A Hawk For The Bush 2013 Imprint Sharp-shinned Hawk

104gms killing baggies outside. Not on a creance anymore. A bit too heavy at 104 not trying to carry yet but typical baby bird stuff. Will be putting the track pack on here shortly. Have been using a merlin micro fmv on his tarsus but I really don't like it there. Bating less on his perch and quieting down unless I drop him again then he pipes up again. Tomorrow I will look for a sparrow filled field at 103gms and try our luck.

Very similar to Jeff's bird actually. He's still an accipiter for sure but just loads of fun. Now's the time I really need to get him keyed in to killing I've seen this stage with all my imprints. He's gamey for sure!

Sounds to me Isaac your about ready for the real fun to explode

Hey Isaac, it's just a matter of time!

If today is as good as the past couple days have been we will be ditching the creance also. I really can't wait for these birds to get in the field and see what full throttle looks like.

106gms with the track pack and micro transmitter included all weights from now on will include the transmitter and backpack. So naked weight I would say around 100gm. We finally hit a weight where he wasn't disturbed much by petty things. He actually chased a starling out the car window veered off and landed in a big old tree about 200 feet away. I called him back to the fist and he took awhile but came back so hard and fast and BODY SLAMMED the fist. He hit the fist so hard I was worried about him.

Got the backpack fitted the way I like now. I think/hope it's good. Really like the concept and placement of the backpack but wish I would have done more conditioning work with him in preparation for it and put it on earlier. I have noticed him being a bit leery of me now after putting it on but it's disappearing pretty fast thank goodness. Didn't help I had to do it twice to get a good fit.

His keel point is hard to find. He's butter ball fat and well conditioned and the keel point is just buried in muscle. Hard to find the tip of it for a good placement especially when he's so tiny.

His yarak pose seems to be fluffed up with eyes wide and bright and his tail fanned he rouses it often. Amazing one day scared and bating from semi's passing by while he's in the car, the next not even paying them attention. Weight control matters.

106gms yesterday. He grabbed a starling just as it took off yesterday and made it scream. The starling broke free mid air after it made a hard right turn. He went after it again but the bird escaped in the heavy weeds and brush. He was a bit high in weight, recall was slow, but rewards have always been good when he does come back so that keeps him hanging around. He finally did come and we hopped in the car and went home. We'll get one today I am sure. I've never bagged him on a starling so it's all new to him. Never even bagged him out the car window so it's all really new to him, but he's catching on.

sounds like you are making good progress with him. soon your freezer will be full of starlings:D

101.5gm harness and trans together weigh 6gm.

We are having more fun each day as the weights coming off (behaviors improving) and he is getting in the routine. He is calming down on the perch with a full feed but still gets jumpy in the evening. I put him in the giant hood over night.

If you wear glasses he will hit your face almost every time LOL! I found that out. He sees his reflection in them and pow! I've been taking my glasses off when I call him and that took care of it.

He's so much fun. Today we had a slip at some starlings he chased them hard and they made it to some thick cover. He shot up into a tall tree and just as I was calling him down a train came right under him! He took off and I had to track him down. He didn't go far but flew to some thick foliage (his usual practice for comfort). This this foliage happened to be a creek bottom. Bow was it thick! I was standing above it all looking down at all this stuff and thinking, "boy, if I even get down there I'll be so buried in greenery he won't even see me". Luckily, he communicates with me via the whistle and come finds me. He started to as I could see the receiver picking up the signal stronger then it got weaker and then pretty weak. So I had to go find him. Had to cross the creek and I could tell he was near the ground based on the signal then he sees me and starts calling. I whistle for him and just then I see him coming out of the water to me. He was taking a bath in the creek! Rather amusing I thought. He flew to the fist ate his good meal and we called it a day. Tomorrow we will try again.

