17 and 11

 Happy New Year's Eve My apprentice Isaac reported that he caught his fourth squirrel with his passage Red-tail. My foster apprentice, Stephanie, caught her fourth. And today, Cisco caught his fourth lifetime fox squirrel. This is out of about 240 squirrels.  It was really stressful, at the same time interesting. Here's a text that I sent: Cisco's fourth lifetime fox squirrel taken. Stressful. Up in tree for a long time, hanging upside down. Then he dropped it, and grabbed, hanging onto its tail. He was covered in blood after it escaped and I called him. Cisco was super tired. 20 minutes later he pulled the wounded squirrel from nest and killed it. Jeez.  Everything started routinely. I had Arnold with me and released Cisco. He has not flown for more than a week, the season interrupted with a trip to Denver. Cisco took off and started working a squirrel, which he grabbed in some high leaves. The squirrel was squealing some and I could see Cisco hanging below. It went on f...

I took Farrah out to Brookshire to hunt game birds. Two hours in the heat. My buzzards spent the last week traveling, perched, and in boxes.  A text: One bird caught in nearly two hours. Good flights with an overweight hawk, a warm spring day, and wet grass, fog residue...After a week plus off too.

 I have the two buzzards and my dog Arnold with me up in Denver. It's a brief trip, no hunting, just feeding. I'll be back in Houston mid week. The hawks have been busy. Cisco has caught squirrels nine out of the last ten hunts, with Farrah's catching a half dozen total. She's been some catching game birds; Cisco nabbed a couple too.  Denver My friend Stephanie, a first season apprentice, after her buzzard Wallace's fourth squirrel

 This was the week that was. Started with a squirrel by Cisco. In the middle, Farrah caught two. Then Cisco another one along with a bird. This afternoon I took Farrah out to Brookshire. Overcast, a little windy, but not unsafe. She caught game, and finished the week in a fine fashion. A game bird caught Typical Harris's Hawk behavior Saturday 12/11 Squirrel Friday 12/10 Squirrel Thursday 12/9 Wednesday, a game bird 12/8 Squirrel Tuesday Tuesday 12/7 Monday squirrel 12/6

 I can't wait until fall. It was overcast and warm today. I took out Cisco and Arnold, trying to dodge the predicted rain. In fact, while getting ready, it started to lightly rain. I paused the preparations, but for just a few minutes.  Cisco was flying at 900 grams today, net. He was very serious. I released him, and barely into the woods, he found a squirrel. He pressured it to bail, which it did even though the dog and I were right there. It came down in a very disadvantageous spot and Cisco had him. He has caught eight squirrels to Farrah's four. Last season Cisco alone had sixteen by November 20th. After that I had to take a long break for family matters. Farrah is a lot of fun, but not catching very many squirrels.    

Cisco picked off a good sized male cat squirrel in the late afternoon yesterday. This morning I took Farrah to the same woods. She blasted out and I figured she'd be done in a few minutes. Two hours later I fed her up. She put in all the great moves, pursued relentlessly, etc. As usual we left without a squirrel. It's fun flying her though and she didn't get bitten. Sky trials in the trees.... Cisco doesn't look as fancy as Farrah, but gets the job done. He's caught seven, to Farrah's four. Three hunts this week and no catches..... My new regimen with her is a squirrel contact per week. A contact is a catch, grab, or bite. This week, no contact. Yesterday late...