Hello from southern NM

Hello all,

I am a native New Mexican. I started falconry in 1990, flew birds for ten years, then went to graduate school in Tallahassee. After graduate school I ended up getting a job there for a while. So after an 8 year break from falconry (Tallahassee was not conducive to my kind of falconry--too many trees!), I consider myself extremely lucky to be back home in New Mexico.

I flew a passage merlin this past season just to dust off my falconry skills. I had a great time with her. Here she is:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...6/DSCF0287.jpg

Here is a video for you all (peace offering??). What you are watching is a prairie falcon coming in on a harnessed pigeon (it hid in the grass). I left the camera running about ten feet away. I edited out all the stooping etc. The interesting thing was that after the first few passes the prairie landed on the pole directly over the pigeon (the pole in the video), sat there a while then ended up stooping off the pole and whacking the camera , twice! I guess it got confused. Make sure your volume is turned up. Now you know how the pigeon feels, enjoy.
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ameratwice.jpg

I want a prairie so bad! LOL Would love to see the video but it isn't working for me.

How about this one:
http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ameratwice.flv

Nope! Oh yeah, (welc) to NAFEX! Everyone signs their real name at the end of each post to keep things friendly.

Ok, since Paul can see the video, it is probably not working for me because I am trying to watch it on my iPhone.

Hi Tanner,

Welcome to NAFEX, as Fred said, please edit your profile and insert your name is the signature block.

Cool video, did you have noose harness on the video camera?

(welc) to NAFEX, nice picture of falcon, nothing on video.

I swore it said "Hello from southern MN" and I got all excited that there was another Minnesota Falconer on the forums... LOL

Still, Welcome! Nice pics :D

I think you need adobe shockwave player to view it. I think?

http://get.adobe.com/shockwave/

Tanner, welcome to the forum. We met at your dads house on one of the mini meets. I am just outside of Silver City.

Hello Jim and thanks! How's the golden?

That would be a great bird to hawk japanese tourists with........ :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy

That would be a great bird to hawk japanese tourists with........ :D

---

LMAO!!

Video works for me. How about the full version?

Tanner, Golden is fine. Probably going to fly him sometime this next week. I have been lazy about getting him going. He is in the house getting used to all the activity again. Taking him to a local school tomorrow. I will also be pulling an eyas gos { with Jeff and Mikes help } this next season. What are you going to fly?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dirthawking

LMAO!!

Video works for me. How about the full version?

---

THe full version is pretty long and boring. We sat there a while watching in binoculars thinking "she's got to EVENTUALLY connect with that pigeon, right??" Little did we know.

Here's another mis-adventure. We were trying to trap a prairie off the pole line that you see in the distance. We set the phai trap with a sparrow on a pond burm. We are watching the prairie on the pole thinking "man, she's GOT to see it right???" My friend looks back at the phai and noticed that a different paririe had slipped in the back door. It wasn't caught, I think the angle of the burm was wrong for the way the bird came in. We did end up catching both birds.


http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m...rairiePHAI.flv

tanner

Welcome to NAFEX. Great videos. he hit that camera hard . You are right, it really give a good perspective of what the pigeon is getting boxingg

I came to New Mexico last year and had the pleasure of doing some hawking with Paul and the Crew. I really enjoyed New Mexico. Hope to make it out there again this year.

Welcome to NAFEX and thanks for the great videos

Thanks Chris.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by raptrlvr

Tanner, Golden is fine. Probably going to fly him sometime this next week. I have been lazy about getting him going. He is in the house getting used to all the activity again. Taking him to a local school tomorrow. I will also be pulling an eyas gos { with Jeff and Mikes help } this next season. What are you going to fly?

---

Jim- I'm going to take 2 eyas merlins unless my house in Florida sells in the next 30 days (now THAT'S funny)...in which case I'll buy a tiercel barbary. Have you ever tried cranes with your golden. That's what I really want to see--cranes with a golden, from a soar. Who's with me?????

Matt might be with you as long as he can use a tiercel peregrine. Just kidding on that. Last year we saw quite a few cranes down here, but, this year I haven't seen any in my area. I am waiting for my house to sell in California although the price is way down from a year ago. At least its rented out.

Welcome aboard Tanner

Thanks again for the offer at Quemado

As for cranes I had the Sh$%#$^ scared out of me when my tiecel HH went to investigate a group of 3 (greater Sandhills not the Lessers) He approached and realized how huge they were, then landing a few feet away just to look at them. I was running hard to Save the confused bird as one crane walked over to Impale him!!! As the Bird went to Lance him he realized what was going on and toook off for a nearby perch!! When I came screaming at them the Cranes took off with a HH Watching curiously from a safer distance.stupd

A couple pics of Timmies first Crane hunt 5years ago

http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/o...g/timcrane.jpg

http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/o...35386_1498.jpg

Very cool Mike (the photos not the HH incident). A friend and I are contemplating trying them with our bows. There is a good field down near Arrey where a dry ditch runs next to a small field with lots of cranes in winter. Would be close enough for bow range. Not nearly as cool as taking one with a golden though. I think we need to keep encouraging Jim in this area....

If you can talk Jim into doing that with his Golden I would be making a lot of road trips to silver city to see that in person

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tanner

Thanks Chris.



Jim- I'm going to take 2 eyas merlins unless my house in Florida sells in the next 30 days (now THAT'S funny)...in which case I'll buy a tiercel barbary. Have you ever tried cranes with your golden. That's what I really want to see--cranes with a golden, from a soar. Who's with me?????

---

Are you going to get wild merlins or cb merlins?

Wild.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tanner

Wild.

---

Do they nest in NM or will you have to travel?