Hey Isaac, glad everything worked out and he came back so fast. Take care of that little guy and please keep the updates coming!
Jeff

100.5gm today. Our first kill! I slipped him at some starlings. He missed them. He then proceeded to fly from tree to tree but not wanting to come down. Then he went into a soar. Beautiful to see! Just soaring around higher and higher then he goes into a stoop and disappears. I'm following the signal and when I get near I see sparrows flying everywhere. I keep tracking him. I find him up a tall oak tree. He's up there close the the trunk with a sparrow in his talons looking as pretty as can be. I call him, he ignores me, then breaks out of his trance and starts plucking but looses balance and fly's to another tree. He does the same thing but takes it the ground in someones side yard between their house and some shrubs. I get permission to retrieve the little bugger and he's just sitting there as nice as can be not mantling not trying to carry just waiting for me. I whistle and get him to start plucking and then offer him the fist with a skinned sparrow and he trades off beautifully.

A great day! Still a little too heavy but everything worked together nicely.

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Originally Posted by BestBeagler

100.5gm today. Our first kill! I slipped him at some starlings. He missed them. He then proceeded to fly from tree to tree but not wanting to come down. Then he went into a soar. Beautiful to see! Just soaring around higher and higher then he goes into a stoop and disappears. I'm following the signal and when I get near I see sparrows flying everywhere. I keep tracking him. I find him up a tall oak tree. He's up there close the the trunk with a sparrow in his talons looking as pretty as can be. I call him, he ignores me, then breaks out of his trance and starts plucking but looses balance and fly's to another tree. He does the same thing but takes it the ground in someones side yard between their house and some shrubs. I get permission to retrieve the little bugger and he's just sitting there as nice as can be not mantling not trying to carry just waiting for me. I whistle and get him to start plucking and then offer him the fist with a skinned sparrow and he trades off beautifully.

A great day! Still a little too heavy but everything worked together nicely.

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Congrats. Sounds both exciting and scary. Glad you got him back!

How is he doing now Isaac? Any more luck? Yesterday I couldn't go till really late and got a few slips, but they all ended in trees as the birds got off the ground before Finn even got out the window. Today, it FLOODED, but it stopped and I bagged him on bird in the field. I just plucked some wing feathers to slow it down. He did pretty good on it and transferred well.

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Originally Posted by wesleyc6

How is he doing now Isaac? Any more luck? Yesterday I couldn't go till really late and got a few slips, but they all ended in trees as the birds got off the ground before Finn even got out the window. Today, it FLOODED, but it stopped and I bagged him on bird in the field. I just plucked some wing feathers to slow it down. He did pretty good on it and transferred well.

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My wife and I went to IA to help her grandparents out for a week (grandpa had back surgery) so things have been a bit slow. But I've had some AWESOME flights. Very aerial flights skying up and out. A couple hundred feet out. I didn't think sharpies were supposed to do that. Then he takes a high perch and spots something and really picks up speed. Basically just like a wild bird. Very fun. His metabolism has really sped up with the cooler mornings and evenings.

I think I'll end this thread. It's been fun. Sharpies are a blast and like everyone says they really are that much work. They are a full time bird and full time fun!

Oh, and he's flying at 100.5gm that was with the backpack and micro trans. Without it he's 94.5gm and he's lot's of zip to him.

Any updates?
Tim

Not much to report. I am waiting for the spring to come to do some prime hawking with the little guy. He is as fun as ever. Love these little guys.

Isacc

What's your setup for him? I'm thinking of changing my housing a little for my girl. Also, any issues with the backpack mount. I use a micro tail mount transmitter but would prefer the back mount. Any advise on the mounting or issues you ran into? I had one on my hen Merlin a few seasons ago and had some issues with her keel showing some abrasions. The wide x was not the best for her and I adjusted it to work better. Haven't tried one on an accipiter yet.

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Originally Posted by vlp

Isacc

What's your setup for him? I'm thinking of changing my housing a little for my girl. Also, any issues with the backpack mount. I use a micro tail mount transmitter but would prefer the back mount. Any advise on the mounting or issues you ran into? I had one on my hen Merlin a few seasons ago and had some issues with her keel showing some abrasions. The wide x was not the best for her and I adjusted it to work better. Haven't tried one on an accipiter yet.

