Lost Falcon

[Dakota]

Lost just before dark last night, 31 0z grey 3/4 Gyrx 1/4 Peales, looks exactly like a small grey jerkin. Tel. freq. 216.034. Lost in south central South Dakota near Wood SD. Band #RX086328. Transmitter is on the tail, has anklets.

[Ross]

Sorry to hear, Good luck. Have you gotten a signal?

[Dakota]

No, we were out most the night trying to get a signal but nothing. Started again at daybreak, ran a grid, then tried high points, nothing. He was lost just before dark can't see him going far. We came in to eat lunch and heading back out with seeled pigions.

[GONEHAWKN]

keep us posted and good luck....many of us have been there before and know the feeling.....

[Dakota]

Jedi was sharp at 29.5 oz. He had responded to the lure instantly for three day at 75 yards. We were just getting him use to the kite, a new contraption for me and him. This was just another day, a little hotter but just another training session. I was to call him the same distance while my son held the kite behind me. My daughter was with Jedi when I swung the lure and off he came towards the lure. A bunch of barn swallows lunched there attack like little fighters. Jedi was distracted and banked off to the east. He flew up over some tress and kept climbing, higher and higher. When he finally turned I swung the lure, but memorized about his flying he paid it no mind. He began to drift to the west as every dicky bird in town tried to follow. He went into the setting sun as I directed my kids to watch for him with there clear eyes. When at last he was gone we scrambled for the telemetry the keys to the truck and in a hail of rocks and dust headed to the last know spot, No signal, just static, everywhere we went it was the same, static no signal. I had confidence as the dusk turned dark that he would not go far and be back with me in the morning. After hours of searching for a signal I headed home for a short night. My wife got up with me before first light. I swung the lure first where he was flown then where he was last seen, We got some pigeons and took them to the high ground but to no avail, Started contacting other falconers, no signal, no signal, what has happened, and now almost five days later, no signal just statice that rides across the open plains.
Many years ago I came up here to ths cold prairie to fly Gyrfalcon and hunt grouse, I did just that I learned some harsh lessons and one was that wild Gyrs can easily die, I vowed not to take another. I hung out with some superior grouse hunters that came from everywhere to hunt grouse just like me. Time kept turning an most left went back to there warm states to pursue other careers. I to saw the writing on the wall and went back to school, married a young wife had kids. Then as some of you know, our infant son died at the hands of an incompetent Doctor. Our lives came to a stop. I did not fly any bird, I raised my kids up some and told them of falconry but it was a only stories an some photographs for them. Then I decided the dark clouds had passed and it was time once more to fly a bird.
My oldest is ten and she went with me to Iowa to get the falcon. We were so proud, such a beautiful bird, Mostly looked like a grey jerkin but with Peales too, Got my grouse hawk now its all real once again life is great!
No signal, what did I do wrong, was it to hot, should he be sharper, maybe more manning. Has God not taken enough from me. No signal, and as we continue to search, No signal.
When someone losses a bird, it's much more, we loose our dreams, we loose our friend.

[sevristh]

All of us that have been there know the loss Forrest. Hopefully he will turn up though and things will be righted. Did you check his telemetry before the session? That's crazy that you couldn't get a signal right after he had just flown away.

[rrcoati]

Forrest

I wish I could express my feelings for you but there are no words. I wish you the best and hope for the best.

[Dakota]

Hi David, just came in from another fruitless night of searching. Yes we checked the telemetry just before we flew the bird. I can only guess the one of the knobs was inatvertanly moved. I blame myself for whatever happened.
Jeremy, Ross, and Bill thanks for the kind words. As time passes we get more hopeless.

[FredFogg]

Hi David, just came in from another fruitless night of searching. Yes we checked the telemetry just before we flew the bird. I can only guess the one of the knobs was inatvertanly moved. I blame myself for whatever happened.
Jeremy, Ross, and Bill thanks for the kind words. As time passes we get more hopeless.

Don't give up, I found a HH that was out for 10 days. As Jimmy V said, "Don't ever give up!".

