Chenango Dave

This is a picture of my 13 year old nephew with his second gobbler ever. It's not from this year but I thought some of you might like it. Pic was takn in Bradford County Pa in 2003.

Cruise by me, then it turned into a foursome, then a fivesome...lol.. Some ducks doing their thing.. And some re-edits of turkeys and an Osprey I took a while back.. Take care Dave

Thanks guys. Actually the eagles pics were taken right in Smithville.

And a few from last weeks rabbit hunt.. Thanks for looking. Take care Dave

Been quite a while since I've been out with my camera.Felt good to get back out again. Here's a few pics from over the past week or so. These are all taken with a Nikon D300 DSLR camera.

Thanks again guys, These were all taken with a Nikon D300 and a 200-400 F/4 Vr lens.

Just seen him last week for the first in a few weeks. He was still sporting his left side. I've been all thru my cornfield looking for the right side but no luck. Will be trying across the crick on my days off this week.. I'll post them up if I find them.

Took a little hike with the camera today. Seen a bachelor group of three, 1 and 1/2 left to shed... Didn't find any sheds though. A lone eagle on the Chenango River. Take care Dave

Thanks guys. The first couple you get - I let her crop up and eat as much as she wants to off the kill. When you're ready to go - I just pull out her lure with a mouse on it and she always jumps right off the rabbit and goes for the lure. While he's eating off the lure - you gotta try and be quick and get the rabbit in your pouch before she sees it. It's been quite a learning experience for me the past two years and I only have a couple hawk scars to show for it...lol...

Big Bunny Down...lol... Had an awesome day hunting with the hawk yesterday. She had some real great flights after some fuzzies and finally connected with one. I think sh'es finally starting to catch on to hunting with my buddies beagle. She was a little intimidated of him at first but she sure wasn't letting go this rabbit yesterday. The dog was more scared of her I think. Unfortunately I forgot my Contour HD video cam at home. Will have to get some vid of her next time. Here's some shots of the days adventure. Take care Dave

Actually I should say hunting with my hawk.. Well she is doing good so far. Unfortunately we haven't connected with any critters yet, She has pulled fur on a couple rabbits but just couldn't hold on. Now that we finally got some snow - it'll be easier for her to see them fuzzies. Will be going out all week as long as it's not too windy. Hopefully we'll have something dead in our next post. 8-) I even got her flying to my buddy SlipBob... Will post more of our adventures this week. Take care Dave

Would you please just drop them already!!! And another lil 8 pointer across the crick - the same cam I had tall tines on this year.. Shouldn't be long now - I hope. I can't wait to get pics with one horn or no horns...

Now I got something to look forward to next year.. Hope he hangs around my cornfield and turnip patch until he sheds them horns..

Heres a video - nothing special but you can see her flying. Take care Dave

Well my Hawkie is comming along just great. She is now hammering the lure with a passion. Will be getting her out hunting this week weather permitting. Had my buddy SlipBob go out with me this weekend and flew her between us so I could get a few more pics of her. Next pics should be hunting shots.. Stay tuned..

I was expecting to see a picture of Richard Simmons and a work out video...haha. Good finds there Woolster!!!

Got any sugestions Wooly - needs to be a unisex name though...lol... I usually called Roxie hawkie most the time anyway...lol..

Here's her and my boy checking out a dove that came to the birdfeeder... A couple snow shots from the storm yesterday... Take care Dave

Well Hawkie is starting to fly outside now on the creance line. Had her flying today 40-50 feet to me. Now we're starting to get some colder weather, it'll be easier to manager her weight. A lot of falconry is weight control. The bird is just like a fighter, if you get them too fat they are lazy and if you get them too light and they are weak. You want to get them right to their hunting weight when training them. It takes a little time to figure what that weight is, you can guage thier propper weight by their response to you commands. Of course I weigh her twice a day as well. I figure in two weeks we'll be ready for free flight and hunting. We'll keep you updated.. Some pics from todays session...

You should let them crop up on the first couple kills just so they don't associate you with stealing their food from them. After they are confortable with you - you can trade them off from the kill onto your lure that you use for training them - you put a piece of meat on it, they will jump right off the rabbit onto the lure. Then you just slip the rabbit or squirrell into your game bag. Takes a few times to get the hang of it - but its actually quite simple.

Thanks guys. I let my last years hawk go around the end of April. I could have kept her but it's just as easy to let them go and trap and train a new one the following fall. It only takes a couple weeks to train one. That way you don't have to feed them all summer ,and if you go on vacation - you'd have to have someone feed them that knows how. When you tap one to train - you can only keep passage birds (ones that were born that year). They say that the mortality rate for immature redtails is close to 70% their first year. When falconers take them in - they are guaranteed to get fed weather they catch something or not. You work with them their first winter honing their hunting skills, so when you do turn them loose in the springtime - they are pretty much guaranteed to make it. As soon as they get a kill on their own after being set out - they are pretty much wild again. They wouldn't even come back if you tried to call them.. Of course this is all state and federally regulated - it's an apprenitceship you have to go thru. So not just anyone can go out and trap a hawk and hunt with it. If you ever do get a chance to hunt with a falconer and his bird - take the opportunity - it's pretty amazing, the determination of these birds. LAst year my hawk got to learn to hunt with the beagle - as soon as he'd start sounding off - she'd fly and try and get in front of him and wait for the rabbit to flush. They made quite the pair. Take care Dave

That's the perch on top of the digital scale I use to weigh her on.

Caught my hawk for hunting this year just this past week. Got her flying to me in the house in just 5 days or so. Will be starting her training outside on the creance line tomorrow. So far she has been a great bird to work with- she doesn't even seem to mind my dog at all. Should have her ready for hunting rabbits and squirrels by the time our muzzleloader season closes. I'll be sure to update our status as the training progresses. Take care Dave Won't be long and well be having shots like this - This was my bird from last year..

Got pics of this little guy on 5 different cameras in the past couple days. He's sure not camera shy... And one of his buddies hitting a common scrape. Haven't seen anything from the big boys lately - they must be busy..lol Take care Dave

Thanks guys. agross, I've have had a Goss hawk hit the pigeon, but didn't actually catch it. I've had lots of Coopers and Sharpshins come in and buzz the pigeon but never really hit. I think they are intimidated by the size. I bet if we used a starling as bait they would probably hit it. Going aout again in the morning - supposed to have some good winds - hopefully they will be flying good. I'll post some pics if I get my female..