of nest box kestrels just fledged a brood and they come around and raise a stink, but I don't think any bird wants to get too close to her - she looks intimidating even though she's pretty much clueless.

[everetkhorton]

Paul:
On Sat. our fire department had a car wash. I dunked my watch in the water several times. The second hand ran wild so I new there was water in the watch. I put my watch in a dehydrator for two days. I also did this with a departments hi band radio, but it took three days to dry out. This may help get them back on track.

[Jimmy]

Paul,
Order your batteries from Merlin. You won't find them any cheaper.

[goshawks00]

Paul, I just found this thread, man I missed a bunch of it. Great job on the eyas. Hacking is a treat huh!!! I love seeing the wheels turn as they discover their surrounding, and start investigating. A short hack is a better idea I think esp for a first time.... longer and they will start to display some independence along with learning the advantages of hunting from an elevated perch. Once they start killing that way , they will, over time, only want to hunt that way, and then it becomes no fun as they will take exceedingly long , unseen by you, flights at things you can only imagine .... if they don't catch them. My longest hack was I believe 102 days from birth, which still is better than a month after hard penning. Ricky was the gos from 3 years ago and he's somewhere out in your neck of the woods I think and while being independent he has become a superb gamehawk with quite a few jacks to his record along with a great number of quail and CTs. Please keep us updated as you go along with your hack.
Good luck!!
Barry

[everetkhorton]

Barry:
If you look at the upper right hand corner you will see "View Posts since last Visit".. Click on it and this will take you to all the post that you have not read. Maybe this will help you find post, I do not know if you use that or not just trying to give a hand [smilie=eusa_clap.gif] Have a nice trip to the U.P. Watch out for black flies [smilie=angry5.gif] They like to bite.

[goshawks00]

Ev, what are black flies? I thought all flys were black. [smilie=smileys13.gif]

[Saluqi]

Paul, I just found this thread, man I missed a bunch of it. Great job on the eyas. Hacking is a treat huh!!! I love seeing the wheels turn as they discover their surrounding, and start investigating. A short hack is a better idea I think esp for a first time.... longer and they will start to display some independence along with learning the advantages of hunting from an elevated perch. Once they start killing that way , they will, over time, only want to hunt that way, and then it becomes no fun as they will take exceedingly long , unseen by you, flights at things you can only imagine .... if they don't catch them. My longest hack was I believe 102 days from birth, which still is better than a month after hard penning. Ricky was the gos from 3 years ago and he's somewhere out in your neck of the woods I think and while being independent he has become a superb gamehawk with quite a few jacks to his record along with a great number of quail and CTs. Please keep us updated as you go along with your hack.
Good luck!!
Barry

Thanks Barry, yeah, hacking is a lot of fun. She's kind of a slow developer, it feels that way to me anyway, she doesn't venture very far from home, I'd kind of like for her to get a little more experience under her belt before I end the hack. I'm going to play it by ear as she hard pens and see how things go. She "hunts" my pigeons and the squirrels that live in the wood pile, and she's bates at cottontails when I flush one while she's on my fist, though I've never seen her fly at one while free. Being free all day around the place has got to be more stimulating comapred to sitting in the mews all day.

Take Care,
Paul

[goshawks00]

You might want to revisit a conversation with Layman... which I think is right on...

Right now chasing game is all fun... like when they spin in circles chasing some imaginary prey grabbing at it, flipping around, falling over, footing, jumping up for the 'reflush' ... all the silly kinds of stuff. I bet if you could see her all day she is grabbing leaves , striking out at ants or bugs in the trees... shadow boxing.... learning. Same with early stages of chasing game... instincts unfolding within her mind, kind of "mental tranformer development". Those are the things of tame hacking you can't teach ... they will naturally unfold.

Anyway as Layman says ... once game is caught for all intents and purposes the learning stops. Granted other phases will then be learned such as subduing ( along with not getting bitten .. if squirrels), holding killing, etc, hiding with game etc.

Don't rush her, just sit back and watch the show.. the greatest show on earth... nature teaching nature how to become a willing, able partner.
Barry

[chamokane]

Paul,
If your RT transmitter is using a battery every two days, you might want to talk to Marshall. I have four RT plus transmitters, two with the old program, and two with the new program. I put new batteries in all of them and let them run till they stopped. The two with the old program ran for 13 and 14 days. The two with the new program ran for 20 and 21 days.

Marshall lists the 1/3N battery for $2.50.

