Summer Greetings from Central Michigan

[KidK]

Hello All,

I am a falconer from the central lower pensulia of Michigan. I have been flying hawks and falcons for about 12 years.

My prefrences are the accipiters, specifically Cooper's hawks and Goshawks. I currently have two imprint NA tercil Goshawks and one imprint NA female Goshawks on my propagation permit. I got a late start this year but learned much with my first attempt at propagation. I have high hopes for next season breeding.

I would like to add imprint Cooper's hawks to the project for propagation eventually. The idea of a hybrid Goshawk/Cooper's hawk or "Gooper's Hawk" sounds interesting to me. I would like to see what type of personality and abilities this would create.

I had plans to pull an eyas female Cooper's this spring but a series of nest loss by high wind storms, predation and earlier than expected hatch have left me without a Cooper's Hawk to imprint and fly this year.

Michigan is a tough place to fly a Cooper's hawk during the winter, so I was hoping to fly one through the summer and fall then do a forced molt through the winter while I fly goshawks.

I am looking forward to reading of others falconry exploits on this forum!

Best Regards,

Kory Koch
Michigan

[goshawks00]

Hello Mr. Koch, glad to see another austringer on board. Geez tough luck about the coops, I wish I knew you had poor luck with taking an eyas. I had a nest of four literally right across the street from me. Last time we spoke you were going to a nest south of you so I just figured... go figure.
Still toying with the thought of breeding coops myself as it's the only accip left in the states I haven't bred. Was able to track a sharpie down for John then my ace in the hole went dry when the eggs cangled infertile so I'm also birdless the summer and have to resort to pulling Hope out of the chambers during molt just to wrk with her through the summer. How about some pionters on wire trolley system...<G>
BTW how's the youngin and the 'soon to be' doing? Getting close!!!!
Barry

[`Chris L.]

Kory,
Great to have you on the forum. We have a good number of breeders on here as well. Its great to have more as we all can learn from each other for sure. I too am wanting to get into breeding Gos's but I have to wait on my little male for that to happen [smilie=icon_hang.gif] . I see you have 2 males, That is great!!!

Please keep us posted on your trials at the gos's and with the coops. I too would like to try breeding coops. One day I am sure.

Again , welcome to NAFEX and please don't hesitate to post

[KidK]

Thanks for the welcome Barry and Chris.

Chris, glad to hear that there are some good breeders here. Someday, I would like to be able to get it done. It surely is alot of work and I have a bunch left to learn. Barry has already been a huge help.

Barry, I don't have any problem with the wire trolley system I use (that I copied from Derry Argue which he had copied from Henry Desmonts), it is those darn leather jesses and the hole punched in the end that you have to worry about!

Yeah, it was a tough year up here for accipiter nests for sure. John called to tell me about Dech the other day and mentioned you helped him out with a sharpie. Great news. Hopefully nest year, things will be able to work out better for us!

Barry, I should have hollared at you about a Cooper's hawk I guess. I figured I had it covered with two back up nests, but that is the way it goes. Funny that Cooper's hawks are so common but you hear little about anyone breeding them. I know (unfortunately from experience) that high intensity accipiters often don't live to breeding age.

Thanks again for the welcome gents!

Kory Koch
Michigan

[goshawks00]

Breeding coops just isn't a high priority for most people,of all the accips they are the most prolific in the wild, so not much effort is put into them. I want to breed them to kind of round out the 'accip list' of hawks bred, but to tell you the truth it mat not happen.

Just got in a new K bird for rehabbing so at least I'll be able to fool around with a bird through the summer. Hacking out Ks are about as much fun as the accips, and most are very responsive to sticking around. Haven't done it in a while because of hacking goshawks the last few years but I have a 10 year old granddaughter that is learning the ropes and has it flying 20 foot to her in just 3 days, so it will be fun to watch them this summer.
Post often Kory as you have much to share,
Barry

[wesleyc6]

Yep, good to see ya here Kory. I have seen you around the lists for a few years. Welcome and please post often. smile

[KidK]

Hey there Wes!

Thanks for the welcome. I too have followed your falconry exploits the past few years and do enjoy reading your posts.

