Meet Bullet

[kimmerar]

Congrats Jeff on the hack. Sounds like it went good for a first day out. And so sorry on the bad news. Hopefully she got into chasing something and got sidetracked and will be back soon.

Can't wait for the new pics and thanks for the update.

[John]

Very interesting stuff on the hack. Keep it coming! Very sorry to hear about the dog too.

[tumble]

Jeff, very sorry to hear about your dog. I hope she turns up soon.

[FredFogg]

Jeff, I hope you find your dog! I can't imagine loosing mine. Keep looking and hopefully, things will turn out ok. Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

[rocgwp]

Day 2 of Tame Hack went really well!!! Bullet weighed 325 grams this morning with an empty crop. He's ~29 days old now. I fed up him at ~8:30am and then put him in the tree. He went higher today than he did yesterday and he came to the ground at one point duringthe day. He seems to have lost his fear of heights. He flutters to the ground fairly easily now. At 4:30pm I went out and called him down. He came down quickly. I can already see an improvement in his mobility. He ate a small portion on the lure and then stepped up on an ungarnished fist. I tossed a baggie and he showed a little more interest than yesterday, but not much. After he finally footed the baggie I killed it for him and opened it up. He cropped up and I then took him inside for the rest of the day. I plan to start increasing the the time he's left out and increasing the duration between his feedings. So far no begging or screaming.

I have changed my indoor setup to box the size of a dishwasher. It functions like a giant hood. I have a bow perch inside it and towel that I cover up the front window with. Bullet can see out and still gets lots of socialization (especiallly when my daughter reads him stories). I am able to close the window and keep him from bating. It's been an easy way to socialize him and control light sensitivity.

Also, no sign of my dog yet.

No pics from today, but here's some from yesterday...

[rocgwp]

Day 3 at Hack...I'm posting this from my phone, so no pics tonight...Bullet weighed 317 grams this morning before I fed him. Bullet is definitely more active. He flew to our house today and came down several times to an ungarnished fist that my wife and 3 year old daughter offered. Tonight he finally killed a baggie. I set him up and he flew about 10 feet and killed it. I let him crop up and then transfered him off. He's progressing very quickly. I'm thinking we will probably be hunting before he is hard penned.

I'm still looking for our dog...we circulated more flyers tonight.

[wesleyc6]

Jeff,
so sorry about your pup! frus I said a prayer for you my friend. The coop looks great and sounds even better!

[rocgwp]

Yesterday was a stormy day, so Bullet went with me on a road trip. He traveled well, got lots of socialization and killed a baggie last night with some style. I couldn't be happier.

Day 5 of Tame Hack - Bullet weighed 323 grams this morning. He is able to fly short distances now (20-30 ft). He manevers in the trees much better and is getting confident. It won't be long until he's hunting...

Does anyone have any average flight weight ranges for a tiercel coops. This isn't a weight I'll target, but was curious about general flight weights for tiercel coops.

Here's some pics:

[John]

Looks good and sounds like he's doing great! Don't know about averages but a male imprint I had flew at about 310 give or take a few grams.

[everetkhorton]

Jeff:
He already has that look like, I want to rip your head off.

[KidK]

Jeff,

Great posts, I am really enjoying your thread.

Still hoping to hear some good news about your dog.

[rocgwp]

Bullet is still doing great. I'll post more pictures next week. He is at hack all day and I call him down in the evening. He is taking baggies from further distances and so far is a dream to handle and almost silent.

Tonight I learned that our dog, Aggie, was shot. We don't know if she was killed or not, but we have a confirmation that she was shot last Friday night. At this point, things don't look good. It makes no sense why someone would shoot a dog wearing a bright orange color. We had waited 2 years for her breeding and she was a dream dog. She was out of one the top GWP kennels in the nation. She was the daughter and grandaughter of multiple NAVHDA Versatile Champions and scheduled to be bred back to a Versatile Champion in March. She was the best first year hunting dog I've ever seen and she was my 3 year old daughter's best friend. It's a sad night in our house.

[wesleyc6]

Jeff,
I am so sorry to hear that my friend. She looked like a great dog the little that I got to see her. frus

[FredFogg]

Bullet is still doing great. I'll post more pictures next week. He is at hack all day and I call him down in the evening. He is taking baggies from further distances and so far is a dream to handle and almost silent.

Tonight I learned that our dog, Aggie, was shot. We don't know if she was killed or not, but we have a confirmation that she was shot last Friday night. At this point, things don't look good. It makes no sense why someone would shoot a dog wearing a bright orange color. We had waited 2 years for her breeding and she was a dream dog. She was out of one the top GWP kennels in the nation. She was the daughter and grandaughter of multiple NAVHDA Versatile Champions and scheduled to be bred back to a Versatile Champion in March. She was the best first year hunting dog I've ever seen and she was my 3 year old daughter's best friend. It's a sad night in our house.

