Thor 2011 imprint male gos -his hack

[pj_elia]

A little bit of of forsight goes a long way in these situations. The Gos I had from Barry rode in the car without a problem I left the leash on him and let him loose in the car with moderate restraint so that he wasnt bouncing wild but learned what windshields and windows were. He figured that out as he was just learning to perch. We will see what this years coops is like it's about time he learned what windsheilds are as well. Isaac

Isaac,

Early on I do the same. The idea for me know at this age is to establish a method I plan to use regularly when hawking, either a giant hood or perched and hooded. I suppose we can continue to let him wander around the car but when do you stop that?

[DirtHawker]

Whew. Barry you sure have a mean streak. I was sitting with my honey, eating breakfast reading your post, when I go "OH NO, I just saw him Saturday." My next words were, "Oh Barry can be an evil man".

Good story,
Sue

[goshawks00]

My next words were, "Oh Barry can be an evil man".

Sue

day 58 774 grams

Sue!!! Really? I thought you all wanted the trials and tribulations of 'a tame hack'.

Anyways it's going on 1 pm and Thor is a quarter mile away down the creek line buried in the bush and it pouring out. Along with that the TV guys says 200 lightening hits an hour, and 30-40 gusts. Yea!!! we need the rain... He's been there for about an hour at least because we got home an hour ago.
Other than that I talked to Luksanders and they are sending me a new trans today, along with my old Merlin Sp. which they will repair today, oh an a half doz. double brass tail mount ferrels. Other than that its just a rainy day in ... Michigan

Paul he rides great in the car, though he doesn't show a lot of interest looking out for game ( expected he doesn't know what that is)

[hcmcelroy]

Thanks Paul sounds like it is going well.

Harry.

[pj_elia]

Paul he rides great in the car, though he doesn't show a lot of interest looking out for game ( expected he doesn't know what that is)

Barry, just curious, is he loose in the car or in the giant hood? A friend of mine says he "trains" his imprints to the giant hood early on takes him for rides in it almost every day and sometime feeds him in there. I'm still unsure what the best approach is. In general I have had a difficult time using the giant hood on any of our goshawks. At some point we everntually get either bent feathers, dull talons, soiled plummage, or all of the above from using a Giant hood.

[DirtHawker]

Barry,
Are you using the holohils at all?
Sue

[BestBeagler]

Isaac,

Early on I do the same. The idea for me know at this age is to establish a method I plan to use regularly when hawking, either a giant hood or perched and hooded. I suppose we can continue to let him wander around the car but when do you stop that?

Once he learns he cant go far due to the glass he should sit nicely except when he's at weight and starts bating at things. That's the only time I think a hood comes in handy but there are ways to even work around that. In fact feed him before you drive so he is full and less antsy. Create a pattern of good behavior. I wonder if we are so caught up on hood training imprint accipiters bc we like hoods and want to use them on our birds instead of just having them for decoration. I well adjusted imprint shouldnt need hooding for it to be kept calm or from bouncing around to prevent feather damage (not a dig towards you). Sometimes I think we use hoods on accipiters as "bandaids" to a problem instead of getting to the root of it. I think the same goes for all sorts of different perches for an imprint accipiter to prevent feather damage.

[pj_elia]

Once he learns he cant go far due to the glass he should sit nicely except when he's at weight and starts bating at things. That's the only time I think a hood comes in handy but there are ways to even work around that. In fact feed him before you drive so he is full and less antsy. Create a pattern of good behavior. I wonder if we are so caught up on hood training imprint accipiters bc we like hoods and want to use them on our birds instead of just having them for decoration. I well adjusted imprint shouldnt need hooding for it to be kept calm or from bouncing around to prevent feather damage (not a dig towards you). Sometimes I think we use hoods on accipiters as "bandaids" to a problem instead of getting to the root of it. I think the same goes for all sorts of different perches for an imprint accipiter to prevent feather damage.

Without going into the full discussion on the merits of hooding, I feel that they were initially devised to limit bating at errant slips in the field or while being transported (whether on a cadge or in the car). That is what I use them for. It allows us to get past a half dozen squirrels on my way to the stream for a duck slip or have 3 goshawks in the car or field nearby and ready to take turns on the upcoming slips. Everybody has different falconry lifestyles and there is no universally perfect method of raising or flying a goshawk. For me, the hood helps a lot.

I would still like to know the best way to insure that an imprint handles the giant hood well. I don't think we've been doing anything different than others who seem to either deal with or manage issues the giant hood better. We've managed fine so far but I'm always looking to improve things. I'm going to try a modified dog kennel as a giant hood this time around since it works for a few people I know.

[hcmcelroy]

Paul,

I've had good luck with the giant hood using the Coulson design. For the gos and HH they are 12" wide made of coroplast. Some imprinted aplomados are reluctant to go in so I prop it open in the mew and leave it for some days. For the real skittish ones I offer tidbits on the entrance and slowly encourage them in deeper over a period of time. Few imprinted accipiters are that reluctant and they train quickly using tidbits on the perch.

In the field after hawking I offer the aplomados a tidbit once they are inside so they approach the truck looking for the hood and will eagerly fly inside even when stuffed.

I hood the passage hawks when they are placed in the giant hood but when placed inside at the end of the day when eating the passage Cooper's, and HH are well behaved.

Harry.

[pj_elia]

Harry,

I use narrow ones as well. They are 11-12" wide but they are made of wood with the door on the side which makes it easy for them to get in. Before the hunt they usually jump around in there which really annoys me. With our passage goshawks, they usually start off their careers pretty calm in the box but as the routine solidifies, they anticipate the hunt and get very active in there often scrambling in a corner. Hooded and perched on a car seat has minimized feather and talon issues. Even then, they sometimes start moving around or try to make there way towards the sound of my voice in the front seat.