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I love the setup I use now and will use it for every small raptor I fly. It's simple and just works great. It's a round 4 foot diameter plastic card table (amazon shipped it to my door for I think $100. It has cheap astro turf for a floor material (easy to spray off and clean). Half of the table is encircled with cardboard (4mm coroplast is better). Use a mini bow perch with a SHORT leash.

Tried the back pack and cut it off twice. Did not like it for him at all. He didn't like it either he didn't fuss with it but I could tell a difference in body language while he had it on. I attached the transmitter to the leg via a bewit or zip tied to the anklet. I will use a tail mount mounted way up the base of the tail later this year.

Not dissing the backpack but I didn't like in on this little guy and either did he.

Can you please post a picture of your setup?
Thanks for keeping this post up, I do love reading it.
Tim

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Originally Posted by BestBeagler

I love the setup I use now and will use it for every small raptor I fly. It's simple and just works great. It's a round 4 foot diameter plastic card table (amazon shipped it to my door for I think $100. It has cheap astro turf for a floor material (easy to spray off and clean). Half of the table is encircled with cardboard (4mm coroplast is better). Use a mini bow perch with a SHORT leash.

Tried the back pack and cut it off twice. Did not like it for him at all. He didn't like it either he didn't fuss with it but I could tell a difference in body language while he had it on. I attached the transmitter to the leg via a bewit or zip tied to the anklet. I will use a tail mount mounted way up the base of the tail later this year.

Not dissing the backpack but I didn't like in on this little guy and either did he.

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Thanks for the info Isaac. I was not a fan of the backpack on my hen Merlin a few seasons ago. Right now my sharpie has a micro tail clip transmitter setup. She has lost one tail feather in the brush with the transmitter on. Might have been a freak thing so I was contemplating the backpack, however, after hearing your opinion ( 2nd one who was not a fan on their sharpies) I'm sticking with the tail mount. I'd also like to see a pic of your indoor setup if you wouldn't mind. Thanks.

Just a heads up on the tailmount, I had 2 deck feathers pulled out at different times on the female sharpy I had. After the first one pulled out, I thought it was a fluke and I waited until it grew back before attaching it to the other deck. It was quickly pulled out while she was tethered with the transmitter attached one day. That is with the Marshall Micro transmitter. My feelling is that it just doesn't take much force to pull a sharpy feather out. I've never lost a deck feather like that on any other bird.

Paul

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Originally Posted by pj_elia

Just a heads up on the tailmount, I had 2 deck feathers pulled out at different times on the female sharpy I had. After the first one pulled out, I thought it was a fluke and I waited until it grew back before attaching it to the other deck. It was quickly pulled out while she was tethered with the transmitter attached one day. That is with the Marshall Micro transmitter. My feelling is that it just doesn't take much force to pull a sharpy feather out. I've never lost a deck feather like that on any other bird.

Paul

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I was worried about that Paul. I have a marshall micro also. I use a neck bell on her to hear where she was at and right now have the transmitter on the other deck. I guess I can zip tie one to the leg but I hate to risk footing ability. What did you end up going with?

Zip tied to the leg isn't an issue for sharpies... Good going!!

Zip tied to the anklet not to the leg. I reply just to clarify for the newbies out there. You would never want to zip tie anything directly to the leg of any raptor in my opinion. I know some have used a zip tie bewit but have threaded the zip tie through some type of tubing i.e. aquarium tubing on larger birds which is a bit safer but I don't like it for a couple reasons which I won't go into.

Interesting observations on the tail mounts guys! I will have to rethink the method I will use next. Tiny little leg mounted trans although not ideal seemed to work ok. Might just try the back pack mount one more time. I do want it to work. I wish they had thinner thread for a these micro accipiters.

Actually it's the tarsus if you want to get pricky about it.

