December 28

I observed Okie's actions in the mews my remote camera, and, I suspect she is a bit soar in the thigh area, but, beyond that she seems to be okay. She was one lucky bird, and, of course, so was I. The lesson to be learned here is always plan for the unexpected.

December 27

Yesterday I couldn't get in to one of my hawking fields because of the snow, so I had to park near the road and use a fairly hard-packed snow bank to step over the fence. I had to help both dogs over because it was the type of fence that they could not get through.

After our hawking experience we returned to the same spot. I had fed Okie up and hooded her. She has tried to bate hooded from the fist a couple of times, so I have made it a point to hang on to my one field jess. But, I was a bit distracted lifting Chase over the fence and not concentrating, and at that point, Okie bated and her jess slipped out of my grasp. She flew about 30 yards at a 45 degree angle before coming down. Normally, they fly a much shorter distance than this, but, a fate would have it, she caught some wind.

I could not see exactly where she came down because of some bushes in the way,
but, it appeared that she may have landed in the road. And, as I was clearing the fence to get to her, a car drove by. When I got to where I could see her, it was obvious she had been run over. She was flat on the ground. And when I got to her, I could see that her hood had been knocked off. She could not get up and she was breathing heavily. I picked her up, hooded her and carried her to the car. I placed her in the back and watched her for awhile. She eventually sat up on her
hocks, but it seemed like she could not move one foot. I felt she had a spinal cord injury, so I headed home to call a vet for some steroids to reduce the inflamation.

As I was driving home, feeling pretty awful, I hear her bells behind me. I looked back and she was walking around. I put my glove on at a red light and got her on the fist, where she stayed until I got home. She was able to stand on both feet. Her wings were symmetrical, and she demonstrated no signs of internal injury. Without making it sound too "mushy"-when she got on my fist, it was obvious (to me) that she relaxed. I guess the feeling of the glove under her feet made her feel better. She roused and seemed content there.

December 26

I took Chase out with me yesterday, and she struggled a bit in the snow,
when it got too deep. She would follow me and hop from one footprint to the
other. She's no dummy :-)

December 20

Okie caught another rabbit in the field where she caught the last one. There is really no cover in this field, so it was a slam dunk; in fact, it is so easy for her to catch rabbits in this field that I doubt I'll hawk it that much.

December 18

I took Okie back to the field that I found with Kate during the summer. It is a large field (acres) with lots of rabbit sign. The problem was that there were no stands, so the hawk would have to soar the entire time. We tried it a few times this season, but, we got only a couple of rabbits up and it was difficult hawking, since Okie would eventually go to ground. We worked an area that we had not been in which was loaded with sign. There is a subdivision way off in the distance and Okie landed on one of the houses. She was quite a ways away, but in a position to see any rabbits, as the cover is not dense. Pretty soon, she came off the roof and I could tell by the way she was flying that she was on to a rabbit; it was great to see her fly a considerable distance. She was too far away for me to hear the rabbit if she caught it, but, I watched Chase, and sure enough when Okie hit the ground her ears picked up, so I figured she had caught it and she had. This makes #9, which isn't many, but, with the exception of this one, they have all been well-earned because of the cover.

December 12

Belinda went with me for the first time. While we got some slips, the wind was too strong and blowing Okie all around.

December 11

I found a new field with rabbits, and Okie caught one. She was at 39 ½ ounces, and still responsive.

December 9

We came upon a narrow strip of cedars inundated with berry vines (a likely place for rabbits). Okie flew off a pole, like she saw something, and landed on a tree near the middle, so off me and the dogs went to investigate. We worked our way past Okie, but she wasn't following like she usually does. I looked back and she was looking down like she knew something was there. So me and the dogs returned and worked the area again and found nothing. Once again, she didn't follow, and when I looked back this time she was gone; so back we went. I was able to find her near the base of the tree she had been perched on having killed a buck rabbit. So, there you go. While I am excited that she caught something (I was particularly excited yesterday, because of the cold [26 degrees]-I wanted to go home),I'm generally so involved in the underbrush, etc., that I don't see the flight, and since she is not chasing anything, it is over quickly. I sure miss hawking in the wide open spaces.

December 8

I was working my way in heavy cover towards a cedar tree with Okie behind me in a tall deciduous tree. As I got up beside the cedar, I experienced the last ten feet of a flight in which Okie came straight down and snagged a CT running away from the cedar. I was only about 15 feet away. I don’t recall being that close to a RT catching a rabbit out of a stoop. I was impressed with how hard she hit that rabbit. It’s surprising the CT survived the impact. I continue to fly her around 38 ½ to 39 ounces.