I particularly enjoy reading of how folks in other "necks of the woods" practice the sport. The differences in birds and terrain are so interesting but the similarities often make it sound like we could be neighbors though hundreds of miles apart. Neat stuff!

Best Regards,

[wesleyc6]

Thanks Kory. I hope to be exploiting, er......I mean sharing my exploits soon. I am thinking I will never be able to wait 16wks for my chick to be ready. [smilie=eusa_boohoo.gif] It will be hard to anyway. [smilie=icon_hang.gif]

[Lee Slikkers]

Great to see you here Kory...your experience and knowledge will be a real asset to the forum.

[KidK]

Thanks Lee.

Wasn't sure you were still here, then I remembered you get to take more vacations than anyone else I know, so I figured you would be back soon enough! Ha!

The tercil peregrine is molting well. He is about 1/2 way done now. I don't suspect he will be done any sooner than mid September. He is in my mew with the attached flight pen and sure loves hanging out there during the day.

I have the lights and fan on in the mew from about 8:00 pm until 5:00 pm the next day, only shutting off for 3 hours. I am usually home by 5:00 pm so once I am home, he goes out into the flight pen. He loves it in there. On the weekends he is out in the flight from early morning until evening.

The goshawks are all molting well. I suspect I may fly Spunk a bit this fall on ducks and rabbits. But, as you know, I never lock myself in and I am keeping my options open.

What else besides your hybrid are you going to fly this fall?

[Lee Slikkers]

Kory, ys, I'm more than blessed with ample vacation and time to spend with the boys...hard to pass up the chance to have more family time.

Glad to hear the tiercel has settled in well, I look forward to hearing about how he does for you if you end up flying him for awhile.

I have a female HH coming from Jimmy (active member here on the site)so we'll see how the fall goes and where my time is needed.

Lee

[sharptail]

hi kory Jeff in Wyo

[KidK]

Hey there Jeff,

I tried to send a message to you a couple days ago but fat fingered it and lost it. So, I'll try again..

Do you know the name Mel Utter? He was a falconer up in Bison (Perkins County, Northwest, SD). I have spent some time hawking and hunting at his place with him and some friends. I also know the area you are in pretty well also. Great country up there.

My wife and I honeymooned in Spearfish and hit all the tourist spots up that way. We called it the NWND Tour (Newley Wed and Nearly Dead) because all the honeymooners and snowbird grandma/grandpa types in the area that summer. LOL..

Mel just moved from Bison to Douglas, WY (just outside Casper) to take a new job. Sam Crowe is one of his bosses out there. He keeps telling me I need to come out and trap a passage prairie. I really would like to go out and pull a Wyoming goshawk next summer. We will see.

Anyway, welcome to the forum, I am looking forward to some sharptail and duck flight stories from you.

BTW, do you eat the sharptail your hawks catch. They are the best eating game bird IMHO, I like them even better than duck.

[sharptail]

Hey Kory,

No, I don't know Mel, it is hard to imagine anyone but a local farmer/rancher makin a living at Bison. Are there any Chickens that far west? I know that there must be other falconry around me, but am pretty isolated. There were a couple of Guys listed at Gillette, but never could make contact. Dan Obrien had a place out of White Wood, but moved. I found another Guy in White Wood, but his email is dead.

I have met Sam, at a Picnic but was distracted by some agent trying to get me to tell trapping stories.

Spearfish is where we go for grocerys, give me a heads up next time you come down.

I haven't spent much time looking for Gos's but they do come into the yard after my pigeons. Been thinking more about Passage birds, last few years.

Do you fly Sharptail with your Gos? I have seen a few wild flignts, they seem to go a long distance. I wonder about walking into a point(10-15' flush).

I only eat Sharptail, smoked or Panfried and on special occasions.

Most Pleased,

[KidK]

Jeff wrote:
"No, I don't know Mel, it is hard to imagine anyone but a local farmer/rancher makin a living at Bison. Are there any Chickens that far west? "

Jeff,

Mel was the state trapper for Perkins County doing ADC work. He was offered a trapper job out of Douglas, WY and jumped at it. It is a federal employee position and a federaly funded job. I love SD but won't go into the politics of their funding of prediator control.

