August 12th
The day dawned, I was up un-typically early as today was the day.
I had made my selection, and now all I had to do was collect it!!
"It" was a female Harris' Hawk later to be known as Maia.
Maia was caught aylmeri fitted and weighed in at 2lb 4 1/8oz
she was tethered to a bow perch and imeadiatly laid on her back
wings out stretched, as though she had been crucified. Good start!
She was then boxed ready for the journy home,
which was un-eventful.
At home she sat on my fist for a couple of hours then was bowed down, in the mews.
August 13th
Manning, manning and Oh yes, more manning
Maia dozed off briefly, apparently bored with the whole episode.
threw in part of a grown on chick, which was
eaten over night in mews
August 14th
Maia nevously picked at an opened rat, while Sat on the fist,
decieded it was good, and consumed the whole offering.
August 15th
Maia seems more relaxed with her surroundings now, sitting nicely on the bow wings folded
instead of half drooping. stepping from bow to fist for food, a dozen times.
Now dozing & preening on fist.
Introduced her to Annie (German Shephard)
Maia exercised her vioce box to capacity.
August 16th
Stepping then hopping a few inches to the fist from bow, for food, and returning to the bow, repeatedly.
Learning to regain fist after the odd bait here and there.
August 17th
comming full length of leash from bow to fist
for reward. several times.
still yelling at Annie.
The next few days were un eventful
just manning, manning and Er, more manning.
I am Passing Maia to anyone that would hold her.
My 10 year old son seems to be developing an afinity with her.
August 20th
Out with the creance
repeated 10 feet flights for food.
continuing training on the creance
sometimes a bit reluctant to get going
As she would rather watch the starlings flying over head
than concentrate on the job in hand.
Begining to accept the dog now. taking little or no notice.
August 27th
2lb 2 1/2oz
finally the scales arrived.
I am now getting an instant response for food,
over 30 feet.
August 28th
2lb 2 1/4 oz
lets play kill the dummy bunny, no problems, great response,
Sept 3rd.
2lb 1 3/4oz
travelled well in the car on a bow to
new surrounding. much more open.
Still on creance, flew to tree and refused to budge for anything.!
Ok climb tree, recover Hawk, and swear a little..
Sept 4th
2lbs 2oz
Back to familier surroundings
Different bird altogether,
Aggresive towards food, trying to nail leaves
blowing across the lawn.
Sept 9th
2.1 1/2oz
Now comming instantly over 40yds still on creance
Sept 10th
2lb 1 1/4oz
killing dummy bunny
and responding to lure imeadiatly
the next big step is looming Oh dear!!
dropping weight a little more
for new surroundings and iminant first free flight
Sept 11th
2lb 1 oz
new surroundings
instant response to fist, lure & dummy bunny.
tangled creance round tree
more lumberjack training.
Time to get rid of the creance it's more hindrance than help.
Sept 12th
2. 1oz
First free flight. Why do we worry?
Maia wasn't worried, she behaved perfectly and
even came back, instantly.
In the following weeks,
Getting her used to the whistle, yes I'm blowing it, not to scare the crows,
but to tell you its "grub up".
lots of work with dummy bunny and swung
lure, getting her to step off both, in exchange for a small reward.
My son is having great fun trying to out run Maia,
dragging the dummy bunny behind him.
Sept 14th
2lb 1 1/4oz
Starting to get the idea about following on
through a small copse.
October 8th
2lb 1oz
out with an experianced bird
not overly impressed by the accompanying pointer but she will have to get used to strange dogs.
Its a learning curve, letting Maia see how it should be done.
Still not associating live rabbits with food.
Followed on very nicley with an older HH through a small wood.
dragged a dead warm rabbit which she
"killed" in fine style and was rewarded with a full crop.
October 14th
2lb 2 3/4 oz
1st attempt at killing something live,
A hare of all things, narrowly missed, striking the dirt an inch or two behind it.
pulled another dead rabbit, she managed to kill that no problem. cropped up on it.
October 17th
2lb 2 3/4oz
Maia shot off the fist and hovered over Tall stubble
dived in, only to watch a hen pheasant slip out underneath her
not committing hard enough into cover yet.
Continuing with dead rabbit dragging and lure training,
allowing her a full crop each time she "Killed"
October 28th
2.4oz
Maia is a bit heavy but will responed at this weight. the weather
has been appaling we must both get some exersise.
Suddenly Maia dropped like a stone from a tree, lots of squawks and flapping of wings, I arrived to see 2 hen pheasants fly from her exact location, two? one in each paw? surley not..I will never know for certain............
November 12th
2.2 1/4 oz
Maia is sitting in a favorite tree,
My Lad is beating the hedge row, with his usuall enthusiasm and a very large stick.
a hen pheasant broke cover,
Maia flew from her vantage point, cut across, it turned back towards the hawthorn,
both birds arriving simultaneously Yeeeeeessss....
.....I knew she would do it eventually.
Full crop as a reward.
Not a great deal in the coming weeks, fitness training.
There seems to be a lack of rabbits, what are about, seem to fast or cunning for maia,
I am begining to wonder if she will ever catch one.
December 16th
2lb 1oz
dropped weight slightly, for a field meet.
Flew with her sibling sister, one bird either side of a hedge,
worrying the life out of a running rabbit,
both birds missed but a good flight all the same.
Finally grabed a rabbit after a 150yd flight, across a lightly flooded meadow,
too slow arriving. Maia got kicked off. close, very close.
January 12th
2lb 2oz
trying to drop weight slightly more hoping to
make her keen for tommorow
13th Jan
2lb 1 3/4 oz
Maia and I attended a novice bird meet
She had 4 flights, each one better than the last, culminating in her first rabbit, an excellent flight. 100yds across a scrub meadow, I thought she had missed that one as well, she had dived into long grass, and was hidden from veiw, but the tell tale squeal gave it away, I have never covered a hundred yards so fast in my life. Their she was, proudly stamping all over a rabbit.
Maia was cropped up on the spot, and was totally unphased by the crowd of on lookers.
Although Maia's training, I belive has in general gone fairly smoothly, I have not had it all my own way......
Cock up no1
Maia thought it prudent to self hunt, on land, clear over the other side of a small a wood. Neither of which I have permission for,
and she was not wearing telemetry. I am very glad I took the time to orientate her towards a swung lure and whistle. Back she came, with an escort of rooks
Cock up no2
On an informal field meet, Maia was at weight and had entered, but she took an instant dislike to a strange dog, and sat in a tree... ok out with the lure, I know she will come for this, she did.
Grabbing it, she headed back into the tree and I let go of the lure line, embarrassing or what!
plucking at the winged lure, that was un garnished, she somehow pulled up the lure line, well out of my reach.
I hurled various parts of dead animals into the air, finally, Maia came out of the tree for one, carrying the lure, line trailing.........
GOT YA!
footnote
Although Maia's weight appears to remain fairly constant, she was cropped up at least once a week throughout her training.
Her weight was then brought down slowly, even though this occasionally prevented us from hunting.
Maia should have entered much quicker than she did, however that particular year was a very very poor quarry wise. It was a real struggled to find her anything.