[Dakota]

Here is my lost baby!

[JRedig]

I'm really sorry to read this, best of luck. Do you have any other falconers in the area who you can contact?

[Dakota]

Thanks Jeff, no one close but, everyone I knew I contacted and they contacted others.

[nebli]

so sad to here it and so useless being several thouzend miles away .
the only thing that I could do for you is try to help you through google hearth , sometimes it can work ...
there is a guy in ingland who just recover a cathartes vulture 4 weeks after losing it (see iff)
a friend of mine recover a goshawk 8months! after breaking his leash
I recover a laner after 2 months at 450km from home,
another falconer recover a prairie peregrine 2weeks after losing it in spain , by the time he had returned to Belgium, you will be next..
also could you just gives us a few clues like:
on the tiercel:
what kind of food is he used to
how long has he been flying free.?
has he ever killed anything ?
has he landed somewhere before like trees, ground ,house...
is he very tame?
the place:
do you live in a village rather than in the middle of nowhere?in other words what kind of surroundings is he use to ?
how was the weather since? what is the wind direction?
do you have crows? free ranging chicken around?
people:
are there rehab centers, bird watchers groups, any other gathering group country side oriented ? how do local farmers communicate ?
local radio ?
police stations?
tracking
how long will last your transmitter?
other hawks
what are they and how densily populated is the aerea with tr, and others
I haven't got a clue how dakota looks like so I apologise for any silly question I asked.
and please be stuborn
wish you all the best ,in french we use to say "bonne merde", kind of "break a leg"
best regards

[nebli]

just correct that I am sad to ear it of course and not to here
and what kind of raptors you have there rt,ferrus?
forgot also to ask if his weight was about high( it seems by the behaviour ) which is better as it gives him more time.

[sevristh]

Hi David, just came in from another fruitless night of searching. Yes we checked the telemetry just before we flew the bird. I can only guess the one of the knobs was inatvertanly moved. I blame myself for whatever happened.

Didn't mean it to sound like I was placing blame Forrest... Just trying to figure out what could have happened as I am sure you are. That's really the only consolation when something like this happens is being able to figure out what went wrong and not letting it happen again. Unfortunately, we sometimes learn best from our mistakes.

[nebli]

Didn't mean it to sound like I was placing blame Forrest... Just trying to figure out what could have happened as I am sure you are. That's really the only consolation when something like this happens is being able to figure out what went wrong and not letting it happen again. Unfortunately, we sometimes learn best from our mistakes.

you are right but let's concentrate first in finding the hawk .guilt feelings and questions would pour in as I'm sure you know ,
there will be plenty of time for a sound debriefing .
regards juan

[Dakota]

Ok, Juan not sure what your up to but I will try to answer your questions. Jedi was a chamber bird, high strung and somewhat spooky when at a high weight. He ate quail every day, as far as I know he never killed anything. I flew him free about four times, just straight line about 75 yards to the lure. Never saw him land on anything but his perch or the ground. I live in a very small ranch town with less than 100 people, and yes we are in the middle of nowhere. The transmitter was a tail mount very small with brand new batteries, should get a couple weeks off of it. Some of the locals know I lost my bird, and the falconers in my state and some in Nebraska also know, plus the people on this forum that read this thread. There are Red-tail hawks everywhere right now the young are dispersing and the adults are moving, you see at least one every mile around here right now. My bird is around 30 oz. Was flying ar 29.5 the day he took off, it was a very hot day.Lost on July 30 just after sun down. Thanks for taking the time!