[gabboon]

Marshall lists the 1/3N battery for $2.50.

check eBay for batteries. You can often buy them in bulk for unbelievably low prices. I've bought some of those button batteries and they were very good. I use them on things like laser pointers and the locator collars for my dogs. They also seem to last well. I guess being sold this way they may be fresher than from a store.

[goshawks00]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x301/bollette/Rickyinthetree.jpg

If this worked here is a photo of Ricky 3 weeks after hard penned.
Barry

[everetkhorton]

Barry:
Nice picture. Do you use marshall transmitters? At what age do there eyes turn yellow?

[goshawks00]

While hacking them , because they are not hardpenned , and can't have a tail mount, I use an old Luksander transmitter, the single battery kind, zip tied to their anklet. Once they are hardpenned , at some point I will install, while they are eating , a tailmount crimped to a single deck. Their eyes will start changing around penning and gradually go yellow throughout the first year. If you look closely at Ricky and Oreo the kitten you can see the little blue Lukersander attached to the hole in the anklet.
Barry
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x301/bollette/RickyandGruff.jpghttp://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x301/bollette/hardpenned.jpg

[everetkhorton]

Barry:
I like the photo of the bird and cat. What do you think of the back packs?
I have use a tail mount for years. For some reason last hunting season I have the transmitter twist in the mount/tube a few times. I have lost one transmitter and it was a Marshall BP and they no longer make them. I have never had a Lukersander transmitter fail yet. Thanks for the pictures.

[goshawks00]

I'm old school I guess,change comes hard esp. when you don't have problems. I still favor the Holohils over all transmitters though the newer magnetic switched types are appealing. problem is early on I was a transmitter junkie and own 8 different transmitters now.
If you are having twisting problems it's usually the wire spring needs bending out a little more for extra strength/pressure, OR the hawks is fooling with it. Another possibility is the trans--esp if an older model like some of those 'can' types, are relatively heavy and may be annoying to the hawk. I think that is a good reason to visit the backpack, which has it's own set of problems.
Barry

[Saluqi]

You might want to revisit a conversation with Layman... which I think is right on...

Right now chasing game is all fun... like when they spin in circles chasing some imaginary prey grabbing at it, flipping around, falling over, footing, jumping up for the 'reflush' ... all the silly kinds of stuff. I bet if you could see her all day she is grabbing leaves , striking out at ants or bugs in the trees... shadow boxing.... learning. Same with early stages of chasing game... instincts unfolding within her mind, kind of "mental tranformer development". Those are the things of tame hacking you can't teach ... they will naturally unfold.

Anyway as Layman says ... once game is caught for all intents and purposes the learning stops. Granted other phases will then be learned such as subduing ( along with not getting bitten .. if squirrels), holding killing, etc, hiding with game etc.

Don't rush her, just sit back and watch the show.. the greatest show on earth... nature teaching nature how to become a willing, able partner.
Barry

Absolutely right, she just goes nutty playing with stuff. She'll pick up sticks and bark and leaves and toss them around with her beak and then foot the crap out of them, she'll do that for a little while and then Boom! She's asleep under a bush or on top of the gas grill or some other bizarre place, they really are very puppy like during this phase.

I do have some anxiety as she hard penns and the need to tighten up on weight control. What's your normal approach around this period in the birds development?

Thanks,
Paul

[Saluqi]

Paul,
If your RT transmitter is using a battery every two days, you might want to talk to Marshall. I have four RT plus transmitters, two with the old program, and two with the new program. I put new batteries in all of them and let them run till they stopped. The two with the old program ran for 13 and 14 days. The two with the new program ran for 20 and 21 days.

Marshall lists the 1/3N battery for $2.50.

Wow! 20 days is a long time, as soon as I get the double beep I change out the battery. I'll give Marshall a call and ask them about it. Thanks for the info.

Paul

[Saluqi]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x301/bollette/Rickyinthetree.jpg

If this worked here is a photo of Ricky 3 weeks after hard penned.
Barry

Ricky is a nice looking bird, is he out of Gigi(sp?)?

[goshawks00]

Yes , he is the last chick hatched by Gi Gi, the male of the breeding is a third gen. homegrown out of my original pair from 12 years ago. The guy that is flying him says he flies a little above 800 grams, and has become a great jack hawk. Ricky was the hawk that was hacked for over 100 days. Never forget the day he was taken up.