Jeff, sorry to hear about your dog! I can't understand how anyone can shoot a dog! They obviously have never had a best friend before!

[KidK]

Jeff,

My condolences on the loss of your dog. Senseless..

Remember the good times..

[everetkhorton]

Jeff:
Sorry to hear of the loss of your dog. Some thing never make sense.

[frootdog]

Jeff sorry to hear about your dog.

[John]

That just stinks. My GSP is like family and I know my wife and kids would be crushed if that happened to him. Just terrible.

[rocgwp]

Bullet is ~34 days now and he weighed 327 grams this morning. I am doing no weight control at this point. He eats all he wants twice a day. I've been hacking him for a week now and it's fun to see the progress. I watched him chase a pair of doves around the tree today. He spends a lot of time holding on to branches and flapping. I am stretching his evening feeding further and further to get him out longer and prevent screaming/begging. So far it has worked. Our evening routine is pretty settled in now. I call him down to the lure or he freely comes to the fist and then he gets to catch a baggie. While he eats the baggie I lay down next to him and practice leashing and unleashing him. I'm curious to see the changes when I drop his weight...

I have pictures, but I can't post them from my phone. I'll post them on Monday.

Thanks for the encouragement/condolensces on our dog. We haven't found her body yet, so maybe we will be one of those stories you see on tv where someone picked her up, treated her, and later this year she gets loose and comes home. It's not likely, but I can always hope...

[John]

This is really a great thread. Thanks for keeping it updated. During the day when he's out, are you around the house to check up on him or are you gone? Great stuff.

[rocgwp]

I check on him during the day on weekends and my wife checks on him during the week. Our neighbor is an elderly lady that has enjoyed watching him progress. She watches him when she is outside in her yard.

[kimmerar]

Great thread Jeff. Sounds like the hack is working great for you and Bullet. An elderly lady watching too. I hope I'm so lucky. I hope my household helps convert the closest vegetarian neighbors we have. They like to look at the birds but hate the thought of them killing bunnies frus.

Sorry about your dog. Keep up the hopes. I would do the same myself.

[wesleyc6]

I check on him during the day on weekends and my wife checks on him during the week. Our neighbor is an elderly lady that has enjoyed watching him progress. She watches him when she is outside in her yard.

You are really doing something on the edge. Not many people hacking coops and it is cool to read of someone that isn't an imprint pro trying this. It is a perspective I can appreciate even more as relative newbie at it myself.

[rocgwp]

Bullet weighed 330 grams this morning before I fed him. His weight has slowly been creeping up a little, but I'm feeding all he wants twice a day right now. This was his 9th day at hack. I watched him fly 2 circles around the tree today and evidently he caught and ate something during the day. It took me over an hour to call him in tonight because he had a partial crop on him. When he came down he had no real interest in the baggie. I'll post the pic tomorrow, but he just flew over to it and never killed it. Tonight he displayed all the signs of a FAT bird. I've seen him fly from the ground to ~25 up in a tree. He is getting more fit everyday and still is easy to handle.

At what point do I end the hack, drop his weight, and start carhawking? I'd really love some wisdom here. I had planned on hacking him for 2 plus weeks, but I'm afraid he'll start catching on his own. He is 36 days old at this point. I'm fairly sure I could drop his weight to ~322 grams and I'd be at a responsive enough weight to start carhawking. It might take a little more drop however. What are yall's thoughts. Keep hacking or start hawking?

[wesleyc6]

Bullet weighed 330 grams this morning before I fed him. His weight has slowly been creeping up a little, but I'm feeding all he wants twice a day right now. This was his 9th day at hack. I watched him fly 2 circles around the tree today and evidently he caught and ate something during the day. It took me over an hour to call him in tonight because he had a partial crop on him. When he came down he had no real interest in the baggie. I'll post the pic tomorrow, but he just flew over to it and never killed it. Tonight he displayed all the signs of a FAT bird. I've seen him fly from the ground to ~25 up in a tree. He is getting more fit everyday and still is easy to handle.

At what point do I end the hack, drop his weight, and start carhawking? I'd really love some wisdom here. I had planned on hacking him for 2 plus weeks, but I'm afraid he'll start catching on his own. He is 36 days old at this point. I'm fairly sure I could drop his weight to ~322 grams and I'd be at a responsive enough weight to start carhawking. It might take a little more drop however. What are yall's thoughts. Keep hacking or start hawking?