[nebli]

hi forrest please weather conditions
not flying well he didn't go up wind then was it west the direction you saw him last time?
what are the ground looking like? cliffs of any sort ? don't know how red tails react probably agressive but end of breeding season not excessively ( hope so ) so he could have been push from one territory to another , how do falcons react with red tailed , speed or climbing ?
if speed it is to the next territory where he will be expell the same but always down wind as it is probably the less expensive energeticaly speaking he doesn't know where to go so hiding from red tail could be a priority)
, lure :at this stage is probably useless as he can very well be hiding from red tailed and no way is going to come out after only 3 flights ( doesn't mean you stop luring it means that luring in one place doesn't mean is not there he would come if only less then 70 yds exceptions always occur but that's closer to reality )
can you see anywhere around that could provide a good hiding ?if red tailed are plenty I suppose so are trees and woods, maybe there are too many around but again I don't know your place.
if there haven't been strong winds is probably in a small square of a few miles around ( smaller if cover is there ). are there any pit or place that the falcon could have gone and that could prevent a signal ?
I wish I could be more helpfull
If I come across more suggestions I let you know
I keep my fingers cross

[Dakota]

David, I know you weren't and anyway I am tying to figure out what went wrong, the falcon is just being a falcon I am the one in charge so the focus is on me.
Juan, The weather has been the same every day hot somewhat humid and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. No wind to speak of except associated with the storms. There are no cliffs just flat lands with sporatic rolling hills, Trees are found in some gullys and shelter belts (planted trees). Jedi was flying to the lure for quite sometime, the last three of four flights were without a creance. See if you can google earth Wood, South Dakota and look around. He was last seen heading west, north west. I will try looking through lowlands with trees. I didn't realize Redtails are that aggressive towards other raptors. Thanks for your help!!

[nebli]

great view I have from your place .
it comes to my mind
that the forrested frindge across the west side is a perfect place for looking for a hawk either directions north or west , they are a few lakes worth inspecting , also try to check the highest points first and maybe a signal can come through .
also as the hawk should be really hungry bring quails with you , try to tie some in poles( a bit like an old fashion fishing rod so they can be moving gently at 2feet high put them well in vue but also for several of them to be check from a distance by one of your children or friends with good binoculars .
where red tails are sitting the falcon is not, is probably a few hundred yds away so that limit the checking .
the ridge on the other side , east of the town is also an important place to watchbecause falcons tend to return to what they know particularly if they haven't been able to find food by themselves. and quite logicaly could have carry on to that ridge .
as the weather is hot shade is almost paramount , after all he is 3/4 gyr
so coolest places are also a good place to check for
he didn't went to the kite yet didn't he? if he did kite could help if he didn't don't bother.
so look for high cool grounds as a priority , ponds also and not to far away ( 3 or 5 miles around seems to me the best distance to look for .
best of luck

[Dakota]

Thanks Juan we will be hitting those places every chance we get!

[nebli]

Thanks Juan we will be hitting those places every chance we get!

give priority to northern slopes , just help to reduce the amount to look for which is always the most difficult part .
I will really give a good look at the eastern part .
also to take a map of your place and colour the one that you have checked helps also to have a better view of the situation and the way you are looking through the place
all the best

[outhawkn]

So sorry to hear of the loss. But losing birds is also a part of falconry, it just comes with the territory.........Good luck.

[Dakota]

Juan my family is out looking while I am at work, today. I need pemission to get on some of this land, should not be a problem but have to find the landowners.
Bill, the last bird I lost was a passage Merlin, in 1978 at least I flew him for a season. It's a part of falconry that really sucks!

[nebli]

Juan my family is out looking while I am at work, today. I need pemission to get on some of this land, should not be a problem but have to find the landowners.
Bill, the last bird I lost was a passage Merlin, in 1978 at least I flew him for a season. It's a part of falconry that really sucks!

Hi Forest we've all been through something similar and, as you,hait it all the way.
lif you family is doing the job , to put baits along the main point and in quite visible place could maybe help the idea is that you his usual food well in evidence in several places and you just pass in front by car every 10 or 15 min (too short of a time for a hawk to eat it and fly away , so in 15 min you can really control some miles around.
just keep us inform , by the way I will probably not be able to connect myself to internet this w.e so I hope that by monday good news will be there for all of us to cheer it up
all the best mate ,
PD important point , keep asking people to give a call to every one they know around , the probability that the tiercel went to a farm are probably very great indeed particularly in a place like yours .