The people down the road from us raise chickens .. no big deal as Karen, my wife, also keeps a flock of banties along with a small herd on Cochins... I think something like 30-40 birds total while the neighbors are all leghorns, nice white ones. Ours are free ranged and Ricky used to take passes at them.....remember it's the bit about learning manuevers, things like stalling in air then reversing course, stooping, pull ups etc, just learning how he works.

Ricky spent a lot of time down at the Santures, there in their woods being chased by crows, fooling around with their kids, hanging out at the swimming pool. etc. and was well liked by them all, especially the kids who were very excited about having him down visiting, even to the point of taking him willingly in the house to watch cartoons with them... they are 7 and 11 .

Well they were gone for the weekend and had a cousin come take care of the animals....the chickens, llamas, ducks, dogs and cats, your general farm stuff. Ricky had been home earlier in the day for his noon meal and spent some time in the garden under the rubarb , had a nap there and just hung out with Karen then left again..

When I got home from work I picked up the receiver just to see where he was and yep he was down at the Santures place... no biggie. About evening he hadn't came home which was his usual route, so I checked again, yep still there so I got the lure, whistled for him and swung the lure a few times.... Hmmmmmm... not good.... he isn't coming. Getting in the truck I drove over to Santures to get him.

When I got out of the truck I could hear his chickens were carrying on so I headed back along the woods to where their chicken pen was. Coming around the barn, I was dumb struck.... a brain freeze...""how in the heck can it only snow in one place....? ""It was one of those instant moments when your brain can't compute what your eyes are seeing.... it only lasted about a second and a half but it was the weirest feeling....I was stuck in a time warp which wasn't making sense. Almost as quickly I jerked back to reality as I saw Ricky come streaking out of the woods grab another hen, roll on the ground with it, subdue it, pull a couple of fists full of nice white feathers, then just as quickly let it go and fly off. Almost like tag but with a touchy feely moment added in the mix.

This pen is probably 100' square and you would be hard pressed to find a place to step that didn't have feathers. There were about 80-90 leghorns in the pen and it looked like everyone of them was missing something.... wing feathers, back feathers, tail feathers, breast feathers. No dead victims but plenty of naked chickens.

For about 30 minutes until real close to dark he continued to molest them completely ignoring the lure and all the threats I made. Finally I was able to get the chickens corraled into their coup which the care keeper had neglected to open the door of and with all the 'fun' gone he came down for a well earned at least in his eyes reward for a job well done. That was his last day of hack, and the sad part was I had to go back there several times after while flying him around the neighborhhood. He had a captive audience and he knew it.
Barry

[everetkhorton]

Barry:
Great Story. A 100 days at hack isn't that a long time. What is normal?

[goshawks00]

Good question Ev. I don't think there is a right answer. A tame hack with longwings has been practiced for many years now, but I haven't heard of to many shortwingers deliberately trying it. I've done seven now and Layman a few, John Mase got me going on it about eight years ago, with a male he had done at his place in Alpena , and Shuell did it for a couple weeks at his place a several years ago.. Other than that I haven't talked to anyone else that purposely did it for very long. I do think 100 days is a stretch and think a couple weeks after hardpenning is enough without causing to many side effects. At this point , there are no answers and I wish more would give it a try.
Barry

[Saluqi]

So Barry, what did your neighbors say when they came home to piles of feathers and semi-naked chickens? Are you still on speaking terms? I think I'll let mine continue at hack for an additonal week, I was going to call it quits after 3 weeks, but things seem to be going pretty good. we'll see...

Paul

[goshawks00]

Actually they were pretty cool about the whole thing... they understood, and were more upset with the cousin for locking the chickens out than anything. They did say they lost about 12 dozen eggs because of it, as the chickens stopped laying for two/three days from fright.
[smilie=icon_hang.gif]
I offered to pay any damages but they wouldn't hear of it, and the older son , came over many times in the following weeks to spend time with Ricky as he (Ricky) was just getting his falconry legs going.
Paul I'll be interested in how she turns out as all my hacking , at least with the goshawks were males, and I'm most curious about the independant 'streak' they developed from being on their own.




Barry

[Saluqi]

Actually they were pretty cool about the whole thing... they understood, and were more upset with the cousin for locking the chickens out than anything. They did say they lost about 12 dozen eggs because of it, as the chickens stopped laying for two/three days from fright.
[smilie=icon_hang.gif]
I offered to pay any damages but they wouldn't hear of it, and the older son , came over many times in the following weeks to spend time with Ricky as he (Ricky) was just getting his falconry legs going.
Paul I'll be interested in how she turns out as all my hacking , at least with the goshawks were males, and I'm most curious about the independant 'streak' they developed from being on their own.