There are chickens as far North as Southern Faith county (directly below Perkins county) and the reports from the state are that they are moving North. The guys down towards Piere are finding them I hear.

Jeff also wrote: "Spearfish is where we go for grocerys, give me a heads up next time you come down. "

You bet I will. I will likely be making a trip out that way in the next couple years. I really want to come out for a week hawking again.

Jeff also wrote: "I haven't spent much time looking for Gos's but they do come into the yard after my pigeons. Been thinking more about Passage birds, last few years."

We would give our left nut to have good numbers of passage goshawks to trap here in Michigan. Just a hard bird to come by. You should give those long wings a rest and try one. If it doesn't work out for you, you could just sent it to me!

"Do you fly Sharptail with your Gos? I have seen a few wild flignts, they seem to go a long distance. I wonder about walking into a point(10-15' flush)."

I raised an eyas tercil goshawk for Mel last summer and took him out to him in September. Mel took a bunch of cottontails, a few pheasants and one hun before he was killed. That is eagle country (as you know). Mel has a great little English Setter that has really come into her own the last few years. I have only flown ducks and rabbits when I have been out there with a goshawk. Never had a chance at a sharptail.

"I only eat Sharptail, smoked or Panfried and on special occasions."

Man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Pan fried with a little butter and garlic salt.. To die for!

Best Regards,

[sharptail]

Kory,

Thought you were an Accipiter man...What is that orange footed thingy doing on your car cadge?

Your above post has me digging through boxes of ooold photos, let me see here, what the flock? not that 1.
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w285/sharptailgrouse/scan0002.jpg

I only found this poor quality pic...not enough time. Date on photo is 1984. This is a passage Hawk that I called Molly, her trapped weight was just over 40 oz.. If I remember correctly I flew her at about 36. I gave her away soon after training... more into longwings... nice hawk though, easy going nice to handle.

[KidK]

Kory,

Thought you were an Accipiter man...What is that orange footed thingy doing on your car cadge?

I only found this poor quality pic...not enough time. Date on photo is 1984. This is a passage Hawk that I called Molly, her trapped weight was just over 40 oz.. If I remember correctly I flew her at about 36. I gave her away soon after training... more into longwings... nice hawk though, easy going nice to handle.

Jeff,

Ha, you got me.. I have had a few falcons over the years and actually done quite well with a couple. It is pretty tough hawking here in Michigan with a longwing.. The bird in the photo was an 8 year old Peales that spent 4 years in Idaho hawking grouse, ducks and pheasants, then 4 years in a breeding project before I got her. She was one mean bitch though and was never successful as a breeder. Her name was COB (Cranky Ol' Bitch). I was the first thing, literally, she knocked out after 4 years in the breeding chamber. I went on to take a few pheasants, a few ducks and even a Giant Canada goose with her one season. She had a stroke and died shortly into the molt the following season. I did fly her on Ducks in SD that fall.

Great little photo. Sounds like you just can't get away from the dark side. How about I get a WY permit and send you a few goshawk hoods, that way if you go slumming and end up with a goshawk in you pigeon loft, I could drive out and take her off your hands! We wouldn't want any self respecting long wingers to hear about you keeping time with an accipiter! LOL!

[gabboon]

Kory,

I really like your setup with mews and flight. That is what I would build if I had the space and didn't rent.

[KidK]

Hey Steve,

Thanks. As I mentioned, this chamber has been with me since the begining, back in 93. It has only been moved once, but it was easy for me to load the individual panels when broke down onto a flat bed trailer by myself. I built it thinking that I would have to move it eventyally, and did.

The flight pen idea was inspired/borrowed from Harry McElroy and Bill Boni. I didn't want to build it as solid as Harry does his flights and through talking with Bill got the idea to use these fence panels. They are pressure treated 6' X 8' "stockade" panels. I recall someone mentioning that they are not put together very well (only nailed) and from my experience, that is correct. I put exterior grade screws into all the upright strips when I assembled it. This made it much more rigid.

The top is covered with 2" X 4" welded wire and has wooden lattice laying on top of the welded wire. I had fears of a GHO reaching in and grabbing my hawk in there, so I wanted a way to cover the welded wire up some. The lattice worked great.