Anyway-- Barry, how's the mighty Norse god doing? Any more behavior changes. Ours came down at the end of the day yesterday and lightly tagged our dog. This morning he pulled the food off the lure and flew up in a tree with it vocalizing. I think he is hard penning.

[goshawks00]

day 61 769 grams

Thor spent most of the day outside. Around 2 pm the grandkids brought their other grandma out to see the "farm". Faith 11 and Jenna 4 wanted her to see the animals, dig potatoes, and pick the giant golden raspberries.. While they were walking around Thor buzzed them several times, looking for his lunch which he wasn't getting today. After a little bit a zoo style, fire alarm went off... Thor was making honest attempts it appeared at trying to take a couple of guineas out, stooping them hard. After several close calls it became apparent why... It seems one of the 'missing' guineas had came home dragging 10 little ones behind her, and Thor wanted to eat them... After everyone ducked and dodged Thor's 'attacks' the babies were rounded up and put in a box.
Once the GKs left Karen and I took them over to our country vet who was looking for some Lavenders. In exchange at sometime next spring we will get our choice of several peacock chicks or some Pearl guineas from him.
This evening Thor came down, was brought in and fed on his bow while I installed his new tall mount. Alls well

[AirAssault]

Barry I have a friend doing a Coop the same way and it is unbielevable how cool that they are his acts just like your Gos sits and preens all the time , flys with the wild Coops in the area and has turned out just to be a plesure to watch, sometime just down right funny. Looks that Eyes tame hacking is the way to go it really gets rid of alot of the problems of the Eyes rised birds, great way to do it.

[BestBeagler]

day 61 769 grams

Thor spent most of the day outside. Around 2 pm the grandkids brought their other grandma out to see the "farm". Faith 11 and Jenna 4 wanted her to see the animals, dig potatoes, and pick the giant golden raspberries.. While they were walking around Thor buzzed them several times, looking for his lunch which he wasn't getting today. After a little bit a zoo style, fire alarm went off... Thor was making honest attempts it appeared at trying to take a couple of guineas out, stooping them hard. After several close calls it became apparent why... It seems one of the 'missing' guineas had came home dragging 10 little ones behind her, and Thor wanted to eat them... After everyone ducked and dodged Thor's 'attacks' the babies were rounded up and put in a box.
Once the GKs left Karen and I took them over to our country vet who was looking for some Lavenders. In exchange at sometime next spring we will get our choice of several peacock chicks or some Pearl guineas from him.
This evening Thor came down, was brought in and fed on his bow while I installed his new tall mount. Alls well

Don't get a peacock if you dont want your car scratched and pooped on...

[hcmcelroy]

Barry,

Thor is developing quickly. It would be fun to visit your place and see the action but with all that green my eyes may fail me. This desert is tan.

Harry.

[goshawks00]

Barry,

Thor is developing quickly. It would be fun to visit your place and see the action but with all that green my eyes may fail me. This desert is tan.

Harry.

To say the least it is organized(?) confusion around here. Karen is very protective of her fowl, I guess that's why I don't your the chicks( like I can control what happens) for baggies. She was surprised that there were only 10 chicks as the nest had over close to 30 eggs in it. Guineas, or at least ours group group lay and incubate. Thinking maybe a couple more eggs were pipped and were abandoned by the hens, Karen went across the road into the weeds where the nest was. Yep just as I suspected , the nest was still full of eggs and this was a second clutch hatched somewhere else!
Yes green is just another form of camouflage, it just has more moisture in it.
Thor update- 770 this morning , he's got his new transmitter on him and is sitting in the Sycamore tree just outside the kitchen window. Tonight is 'movie in the park'. The city puts on a free movie at dark once a month in the summer and tonight is a cartoon version of Aliens. Several of the GKs want to go so we will be going and taking Thor with us for a little exposure. Hope the skeeters aren't to bad.

[goshawks00]

This afternoon the GKs came out for dinner and go to the movies... Thor was very animated and was everywhere the GKs went. He buzzed them continually, following them and playing with them, making them run and scream by his antics.

About 5 pm I went out to call him down for the evening meal, and start to get ready to go. He was no where to be found...so I got the telemetry out and got a shallow beep coming from the chicken pen. When I got out there the signal got stronger but he wasn't in there. Walking over to his chamber, there he was sopping wet on his wall perch,with one foot up enjoying the quietness of his pen. Sometime during the afternoon he must have decided to go into his chamber and take a breather. I went in got his food and handed it to him and shut the door. We decided with everyone going in the car there wouldn't be room for us plus a hooping, sopping wet goshawk all in one car.

We get to go see "Monsters vs. Aliens" he will get to watch fireflies.

[adam norrie]

Hi Barry,

Any chance of some more photos of Thor? I am looking forward to see how he turns into a hunter, and how his character changes after taking his first few kills.

[Steve L.]

Hey Barry, what's new with Thor?

[goshawks00]

Thor is going good... He is done with the hack three days ago when he started pestering the neighbors chicken, which btw I find interesting as he has nothing to do with ours.
We are working on jump ups and being carried about. Car rides GH work etc. No bags yet as it's still been very hot here. Probably won't be much to write about at this point until we get a bit of weight loss going...

[outhawkn]

Barry, how's the bird coming along........

[goshawks00]

ok Bill...see post below

[rocgwp]

How's Thor?

[jballone]

Updates?

[goshawks00]

Chasing and catching a few small birds. Covers to high and still a lot to do before winter..

[James Idi]

Any updates and pics by chance?

Awesome thread!