Barry

That's quite a few lost eggs, good neighbors are a true blessing. I'm pretty sure that Steve hasn't hacked a female gos either, so it will be interesting to see how it all unfolds. I'll keep you posted.

Paul

[Saluqi]

Barry,

Have you done any weight control during the hack? Frieda is about 58 days old now and is probably hard penned, her food intake has gone down a bit in the last few days, I just wonder if I should cut her back a little or just keep feeding her. This morning I watched chase a bunnie and go after my pigeons a couple of times, she's obviously hunting though she's not very hungry.

Paul

[Saluqi]

Yesterday morning....
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/IMG_0728.jpg

This morning...
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/IMG_0734.jpg

Frieda is expanding her range everyday. I've been watching her fly at our local cottontails and my pigeons without success, it's pretty neat.

[everetkhorton]

Paul:
Are you training her for something new. Most people fly there birds
out the window, not off the roof. Great picture,she has her eye on
something. The bottom one is "what the $%% you looking at?"
Great picture, keep them coming.

[wesleyc6]

Looking really nice Paul!!!! I can't wait to hear some hunting stories!

[Saluqi]

I ended the hack on Wednesday afternoon after 27 days. Frieda had been ranging pretty far around the neighborhood this last week, which was pretty nerve wracking, on Wednesday morning she didn't eat very much and headed towards my neighbor's house. They have a chicken yard with some half falling down poultry netting over the top. Anyway, I had to run to get the kids to their swim team pratice so I didn't chase her down, and by lunch time I was kind of afraid of what might have happened. I drove home and found Frieda inside the chicken yard with a big old barred rock dead next to her, she had only eaten the neck. Luckily the neighbors were okay with the whole thing, so now I have a bonafide chicken hawk.

I'm shaving off her weight and we're working on basic training.

Paul

[everetkhorton]

Paul:
Now is where it all starts coming together. Good luck and keep us post
on her progress [smilie=wav.gif]

[hawkstir]

When I look at this photo I can't help but think of "The Grinch That Stole Christmas"

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/IMG_0728.jpg
Great shot.

[goshawks00]

Congratulations Paul, she has killed on her own terms ( things like pens and captive chickens are in our vocabulary not hers).. She's tasted warm reward for good effort, it's time for 'carnage' !!!
Get 'er done.
Barry

[`Chris L.]

Congratulations Paul, she has killed on her own terms ( things like pens and captive chickens are in our vocabulary not hers).. She's tasted warm reward for good effort, it's time for 'carnage' !!!
Get 'er done.
Barry


Well said.. She doesn't have a Websters.. congrats Paul [smilie=icon_thumright.gif] , cant wait to hear more

[KidK]

Paul,

What is going on with Frieda? Have you started hawking in ernest with her?

[Saluqi]

Paul,

What is going on with Frieda? Have you started hawking in ernest with her?

Hey Kory,

I had gotten her started and she took the first head of game that I ever flushed for her, unfortunately it was a let-it-lay situation, she did get a nice crop off of it. We hunted a half dozen more times where she chased every thing that flushed, jacks, bunnies, meadowlarks, avocets, sparrows without closing the deal. I had to take a 8 day trip out of state to visit my mom, and I just got back yesterday, so we'll see what she does this evening.

Adios,

Paul

[KidK]

I just got back yesterday, so we'll see what she does this evening.

Adios,

Paul

Cool Paul, sounds like she is quite close. I am quite looking forward to hearing your hawking reports.

BTW, are you going to fly your tercil this season as well?

Please keep us posted!

[Saluqi]

BTW, are you going to fly your tercil this season as well?

Please keep us posted!

Hi Kory,

I'll get the tiercel going later than usual I guess, probably not until November or so. It'll be tough because he seems to know that when the days get shorter and the temps get cooler it's time to hunt, ultimately I'll play it by ear as to when he gets to fly.

Take Care,

Paul

[Saluqi]

It's been a while since I posted on Frieda's progress, so I guess I ought to let you all know what's going on. My basic routine with her is hunting every other day and exercising everyday. Exercises include restrained pursuits with a vertical jump back to the fist. I'm not in the high numbers of either of these yet because she gets a tidbit for every RP and nearly every VJ, so it's easy to get 20 to 30 reps, but more than that and she slows down.