"Tried the back pack and cut it off twice. Did not like it for him at all. He didn't like it either he didn't fuss with it but I could tell a difference in body language while he had it on. I attached the transmitter to the leg"

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

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Originally Posted by goshawks00

"Tried the back pack and cut it off twice. Did not like it for him at all. He didn't like it either he didn't fuss with it but I could tell a difference in body language while he had it on. I attached the transmitter to the leg"

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

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We can keep marshall in business just with the reinstall kit. I cut off the Merlin's also and will not even be trying the sharpie after everyone's post here. It has worked great on my bigger birds. On a side note I use to use a neck mount on the Merlin . I used a small rubber bad ( Not zip tied toungeout ) and and put it on before each hunt. It worked great that way. Might work for my hen but the neck bell is there now.

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Originally Posted by goshawks00

"Tried the back pack and cut it off twice. Did not like it for him at all. He didn't like it either he didn't fuss with it but I could tell a difference in body language while he had it on. I attached the transmitter to the leg"

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

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The full sentence for your convenience " I attached the transmitter to the leg via a bewit or zip tied to the anklet." Thank you for pointing out the potential dangers otherwise though!

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Originally Posted by goshawks00

Actually it's the tarsus if you want to get pricky about it.

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I apologize if I came off pricky...

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Originally Posted by vlp

We can keep marshall in business just with the reinstall kit. I cut off the Merlin's also and will not even be trying the sharpie after everyone's post here. It has worked great on my bigger birds. On a side note I use to use a neck mount on the Merlin . I used a small rubber bad ( Not zip tied toungeout ) and and put it on before each hunt. It worked great that way. Might work for my hen but the neck bell is there now.

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Vincent,

Maybe I just didn't have the backpack set right. I don't know. I posted a thread on here regarding this topic. They crop up so full that their crops hang way over their collar bones and the ribbon seemed to restrict him from cropping up as full as he could. I just wish the ribbon was thinner I think it would help.

BTW I did say zip tied directly to the leg (tarsus) w/o anklet. There is no danger to the bird done that way, and I've done many sharpies for many years that way w/o a single issue.

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Originally Posted by goshawks00

BTW I did say zip tied directly to the leg (tarsus) w/o anklet. There is no danger to the bird done that way, and I've done many sharpies for many years that way w/o a single issue.

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I have always been worried of the zip tie tightening around the leg if it is put directly around the tarsus and also the potential negative effects that might come about if the bird was lost with this setup. That has been my personal feeling about this method. Then again I am paranoid to the extreme. Funny thing about that, it seems the more precautions you take the weirder stuff Murphy throws at you... We all do things differently for sure. The funny thing is, I thought you were criticizing the method insinuating that's what I was doing LOL.

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Originally Posted by BestBeagler

I have always been worried of the zip tie tightening around the leg if it is put directly around the tarsus and also the potential negative effects that might come about if the bird was lost with this setup. That has been my personal feeling about this method. Then again I am paranoid to the extreme. Funny thing about that, it seems the more precautions you take the weirder stuff Murphy throws at you... We all do things differently for sure. The funny thing is, I thought you were criticizing the method insinuating that's what I was doing LOL.

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I don't use a cable tie for the transmitter but I have used them a lot for bells. I do however use a piece of silicon tubing (like fuel line tubing for a weed whacker) over the cable tie to prevent it from closing further and to cushion it it so it is not directly on the scales.

Contrary to popular belief even black cable ties don't last forever and your bird is more likely to become lunch for a redtail or be killed in some other natural process than to be caught up on a cable tie. If the bird gets caught up on a leather bewitt it will die long before the leather degrades to the point where it will break.

My thought as well Ron. I would be more fearful of the jesses becoming the weapon of demise , and have saw first hand how they can hang up. In fact I sent a goshawk to a friend in Canada several years ago that got hung up on a power wire when the jesses self tied themselves to the wire. By the time my friend got the power company to come rescue the bird it had died.