You have guts boy. I am such a pansy. I don't think I could take it. lol. I wouldn't go much past the days when he starts to catch stuff. That is when falcons are taken up from what I have read.

[Bryant Tarr]

I think it is time to start hawking! I guess I'd ask myself what I want the hack to achieve. If you've got a bird that has developed physically and mentally enough to catch anything in the wild, you can probably shape the rest in a more "controlled" falconry hunting environment. But I have not experience with tame hacks!

[FredFogg]

Bullet weighed 330 grams this morning before I fed him. His weight has slowly been creeping up a little, but I'm feeding all he wants twice a day right now. This was his 9th day at hack. I watched him fly 2 circles around the tree today and evidently he caught and ate something during the day. It took me over an hour to call him in tonight because he had a partial crop on him. When he came down he had no real interest in the baggie. I'll post the pic tomorrow, but he just flew over to it and never killed it. Tonight he displayed all the signs of a FAT bird. I've seen him fly from the ground to ~25 up in a tree. He is getting more fit everyday and still is easy to handle.

At what point do I end the hack, drop his weight, and start carhawking? I'd really love some wisdom here. I had planned on hacking him for 2 plus weeks, but I'm afraid he'll start catching on his own. He is 36 days old at this point. I'm fairly sure I could drop his weight to ~322 grams and I'd be at a responsive enough weight to start carhawking. It might take a little more drop however. What are yall's thoughts. Keep hacking or start hawking?

Jeff, if he is now catching, it is time to have him catching in a controlled environment. If he caught 1, what do you think his response is going to be the next evening after he has caught 2 or possibly more. You have had control of him every evening because he was hungry, he won't be from now on. Time to switch that catching ability to hunting with you! Sounds like you are on your way! I may try the tame hack with my next coops. It sounds like fun!

[frootdog]

One of the benifits of the imprint is they have never been kicked off some type of quarry, hence they are more likely to try anything. Passage birds have tried all the tricks and they know what is easy and what is not. I too vote for hunting, at least no more than a couple more days tame hack.

[John]

I'm with Fred and Bryant. If he's caught stuff, he's on his way to being his own hawk rather than yours. If he did it once, he can do it again and again, and disappear.

[Saluqi]

I'll take the opposite opinion from the group. You said that you were still feeding him twice a day all he wants? Just cut back on his feeding, feed him some in the morning and put him out to hack. During the day, go out with the lure and some food and call him in, and feed him a very small portion and continue to let him fly loose. The only reason, in my opinion, to end the hack is if you think he is in some danger. This bird is an imprint and is not going anywhere, the more time he has at liberty the better he will get.

[FredFogg]

I'll take the opposite opinion from the group. You said that you were still feeding him twice a day all he wants? Just cut back on his feeding, feed him some in the morning and put him out to hack. During the day, go out with the lure and some food and call him in, and feed him a very small portion and continue to let him fly loose. The only reason, in my opinion, to end the hack is if you think he is in some danger. This bird is an imprint and is not going anywhere, the more time he has at liberty the better he will get.

Paul,

I don't know this for a fact, seems I just remember someone telling me, but an imprint coops will revert back to the wild much easier than a gos or sharpie. Now that I think about it, a guy that has flown a bunch of coops told me if I ever wanted to turn my coops loose, it wouldn't be a problem just because of how quickly they revert. I don't know if is true, but something I was told. Maybe Barry has some insight into this!

[rocgwp]

Here are pics from the past several days...I didn't put Bullet out to hack this morning. Instead I took him with me to work. He was 334 grams and he took a baggie from out of my truck window. He was slow in leaving because he was fat, but once he left he was committed to catching the baggie. I am going to start lowering his weight a little and see if we can catch some grackles, starlings, and sparrows.

I would expect to begin hearing some noise and see some mantling once I start lowering weight.

32 days

33 days

34 day

35 days

36 days
37 days

[sevristh]

HAHAHA!! That pic of him and the duckling is priceless!

[goshawks00]

Guys been away for a while and just catching up.... I'm with Paul... did he catch something or stumble onto a nest of babies and have his way...? Don't be in to big of a hurry to reel him in... it's WAY early.... Feed less... maybe even once a day...as Paul suggested ( be carefull hunger can cause possibly unwanted results ).

Make sure your trans batts. are in good shape and let him rip... let him learn his lessons and it will be less you will have to teach him... and less resentment towards you when he fails... he's learning, don't slow him down...
.02
Barry

[Lee Slikkers]

This is a great thread, keep the opinion and comments coming folks...