Hunting has been fun, but it's tough in the 90 degree heat and lately we've been having steady 10-15 mph blast furnace winds, not to mention some high cover. I've been holding Frieda's weight in the 980 - 970 g range and she acts like she's dying of hunger, though I'm sure her weight will drop some more as time goes on. She's pretty vocal at these weights, though not in the incessant screamer way which is good, more of the I want to hunt/eat kind of way. She's quiet in the field - for the most part.

One quick story: Last Thursday we went out to a small feedlot where the east side paddocks have not been used since last year so they're kind of overgrown with weeds, especially around the edges. We were walking for 5 minutes when a sparrow broke cover and Frieda was hot on its tail, the sparrow lost its nerve and dumped into the weeds, Frieda shot straight up and came straight down and caught it. I was amazed! She went right to work plucking and broke in, I started tossing her some tidbits and she hopped off of the kill, I stashed it and off we went for more fun. Not two minutes later a bunnie flushed and she poured on the steam, her speed surprises the hell out of me, the bunnie broke into the next paddock and Frieda manuveured through the pipe fencing like she'd being doing it all her life, the bunnie heading for a hole under a concrete waterer and Frieda hit the ground just too late. By now the sun was low on the horizon and everything was golden in the last day light and juvenille peregrine came in, she must have been perched on one of the grain silos, to inspect the ruckus. She was so cool, just knifing through the air, so effortless, the day was made at that point. We had one more bunnie slip which was a beaut, Frieda was going all out, she hit the ground after the rabbit twice and got up a third time but the rabbit had already made some high weeds and saftey.

It's fun, but I wish the cool weather would get here!

Paul

[KidK]

Yeah! I felt like I was right there Paul!

Thanks for the update. It was great!

Please keep them comming more often!

[Lee]

Nice! I bet she is going to be a bunny slayer in the future.

[Saluqi]

Nice! I bet she is going to be a bunny slayer in the future.

Thanks Lee, but you and your sharpy are putting me to shame! Actually on Sunday she took her first cottontail, it was only 2/3 grown but it was still a nice flight. It was after the sun dropped behind the mountains and my wife and I had walked through a big field of rabbit brush and had had 4 nice jack flights with Frieda hitting one of the jacks. We walked a small patch of cover near the truck and Lauri flushed the bunnie from a bush, Frieda and I were about 20 yds away, but she sucked up the distance and caught the rabbit in a nice cornering move about 60 yards from where the flight started. It was fun, she broke in immediately and I let her eat for a little while until I tossed her tidbits which she took as payment for the bunny.

Paul

[KidK]

Paul,

How are your two goshawks doing? Did you ever make a tail saver for them?

I want to hear about hawking quail.. got any stories?

[Saluqi]

Paul,

How are your two goshawks doing? Did you ever make a tail saver for them?

I want to hear about hawking quail.. got any stories?

Hey Kory,

No haven't been hawking quail. My time has been stretched thin lately, so I only get out to hunt rabbits. Yup, I made her a tailguard out of plastic, one like Greg Mikelson uses. Keeps her tail safe, kind of a pain to put on sometimes though. She's hunting great, takes jacks that get up close and bunnies no matter the distance. I guess I could crank her weight down and she'd go for longer slips on jacks but I don't really care.

Lou my tiercel (5 yrs old) is deadly, he's kind of getting second fiddle so far this season, but he doubled on cottontails yesterday and seemed to enjoy himself.

Here's a pic of me and Frieda from about a week ago. It was getting late and my Brittany was driving me nuts running all over hell - not helping in the least!!! Anyway, she finally starting working close and locked up on point and as I walked over with Frieda a big old jack jumped up and Frieda was after it in a flash, she connected with it's butt after about 50 yd chase. The jack was jumping flips and cartwheels and Frieda walked up its back and shut it down with two feet to the head - ouch!!

Big Fun!!

Paul
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/IMG_0933.jpg

[wesleyc6]

Hey Paul,
Did it take very long for your Brit to steady up on rabbits? I got tickeled today as a Jack blew my DD's doors off. I was embarassed for him! The jack ran clear out of sight!

[chamokane]

Great photo, Paul. It sounds like your bird is doing great. I saw a Brittany pointing jacks once; she did a nice job. Unfortunately, we were looking for grouse. Fortunately, the dog's owner could tell the difference between a jack point and a grouse point.