If I was to do it all over again, I would build 8' X 8' panels for the top and cover those with the welded wire and lattice, just butting the panels together on the top for the cover. As it is, the welded wire runs the length of the flight and is nailed down with "U" nails and the lattice screwed down on the top. I tore it down a couple years ago to stain it and it was a huge pain to re-assemble. Next time I tear it down, I will do the top that way.

I am hoping to build a new breeding bird barn this fall and make a flight for each chamber. I feel, like you that the bird just enjoys some outside time and feel that this style of flight gives them this opportunity. Though safety is my ultimate concern, the Redtails, Peregrines, Cooper's hawks and Goshawks I have had in this chamber and flight have all done very well. It has been really great for molting birds to be able to get quite a bit of natural sunlight during the day in the flight.

[sharptail]

Do you mean to tell me that if you lived here and had Sharptail flying over your house, and Sage grouse at 30 min. drive, that the white stripe over your eye wouldn't fade to black?

[KidK]

Do you mean to tell me that if you lived here and had Sharptail flying over your house, and Sage grouse at 30 min. drive, that the white stripe over your eye wouldn't fade to black?

Jeff,

Ya got me there my friend.. I can say I would have a tough time not flying a passage prairie falcon for sure, but I doubt that I could stay away from flying a goshawk as well.

Catching ducks off the small dams out there is too much fun. One day on my first trip out to SD with the female goshawk, we had some unreal teal filghts off a small creek for over an hour. The teal wouldn't leave the creek and there were 5 of us trying to get a good slip for the goshawk. Nothing brought to bag, but some of the most fun flying I have had.

A true sign of an accipiterphile is when you are flying a beautiful female goshawk that has caught many ducks and you find yourself saying "If I had only had a Cooper's hawk..."

[sharptail]

no doubt about that [smilie=icon_thumright.gif]

[sharptail]

I should get a gos... need a rabbit bird to help with land permission

[KidK]

You should! I hear that the cottontails are literally thick as flies out in the Casper area.

Also, no reason you couldn't fly huns and sharptail over points either. Pretty classy stuff IMHO.

[sharptail]

Have to wait and see how things go. 3 winters back there were 3 passage hawks(females) hanging on a big flock of sharptails. They would come in on your flight and chase the grouse, then come back and watch from a distant fence post. Couldn't get 1 to hit a pigeon though. Pretty crazy to be watching 3 winter passages at once.

I currently have 4 hawks in my charge and am uncertin of my work situation for this fall(typical).

[KidK]

Have to wait and see how things go. 3 winters back there were 3 passage hawks(females) hanging on a big flock of sharptails. They would come in on your flight and chase the grouse, then come back and watch from a distant fence post. Couldn't get 1 to hit a pigeon though. Pretty crazy to be watching 3 winter passages at once.

I currently have 4 hawks in my charge and am uncertin of my work situation for this fall(typical).

Jeff,

Goodnight! They were catching some of these grouse, eh? That would drive me crazy not being able to trap one.

What do you do for a living out there? If I could find a decent job, I would be living out there. As it is, I will have to wait until both my girls are off to college (I'll be in my mid 50's) and I will likely have to get a divorce to make the move. LOL.

[chamokane]

What a curse we have to endure....trying to decide which amazing bird we want to fly and which ones we don't have time for....impossible.

[sharptail]

Jeff,

Goodnight! They were catching some of these grouse, eh? That would drive me crazy not being able to trap one.

What do you do for a living out there? If I could find a decent job, I would be living out there. As it is, I will have to wait until both my girls are off to college (I'll be in my mid 50's) and I will likely have to get a divorce to make the move. LOL.

Kory,

Being a "parkland" bird Sharptail are comfortable in the trees to some degree. It is hard to say for sure how suscessful the Gos' are on Sharptail. I have never seen what I thought was a Gos kill on 1, but they sure show a lot of interest.

I have worked in the Lumber industry(2 saw mills here), as a Butcher in the local grocery, and as a falconer(training for Arab market and Airport bird control) in the 12+ years I have been here. The town is just over 400 in population. Not much employment opportunity. The employment/housing cost situation is complicated by the Boom Town effect of Coal and oil at Gillette(razor city), 75 miles sw.