December 6

Okie caught #6 amongst the cedar trees, and I only saw her begin her flight. Once again, I had to locate her via telemetry. Chase’s collar (with transmitter) fell off. I didn’t realize it until I got back home, and had to return to the field to look for it. Some nice-soul who understood telemetry found it and had hung it on a tree limb so I could find it easier.

December 1

Okie struck again yesterday, and once again, I didn't see the flight because I was in the bush, and had to find her with my telemetry. Little Chase continues to move the rabbits around.

November 30

I continue to take Okie out everyday. Today she has had some very nice, but tough flights on rabbits in thick cover. I was able to see every one of them, and enjoyed watching her, but, when she caught CT#4 I missed it (isn’t that the way it goes). I again struggled to find her with the Tracker, as she was in heavy cover, and these Tracker’s send a pretty strong signal up close even when turned way down. Anyway, by the time I found her she had eaten the whole head and a front quarter of the CT; and, of course, I had to feed her a bit more up on the fist. So, we may not be hawking tomorrow, as I have been flying her over her over her baseline weight. But, knowing me, I will take her out, regardless

Little Chase is a trooper in the field. She has a good nose and only gets going on fresh scent, which is, of course, good also. Yesterday, she got about four rabbits moving. I’m pleased with her in the field. She is, however, a bit neurotic if left alone in her crate, or even if put outside alone. She has, obviously, always been around other dogs. Kate’s leg is still healing, but, I think she will be in the field again by the end of the week.

November 26

Picked up a 7.5 pound mini-dachshund from Joe Dorrian at the NAFA meet in Woodward. Joe called her Chance, but, I call her Chase. Whatever her name, I hooked her up with telemetry, after introducing her to Okie and feeling certain that Okie would not try to catch her in the field, and off we went. The first night she followed me along like a little puppy and did little hunting. But, the second night she turned on and actually found a few rabbits under the cedar trees. She has the cutest yip when she is on one. But, the cedar trees were so thick, Okie didn't even see them. I was pleased that she was venturing out and working. Okie contends with her in the field, which is good. And Kate is still healing up. I hope to have her in the field soon.

November 21

I had my back to Okie and I heard a loud thump. I looked to see her at the base of this tree flapping her wings as if she was mantling over something. I ran up to her and could see that she was on her hocks with nothing in her talons. I could also see that she was disoriented and had probably hit her head on one of the branches. So, I left her alone to collect herself. After she was able to stand, from the look in her eyes, I sensed that her vision was screwed up. And, sure enough, she began to panic and try to fly which she couldn't (thank gawd). So, I went over to her and started talking to her, hoping that my voice would give her some reassurance, as she, obviously, didn't know what was happening. Eventually, when I thought she was more aware, I offered her some food and she hopped to the fist as if nothing happened. I put her up and saw that she could fly okay, so off we went, with her continuing to hunt. These RT's are tough customers; but, I imagine all raptors are. They have had to be in order to evolve, and they have been evoving, in their present form, for eons, certainly longer than humans.

Noember 18

Okie caught another rabbit yesterday. There was so much cover between me and her that I was only able to see her begin to fly on it. I had to find her with telemetry and by the time I did, she had killed it and was munching away. I never thought I would get excited about a hawk catching a CT, but, when you bust your ass day after day just trying to find one, and the hawk is successful, excitement becomes relative. I’m flying her at 38 ½ ounces, which is a half an ounce over her baseline weight, and she is still responsive, and obviously hunting, which is a good thing. Kate opened her leg up in the field on something sharp, so off to the vet for stitches today. It’s a jungle out there!

November 14

I was in the woods and lost sight Okie and her signal. I ended up driving around with the transmitter out the window trying to find her. I eventually returned to where I started and when I got close I got a faint signal. I found her about 50 yards away from where I lost her, on the ground. She had killed a barred owl. I have had hawks kill burrowing owls, but, never a larger owl. She had blood running down her leg from her upper thigh. When I got her home and examined her, she had suffered a puncture would. I suspect it hit a vein, so she had bled out a bit, which is good in terms of infection. I really had to fine tune my Tracker receiver to find her.

November 11

I lost my hood in the field and had to take Okie home hoodless. I put her on her perch, and, after removing her bell, transmitter and putting her other field jess back, off we went. She was not one bit freaked out; in fact, she got down off her perch and meandered around. She seemed more curious than anything. She even wanted to get up front with me, but, that's where I drew the line, because I didn't want her shitting on me; plus, I was afraid that all those window might be too muchof a temptation, and she would start bating at them. So, she ambled back to her perch, got up on it, and stayed there.