[Bodarc]

Great thread Paul

I've enjoyed reading your posts. Thanks

[KidK]

Here's a pic of me and Frieda from about a week ago. Anyway, she finally starting working close and locked up on point and as I walked over with Frieda a big old jack jumped up and Frieda was after it in a flash, she connected with it's butt after about 50 yd chase. The jack was jumping flips and cartwheels and Frieda walked up its back and shut it down with two feet to the head - ouch!!

Big Fun!!

Paul

Paul,

Congratulations and another great photo. I love how the terrain looks where you are hawking.

I notice you are holding Frieda's tail while she works on that jack. The tail saver I use is perfect for those situations. You just gather up the tail as they mantle and clip it on.

Shoot me your snail mail addy and I will send you a couple that are ready to use. They clip on your vest strap real easily too until you need them.

[Saluqi]

Hey Paul,
Did it take very long for your Brit to steady up on rabbits? I got tickeled today as a Jack blew my DD's doors off. I was embarassed for him! The jack ran clear out of sight!

Hi Wes,

She's not steady on anything really, she'll point quail, bunnies and jacks, as well horned larks and meadow larks. She holds best for quail, where I've seen her all "pretzeled" up locked on point. I think her nose is failing her to some degree, last season in early Nov we were hunting an old quarry and she got nailed square on the nose by a big diamond back, I think it affected her sense of smell. It's those intermittent points, like the one on the jack, that end with a nice flight and a big score for the bird, that keep me bringing her to the field, plus she lives to go hawking.

Jacks are amazing critters, we regularly find ones that blow the doors off a pack of sighthounds, just run straight away, leaves you with your jaw on the ground.

Paul

[Saluqi]

Great photo, Paul. It sounds like your bird is doing great. I saw a Brittany pointing jacks once; she did a nice job. Unfortunately, we were looking for grouse. Fortunately, the dog's owner could tell the difference between a jack point and a grouse point.

Thanks Dave, she's usually wiggling when she points a rabbit, quail she's totally ridgid. Someday I hope I get see some real longwinging with pointers locked tight and a falcon waiting on at 1000 feet, the combo of a pointing dog and falcon is tough to beat.

Paul

[Saluqi]

Here's a pic of me and Frieda from about a week ago. Anyway, she finally starting working close and locked up on point and as I walked over with Frieda a big old jack jumped up and Frieda was after it in a flash, she connected with it's butt after about 50 yd chase. The jack was jumping flips and cartwheels and Frieda walked up its back and shut it down with two feet to the head - ouch!!

Big Fun!!

Paul

Paul,

Congratulations and another great photo. I love how the terrain looks where you are hawking.

I notice you are holding Frieda's tail while she works on that jack. The tail saver I use is perfect for those situations. You just gather up the tail as they mantle and clip it on.

Shoot me your snail mail addy and I will send you a couple that are ready to use. They clip on your vest strap real easily too until you need them.

Thanks Kory, I sent you a PM. That field is a half section right in the middle of town, I used to hunt it with my redtail (pretending it was a gos) doing off the fist flights, so I hadn't hawked there in 8 years or so, it was nice still find a good population of jacks.

Paul

[wesleyc6]

That is sad about the rattler. My first DD pointed fur and feather right away. We only got a good partial season in together. This DD...............well, maybe his mom told him it wasn't nice to point. LOL

I would have thought your dogs could simply match the speed of any jack. I didn't know that sometimes they get outran. WOW! I would love to see them do their thing!

Let me ask you a "game" question since you have pursued jacks in similar terrain for a while obviously. Do you find some fields look great and have few in it and a similiar looking field will be loaded? Do you find that fields near town are better than those in the sticks? Can you look at a field now and have a good guess if it will have jacks? Do you go to different fields/places for cottontails?

[Saluqi]

Let me ask you a "game" question since you have pursued jacks in similar terrain for a while obviously. Do you find some fields look great and have few in it and a similiar looking field will be loaded? Do you find that fields near town are better than those in the sticks? Can you look at a field now and have a good guess if it will have jacks? Do you go to different fields/places for cottontails?

Hi Wes,

Definetly, some fields look perfect and you'll walk them and not find a single turd even. This past Sunday I was out with my buddy with the passage gos, we went to a new spot where he had scouted for CTs, we flew both of our tiercels and caught 3 bunnies in less than an hour. Frieda was up last and we moved to a another spot nearby, looked like ideal jack cover, we walked and walked, my Britt working the field too, and we didn't see a single hare, ended going back and letting her chase bunnies.

