Sunday, December 6, 2009

Day 81

Had a big scare on Friday! Left work around 3:0O PM, and decided we where going to fly on squirrels behind the "health center" (that's where we have been going recently for squirrels). It doesn't take very long to get to this spot, so I had her beeped up, and in a tree, just a little after 3:15 or so. I was testing out a new "technique" if you will, and was being really quite, and not really moving about much. The thought process behind this, is that I would be providing less distractions, and she would be able to listen, and focus more....well, it didn't really work. She ended up seeing a squirrel WAY far off, and she was out of sight in moments. I walked around looking for her for about 20 minutes, and then I decided it was time to break out the telemetry. Made it back to the car pretty quickly, and I got a signal immediately. Started heading in that direction, and I proceeded to chase a signal around for the rest of the day. It would get really strong (like she was right above me/on the ground below me), but I wouldn't ever be able to find her. Started getting nervous, b/c I begin to realize just how bad I am at using telemetry, so I shoot Ryan a text. He calls me immediately, and I start filling him in on the situation. I loose her signal at this time, and really start getting anxious, so Ryan tells me to get in the car, and triangulate her signal. It's about ten minutes till dark at this time, and Ryan says that if i don't find her by dark, he will drive down, and we will go find her (REALLY glad I did all those lure sessions with her coming down in dark!). That put my mind a little more at ease, so I pull out onto the main road, and I start driving toward turkey mountain (which pretty much backs up to the woods I was flying). I'm thinkin that I should be able to get a good signal from up there, and that's when I see the RT fly across the road. I flip a *itch, avoid hitting a few cars in the process, and whip over to the side of the road. It's rush hour traffic right now, and there is a steady line of cars passing by. I stand out in the head lights, and start swingin the lure and whistling like crazy. The bird doesn't even look at me. I keep swinging....MAYBE a head bob, but still....nothing. I decide I should grab the binocs out of the car, and see if I can see any anklets/bell/etc. I start winding the lure, and am turning back toward the car, when Dee slams the lure out of my hand from behind me! Not gonna lie...it scared the crap out of me, and I did a startled jump and an AGH! I guess she had been somewhere on the other side of the road, had seen me swinging the lure, and came across the tops of all the cars, dipped down low, and snuck in from behind me undetected. I now know what the game feels like, when she comes out of no where, and slams their heads into the ground! It was crazy! Wasted day of hawkin, but at least I got her back!

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