That companion is complacency, not a person or animal friend. This morning I attempted to put Cisco out in his day enclosure. On the way there (about 20 feet) he flew off. Yesterday around midday he ate a rat and two day old chickens after grabbing a squirrel west of town. This is relevant to today. He was both high in weight generally, and had a gut full of meat from yesterday. Not exactly keen.
I usually just clip a single anklet as I take him from the hawk box, carry him to his enclosure by my kitchen, and release him inside the enclosure. Today he bated and the freshly greased anklet just cracked and he was in a tree behind my house. No transmitter and his bell was dampened to protect his ears. Cisco immediately started hunting a squirrel. Up and down the tree, there was a solid thud, and it got very quiet. Unfortunately he was in my back neighbor's yard on a different street. I figured he had a squirrel after hearing nothing for a long time. I hopped into the Honda taking a frozen squirrel, a day old chicken, and a goofy looking lure. I searched some yards, and not a trace. Now I was really sure he was somewhere with a squirrel. There was no sign of him until I heard a peep. I found him up in a tree; he hadn't caught a squirrel. With lots of coaxing I got him down and even had my hand on his jess. But he was jumpy and kept flying to the trees. He would not really bind to my gradually thawing squirrel.
A neighbor named Jerry pulled into his driveway and showed some interest. He was kind enough to pin Cisco for me while I went back home get the hawk box, a BC trap, T pole, a rat and two more chickens. I put the two chickens in the BC, and Cisco showed no interest. He was sitting high in a tree across from Jerry's house. After Jerry had to leave I lashed the rat to the T pole and marched around in front of my buzzard. He immediately started to peep, but wouldn't move. I walked by him a couple of times and he couldn't resist. Down he comes swooping close. Now he was in a small tree in Jerry's yard, about ten feet in the air. He flew to the T pole and bound to it. This trick I learned from Mike Wiegel years ago. I have recovered Cisco twice, my erstwhile Harris's Hawk Dart once (after a three day absence), and the Red-shouldered Hawk once after I decided to tame hack her and then changed my mind. What's interesting with Cisco is that he has not flown off the T pole much at all in the last few seasons because he has been hunting squirrels a lot, not hawking the open fields. But it brings him in just the same.
With Cisco hanging from it I shoved the T pole right across the front seat of my Honda Element and partially closed the door on the handle. A few minutes of fooling with jesslets and clipping Cisco to my glove, we were made fast. That's a sailing term*. I then took a feasting buzzard and rang Jerry's doorbell. Picture credit is his.
Though I go to great lengths to keep my hawks safe, I am a bit complacent about their flying off. It's no defense, but going fourteen years without losing a hawk has made me a little too relaxed. Then, when they are on the lam, I am stressed. What happened this morning was 100% preventable...... but then I might have missed an impromptu squirrel hunt.
*Make Fast: To secure a line.
I usually just clip a single anklet as I take him from the hawk box, carry him to his enclosure by my kitchen, and release him inside the enclosure. Today he bated and the freshly greased anklet just cracked and he was in a tree behind my house. No transmitter and his bell was dampened to protect his ears. Cisco immediately started hunting a squirrel. Up and down the tree, there was a solid thud, and it got very quiet. Unfortunately he was in my back neighbor's yard on a different street. I figured he had a squirrel after hearing nothing for a long time. I hopped into the Honda taking a frozen squirrel, a day old chicken, and a goofy looking lure. I searched some yards, and not a trace. Now I was really sure he was somewhere with a squirrel. There was no sign of him until I heard a peep. I found him up in a tree; he hadn't caught a squirrel. With lots of coaxing I got him down and even had my hand on his jess. But he was jumpy and kept flying to the trees. He would not really bind to my gradually thawing squirrel.
A neighbor named Jerry pulled into his driveway and showed some interest. He was kind enough to pin Cisco for me while I went back home get the hawk box, a BC trap, T pole, a rat and two more chickens. I put the two chickens in the BC, and Cisco showed no interest. He was sitting high in a tree across from Jerry's house. After Jerry had to leave I lashed the rat to the T pole and marched around in front of my buzzard. He immediately started to peep, but wouldn't move. I walked by him a couple of times and he couldn't resist. Down he comes swooping close. Now he was in a small tree in Jerry's yard, about ten feet in the air. He flew to the T pole and bound to it. This trick I learned from Mike Wiegel years ago. I have recovered Cisco twice, my erstwhile Harris's Hawk Dart once (after a three day absence), and the Red-shouldered Hawk once after I decided to tame hack her and then changed my mind. What's interesting with Cisco is that he has not flown off the T pole much at all in the last few seasons because he has been hunting squirrels a lot, not hawking the open fields. But it brings him in just the same.
With Cisco hanging from it I shoved the T pole right across the front seat of my Honda Element and partially closed the door on the handle. A few minutes of fooling with jesslets and clipping Cisco to my glove, we were made fast. That's a sailing term*. I then took a feasting buzzard and rang Jerry's doorbell. Picture credit is his.
Though I go to great lengths to keep my hawks safe, I am a bit complacent about their flying off. It's no defense, but going fourteen years without losing a hawk has made me a little too relaxed. Then, when they are on the lam, I am stressed. What happened this morning was 100% preventable...... but then I might have missed an impromptu squirrel hunt.
*Make Fast: To secure a line.
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