As far as hawking in the boonies, look for agricultural land where there are irrigated alfalfa pivots and empty scrubby fields(like the cover in my last pic) nearby. The jacks will come out at night and feed on the alfalfa and during the day hang out in the scrub

The fields in and around Albuquerque tend to be loaded with jacks, while similar fields out in the boonies would be near empty. Fewer coyotes in town, and expanding subdivisions tend to crowd the game into smaller and smaller fields.

As far as bunnies go, we have dessert cottontails and you guys have eastern cts, so there habits are a bit different. The first time I hawked in Amarillo I couldn't believe that the bunnies were laying out in the middle of grass fields with no obvious cover. Our bunnies can be found where the ground has been disturbed and they can dig holes into a vertical face, or where there are tunneling animals like prairie dogs. They also live around buildings and old falling down structures, they tend to be near the edges of cover, as do jacks. Both cts and jacks hide along fences because they provide an escape structure from coyotes, but cts always have a hole nearby.

Hope that helps.

Paul

[wesleyc6]

Yes, that helps a lot! I have a new falconer friend in Lubbock that has a field that he says is CRAWLING with jacks. I notice Lubbock has LOTS of jacks in town just running around. It would appear what I am walking is pretty good for jacks by appearance. I have lots of them to walk. So thick CRP isn't too good for jacks I guess. I haven't been seeing them in it. Sparser appears better. There is an alfalfa field right outside of town here. I am going to get permission there.

One of my local friends told me about a pasture with some prairie dogs in it and I don't have any land like that right now. I am going to start trying some of those new places too. Thanks for taking the time to type that. You can come catch a phez here sometime and we will scout bunny habitat out together while you grin about your phez. [smilie=icon_pray.gif]

[Saluqi]

This was a PM that I sent to Kory last week, he told me to post it to the list.

Kory,
I'll let you know when they arrive, thanks again.Had a great hunt with Frieda yesterday. Went to a field loaded with jacks, brought my Britt and longdog along to join the fun. We were out for a 1/2 hour and had a couple of chases, then I flushed a CT real close and Frieda sucked it up effortlessly. I let her pluck and break in and tossed her the lure to trade off. When she finished we walked less than a hundred yards and jack flushed real close and she was off like a flash, hit and rolled the jack which broke free, she was back in the air and another jack flushed. She switched to the new jack, by now my longdog saw what was going on and joined the chase. Picture a jack running full out with a female gos with her wings half closed pumping for all she's worth mirroring every turn of the jack, and now picture a greyhound like dog running at 35 mph coming in a tangent to the chase accross a grassy field in position so that the hawk can see the dog closing the gap. The hawk goes into hyper drive to try and beat the dog to the quarry, the hawk grabs the hare and they both go flipping through the air and land in a writhing mass of hair and feathers. The dog shows up on the scene and grabs the jack and gives it a shake, hawk still attached, and drops it just as I arrive panting. Man, it was the coolest flight we've had so far, it was a honker of jack to boot.

Had to share that with someone.

Paul

[kimmerar]

Wow - I bet that was a sight to see. Thanks for posting that Paul. Don't be bashful and let the moderators get all the good stories. We need them too :).

[KidK]

Paul,

Thanks for posting this.. It was still as good the third time I read it! Ya know, your photos of NM really tie it all together with your stories. :)

I would love to hawk in that type of terrain some day.

PLEASE keep those stories coming!:D

[wesleyc6]

Great story and congrats on a nice day of huntin'!!!!!!!!!

[Saluqi]

Here's a shot from Friday afternoon of Frieda with her 10th jack.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/Gos_Frieda/IMG_0943.jpg

We'd been out in the field for about 40 minutes and she'd already chased 3 or 4 pretty hard, but there was a storm rolling through and the wind was pretty strong and jacks know to run upwind. So she chased hard but once the jacks figured out she had more get up and go than the average redtail or ferrug they turned tail and ran straight into the wind leaving Frieda all PO'd. Like many of our hunts go lately, I flushed a CT and she nailed in a really nice flight, tossed her the lure for a reward and we were off again. A while later she chased a jack which left her on top of a sage bush and while I was walking over to her I flushed another jack which ran straight downwind - big mistake. She clobbered it and they had a nasty fight on the ground, it was really tough to untangled them and dispatch the rabbit, but I finally did and she got a big crop for her efforts.

[KidK]

Rock on Paul & Freida!

That is very cool! Congratulations on # 10!:D

[Jimmy]

You may have said, Paul, but I don't recall. Is she a NM bird? And how big is she?