November 9 (Marine Corps Birthday)

I found a likely piece of land near the airport to hawk. The highlight of the outing was she had a heck of a flight on a squirrel, but, the critter got away. So, I don't think I need to bag here, as it was abundantly clear that she likes those squirrels. The airport is by the freeway, and, eventually, when we could not find anymore squirrels, Okie started flying off to the large lights that overhang the freeway looking for mice and rats (I guess). I had to keep calling her back. Old habits die hard.

November 8

We were in the potential bunny field for a couple hours and flushed only one. I didn't even see it flush, but, Okie did. She missed, got up and chased it into a wood pile. She landed on the wood pile and when I ran it out, she chased it again, but into the wind and to no avail. I haven't really worked Kate since I started hawking and she does not have the stamina that my other hunting dogs did in these warmer temps. I guess it is her murmur. Ticks are rampant here.

November 7

As expected, Okie has learned the significance of the van in terms of feeding. I'm not real pleased about this because the presence of that van will encourage her to fly to it to be fed when I still want to hawk. So, I am going to have to discourage this behavior. The good news is that I think I found some CT's; in fact, she had her first slip yesterday. So, I am pretty excited, even though I don't know how many are there. The problem is, it is a fairly large field and there are no stands, poles or trees, so she either has to hawk it from the fist or a soar. Fortunately, she doesn't mind either. I do need Kate though to find and flush the rabbits, so she will be going with us this evening.

November 4

Kate took on a skunk and lost. What a mess. I saturated her with "Nature's Miracle" to get the skunk smell off; it helped, but, it didn't work very well.

November 3

I have continued to take her to the field each afternoon, and she continues to follow me and respond to the fist with gusto. We are beginning to work things out with Kate, and she can get to within 20 feet of Okie before she will leave my fist. This evening, Kate pointed a tree, and sure enough there was a squirrel that I got moving from tree to tree in full view of Okie, and she refused it. So, there you go. When we were out previously, I thought she flew on a squirrel, but, I didn’t see it, so maybe it wasn’t a squirrel after all. Or, perhaps, it was the presence of Kate that put her off. A bagged squirrel may be in order.

October 27

It was a wonderful day for flying, and that’s exactly what Okie did. She hung with me for quite a while, but, eventually took to the air while I was in a wood lot. I lost her more than once on the receiver, but, she eventually showed up and came to the fist. There are just too many leaves on the tress for me to effectively hawk squirrels. I’ll continue to look for rabbits. Weight: 36 ¾

October 26

She appears to know what squirrels are, but only one flight. There are still leaves and undergrowth. It was good to see her make an effort to catch the rascal. She continues her puppy dog behavior with me. She even soared above the canopy looking for me. Weight: 35 ½

October 25

She responded well in the field again, without Kate’s presence. We, basically, went on a nature walk because I couldn’t find any rabbits for her. I’ll take her into the woods tomorrow.

October 24 (Trouble in Paradise)

introduced Kate in the field. Okie flew to the top of a pole and came to me only once. After I put Kate back in the van, she refused to come to me. I had to get her down with the lure. I was bummed, because she had seen Kate as much as me while in the house. I am going to leave Kate at home until she gets used to hunting with me. Weight: 36.

October 23

First time in the field. We spent an hour out there and she followed me like a puppy dog. Came to me every time called. Weight: 36 ¾.

October 22

I decided to fly her free following the same routine as yesterday. She responded nicely. Weight: 35 ¼. I am going to bring her weight up.

October 21

Flew 100 feet to me on creance. Introduced her to the lure. Weight 35 ¾

October 20

First time on creance. Flew 50 feet to me. Weight: 35 ½

October 19

Flew 30 feet to me in PM. Weight: 36.

October 18

Weight 36 ¾ AM. Flew 25 feet to me in the PM. Weight: 36 ¼.

October 17

Flew ten feet. Weight 36 ½.

October 16

Flew six feet to the fist. Weight: 36 ½.

October 15

Weight 37 AM. Flew three feet to my fist. Weight: 36 ¾.

October 14

Weight 37 AM. 36.5 PM. Stepped to the fist. Ate two BC’s

October 13

Weight in AM 38. 37.5 in the PM. Ate baby chick off the fist.

October 12

Tapped 40 ounce FRT. Her keel is not all that pronounced.