Dougie Male Harris Hawk

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

Ive decided to start a diary on my male harris hawks new season, ive had him going out of the moult again for little under a week but i wanted to start the diary on a kill,

 

So with the bird weighing 1lb 5.3 i set off looking for a crow on nearby recently cut fields as at the minute the cover is just too thick for ferreting,

But nothing was about so i took to the wood, as soon as we entered a rabbit got up with the hawk in pursuit only for it to make to cover, the bird threw himself up onto a nearby branch waiting for the reflush, so i hit the hedge and it was off with the hawk behind it, a 40 yard chase threw heavy forest saw the rabbit stopped in its tracks, not a full grown bunny but with the cover as bad as it is i will take anything we can get

 

Kill no. 1

 

 

I will try and keep this updated as much as i can but at this time of year im just trying to get the bird fit until the cover dies down, so dont expect much until a month or so but until then i will try blag the odd kill just to keep you interested, plans are to get him on the lamp so i can choose the flights to avoid killing small bunnies, we will see what happens

 

Thanks for looking

[CrowHawker 227]

Great stuff Game on!!!

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

Thanks mate im hoping more for feathered quarry at the minute until the cover dies down but he doesnt show nowhere near as much interest in them over a rabbit im just trying to give him easy slips, which is hard unless your car hawking, which i dont like, any tips crowhawker? he has been fed on carcasses, maybe just a confidence issue? Would it be worth dragging a carcass?

[CrowHawker 227]

To get my old female on pheasants I had to do a little weight reduction so she was a tad keener try maybe 1lb 5 mate if Keen enough he will fly them!

[Ginger shooter 58]

Crow what's u female flying at and hunt weight?

[CrowHawker 227]

Just read threw my journal on her 2nd season Flying free at 2.10.1/2 hunting fur at 2.8.3/4 and feather at 2.8 she's now got a hunting weight at 9 years. of 2.11.3/4

Edited August 30, 2013 by CrowHawker

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

To get my old female on pheasants I had to do a little weight reduction so she was a tad keener try maybe 1lb 5 mate if Keen enough he will fly them!

Thanks for the help mate will give it a try, im ferreting with the hawk tommorow from a friends invite on open sets so hopefully have an update and a few picture to go with it, maybe a vid if the phone cameras up to it

[arcticgun 4,548]

good luck mate hope you get a cracking days sport, all look forward to the pics, my falcon just come to glove vfor first time alst night, been goin in mews last couple of days after steadily dropping a little weight off him, hopefully get him weiughed today and out and kitted up and coped tomorow

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

Not all went to plan today, weighed the bird at 7 am this morning and he was at a shade under 1lb 6 oz, not too good a start,

Got to the sets and everything looked good, first set produced no flights then the second produced a cracking flight only for the rabbit to make to another set within feet of the hawk getting it, so we rebolted that rabbit and this is where my f**k up with the weight showed as he put in a decent chase but then threw himself up onto a tree?

 

Then my ferret grabbed a rabbit just before it bolted so atleast we didnt go home empty handed, was nice to be out but it was hard going as the warm weather and with the field still yet to be cut at the side of the sets, im sure most rabbits were sat out. But the ferrets worked well with kizzap13 silver jill producing some nice bolts.

 

couple of pics of the bird out today:

 

 

 

Im out tomorow probably have a walk around and if nothings about will do some fitness and recall

 

Thanks

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

Windy as hell today so ended up in a nearby wood,

The bird was at 1lb 5oz and was keen as anything, had him following on whilst i beat the bushes, christ i need a dog lol

Then he went up high and was fixated on the middle of these bushes so i just left him and once he decided what it was he made a dive for it but missed causing the rabbit to bolt towards me, the hawk got back into the tree and chased hard again until the rabbit made to some cover.

 

So close but very unlucky, thanks for the tip aswell crowhawker the slight weight reduction had him chasing wood pigeons in the trees so im out everyday next week trying to get a crow, Im gonna get one even if it kills me. And tommorow im out on the lamp so hopefully have something worth updating, thanks

[CrowHawker 227]

All good matey

[arcticgun 4,548]

some of the best flights I have seen have ended with the bird missing, makes you try harder for the next slip or flush, he soon be back on tune and dropping them, best of luck pal

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

Piss poor couple of hours tonight, got on to my permission, knocked the lamp on and the first thing i saw was 2 bright red eyes staring back at me

 

Carried on regardless and this is where my eagerness to get out cost me, i didnt put tape over the bell so i scared everything off before i got out, then the bird was wanting to drop onto plastic bags, crisp wrappers and cans

 

Need to get those hi viz jesses made,

 

Finally got up close to a rabbit, the bird clocked it, dropped off the glove but before he had even got halfway there it was in the hedge which made the bird land at the side of the bush then started footing the hedge

 

Carried on then my pissing phone set off ringing and scared everything off for a 10 mile radius. So with me F ing and blinding i fed the bird by throwing chicks into the field and walking them up with the lamp, and made my way home

 

Got home went into the kitchen to swap the birds equipment over and the bird was dying to get at the goldfish lol, the most eventfull part of the night

 

Think i will give the lamping a rest until its necessary and just carry on in the day time. Pick it up later on and give it a proper go, sorry lads

[charlie caller 3,654]

Not to worry pal, he chased and that's what matters, sounds like your just like me always forget something like switching your phone off,or a bit of equipment you really needed, get some reflective jesses made and take the bell off or tape it up, you don't need it at night, keep doing a few recalls to the lit glove, to keep him going and the odd lure chase in the beam, it will all come together mate.

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

Thanks mate, i think that was my problem, did some recalls and he was spot on, but didnt bother with the lure chases.

 

Will pick it up again in a couple of months and see how i get on