Comments on: Idiot Check http://operationdeltaduck.com/blog/2009/03/idiot-check/ Conservation through the eyes of a falconer Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:44:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Steve Bodio http://operationdeltaduck.com/blog/2009/03/idiot-check/comment-page-1/#comment-148 Steve Bodio Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:24:46 +0000 http://operationdeltaduck.com/blog/?p=97#comment-148 Not sure of "ever" or even "in the field" but I had a beauty, witnessed, last week. Lauren McGough was visiting and I was demonstrating the bizarre behavior of my "late imprint" (deranged?) G-S tiercel. He alternately courts me and acts like a pet, then bates madly again and again (or screams and mantles when I cut him at all.) Because of his unpredictability I take some extra precautions. You may remember my gloves have a swivel clasp on them. I attach one half of the swivel to it, thread the leash through the other, and don't take the clasp off until the leash is tied to the block. So: out we go to the weathering, hawk behaving like a tame imprint. He hops to the block, and I tie off the knot (Lauren is on the other side facing me). Somehow, perhaps because I am talking to her -- "You know, he's not always that easy!"-- I miss something. He hops down on the quail and begins to eat, calmly... And then I see a look of utter horror on Lauren's face and see I HAVE TIED MY GLOVE TO THE PERCH, and my crazy hawk is free with a swivel and a fat meal. I didn't know whether to move quickly or not so I sort of did both -- inched to within striking distance and GRABBED. He didn't even bate!-- just mantled a bit. After his meal I went to pick him up and he bated six times between the block and his indoor perch. Then roused and "eechupped" at me. Forty five years in this pursuit and you-- or at least I-- can still screw up. Not sure of “ever” or even “in the field” but I had a beauty, witnessed, last week. Lauren McGough was visiting and I was demonstrating the bizarre behavior of my “late imprint” (deranged?) G-S tiercel. He alternately courts me and acts like a pet, then bates madly again and again (or screams and mantles when I cut him at all.)

Because of his unpredictability I take some extra precautions. You may remember my gloves have a swivel clasp on them. I attach one half of the swivel to it, thread the leash through the other, and don’t take the clasp off until the leash is tied to the block.

So: out we go to the weathering, hawk behaving like a tame imprint. He hops to the block, and I tie off the knot (Lauren is on the other side facing me). Somehow, perhaps because I am talking to her — “You know, he’s not always that easy!”– I miss something. He hops down on the quail and begins to eat, calmly…

And then I see a look of utter horror on Lauren’s face and see I HAVE TIED MY GLOVE TO THE PERCH, and my crazy hawk is free with a swivel and a fat meal. I didn’t know whether to move quickly or not so I sort of did both — inched to within striking distance and GRABBED. He didn’t even bate!– just mantled a bit.

After his meal I went to pick him up and he bated six times between the block and his indoor perch. Then roused and “eechupped” at me.

Forty five years in this pursuit and you– or at least I– can still screw up.

]]> By: Isaac http://operationdeltaduck.com/blog/2009/03/idiot-check/comment-page-1/#comment-122 Isaac Sun, 22 Mar 2009 04:08:36 +0000 http://operationdeltaduck.com/blog/?p=97#comment-122 Flew a Harris in Japan on its first real hunting trip just as a typhoon was blowing in (LOTS of wind). First small bird gets up and away he goes...and goes...and goes. I hadn't checked the telemetry and my reciever died. Called a buddy up but he couldn't help me because he was looking for one of HIS birds that he'd also foolishly flown just before the typhoon. Long story short, a couple hours later we recovered his bird and a few hours after that found my bird. Amazingly, he came down to a live quail in the headlights after half an hour or so. *Phew* Flew a Harris in Japan on its first real hunting trip just as a typhoon was blowing in (LOTS of wind). First small bird gets up and away he goes…and goes…and goes. I hadn’t checked the telemetry and my reciever died. Called a buddy up but he couldn’t help me because he was looking for one of HIS birds that he’d also foolishly flown just before the typhoon. Long story short, a couple hours later we recovered his bird and a few hours after that found my bird. Amazingly, he came down to a live quail in the headlights after half an hour or so. *Phew*

]]> By: NorCal Cazadora http://operationdeltaduck.com/blog/2009/03/idiot-check/comment-page-1/#comment-118 NorCal Cazadora Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:43:00 +0000 http://operationdeltaduck.com/blog/?p=97#comment-118 Yay for happy endings! I've been lucky so far. Closest call I've had is showing up at a refuge after going to McDonald's and spending the cash I needed for my permit for the day. But there are quarters all over my car - I just paid them in change. Yay for happy endings!

I’ve been lucky so far. Closest call I’ve had is showing up at a refuge after going to McDonald’s and spending the cash I needed for my permit for the day. But there are quarters all over my car – I just paid them in change.

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