[wesleyc6]

That is great!!!!! I am curious what she weighs too.

[Saluqi]

You may have said, Paul, but I don't recall. Is she a NM bird? And how big is she?

Hi Jimmy,

Yup, she came from a NM nest, down in Noah's and Jim's corner of the state. She's taking jacks at 1000g even. She has huge feet and an attitude to KILL. She gets so wound up in the afternoon when I pull into the driveway that I have to perch her out to weather - to chill out - for 10 minutes while I'm getting ready or else I can't get a weight on her because she's so hyper. I'm not sure I'd recommend trying to fly two goshawks during the same season to anyone, puts my blood pressure through the roof - I need a longwing to even things out.....hmm maybe a prairie...I didn't say that.

[wesleyc6]

Hi Jimmy,

Yup, she came from a NM nest, down in Noah's and Jim's corner of the state. She's taking jacks at 1000g even. She has huge feet and an attitude to KILL. She gets so wound up in the afternoon when I pull into the driveway that I have to perch her out to weather - to chill out - for 10 minutes while I'm getting ready or else I can't get a weight on her because she's so hyper. I'm not sure I'd recommend trying to fly two goshawks during the same season to anyone, puts my blood pressure through the roof - I need a longwing to even things out.....hmm maybe a prairie...I didn't say that.


That must be really satisfying to have pulled the bird yourself! I pulled a coop once and I thought that was just the neatest thing to know that I climbed that tree and got her. Sounds like you have done a great job with her. Are you going to Abilene to the meet? I hope so, I would like to see her fly. I like my little Daniel, but next year I am going to fly a female HH or possibly a Gos. I imagine it will be a HH. If it wasn't so late in the season, I would go get a wild one right now. I can get more jack flights than bunny flights and I like the jack flights because they are so long! How long of a slip will the gos take? If she sees ears a hundred yards away does she take off?

Everyone needs a prairie, right?

[Saluqi]

That must be really satisfying to have pulled the bird yourself! I pulled a coop once and I thought that was just the neatest thing to know that I climbed that tree and got her. Sounds like you have done a great job with her. Are you going to Abilene to the meet? I hope so, I would like to see her fly. I like my little Daniel, but next year I am going to fly a female HH or possibly a Gos. I imagine it will be a HH. If it wasn't so late in the season, I would go get a wild one right now. I can get more jack flights than bunny flights and I like the jack flights because they are so long! How long of a slip will the gos take? If she sees ears a hundred yards away does she take off?

Everyone needs a prairie, right?

Thanks. She's far from perfect, reflection of me and my shortfalls. I also climbed for my tiercel and despite his idiosnycrasies he's the coolest bird, piss and vinegar - balls to the wall - his name is Lou also. I should take some pics of him at our next outing.

No, Abilene is not in the forecast, I'll try and make it out to Jimmy's for a weekend of hunting sometime in January though, I'll let you know and maybe we could meet up.

Frieda won't go for slips that are way out there, or where the jack is not flushing. Her first jack was a sitter though, she bushwhacked it behind a bush. She is taking longer slips now though, depending on her mood (weight) she'll go for anything that flushes within a 50 yard radius, and she'll chase for a very long way. She gets really PO'd if she hits the jack and it gets away, she'll just keep going until either she gets it or it just leaves her in the dust, I guess she's got tenacity - gotta love it!

[Falcon Boy]

Here's the only pic of lou i got that turned out well when i came up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v386/apprenticefalconry/abq102707011.jpg

[wesleyc6]

Thanks. She's far from perfect, reflection of me and my shortfalls. I also climbed for my tiercel and despite his idiosnycrasies he's the coolest bird, piss and vinegar - balls to the wall - his name is Lou also. I should take some pics of him at our next outing.

No, Abilene is not in the forecast, I'll try and make it out to Jimmy's for a weekend of hunting sometime in January though, I'll let you know and maybe we could meet up.

Frieda won't go for slips that are way out there, or where the jack is not flushing. Her first jack was a sitter though, she bushwhacked it behind a bush. She is taking longer slips now though, depending on her mood (weight) she'll go for anything that flushes within a 50 yard radius, and she'll chase for a very long way. She gets really PO'd if she hits the jack and it gets away, she'll just keep going until either she gets it or it just leaves her in the dust, I guess she's got tenacity - gotta love it!

Thanks for the info Paul. Yeah, if it is at all possible, I will ride up to meet ya......in person.