Got to sleep in a little bit later, considering I was heading down to Bartlesville. Lindz woke me up at about 6:30 AM, and after getting the bird loaded up, and a little Java from QT, was on my way by about 7:00 AM. Dee Dee had weighed in at 1040 grams, so I knew she would be good to go today. Got there about 20 min before 8, so I drove around for a little bit lookin for crows. Finally found some hanging out behind the Mcdonnalds over by the walmart, so I pulled her out and I gave her a go on those. It was an awkward slip, in that they where in a little gravel parking lot, and it was pretty much a head on slip, with her having to come out, and go the same direction the car is (as opposed to straight out the window). She made a really nice effort, but too many eyes popped up when the car hit the gravel, and she just couldn't close the gap in time. Called her down, and I headed over to Ryan's house. He was ready to go, so off we went in search of ducks (and a nice passage RS hawk too!!!!)!
Hit the training field first, but there where no ducks, so we headed off down the road. Found some ducks on a big pond that he hadn't ever flown before, but he just wasn't feeling the slip, so we kept on going. Made it to the pond where I have seen him kill the last couple ducks, and there where a couple Mallards, and a couple gadwalls floating in the middle. Put the hybrid up in the air, and he started climbing nicely. Out of no where, the two mallards bust....the hybrid hesitates for a little bit, but sorta starts coming down. Since the two had busted already, we ran in a flushed the gadwalls, and the hybrid switched focus, and came down hard on those. The mallards bailed back to the water, and watched as the hybrid drove the gadwalls down below the damn wall. Once he dissappeared behind that, the mallards broke off the other direction, and we see the hybrid whip back up, b/c he had apparently missed the gadwalls.
Ryan was pissed! It wasn't a good flight, and he was NOT saisfied, so he lured the bird down, and off we went for some other ducks. Saw a bunch of passage RT's as we where driving around, but still, not what we where looking for. Finally saw a RS, but it was a stinkin hag (surprise!), so we kept on driving. Came to the pond where the hybrid scored his first duck, and there where TONS of them on there. We pulled him out, and tossed him into the air, and more ducks kept coming in and landing on the pond. Ryan said some days are just like that, and we where getting pretty psyched for a good flight. Took a pitch that was acceptable, so we ran in for the flush. Bird came down like a rocket, and hammered a gadwall onto the ice. She winged back up, and there was that one on the ice, and then one more in the water next to it. Bird went a few hundred feet back up, and then the ducks flushed. They headed off into the wind, and the hybrid got burned! Called him down to the lure, and called it a day for him. Headed back to the training field, and we kited the gyrkin. He is still getting back into the game, so he only flew him up a couple hundred feet, but that bird is a powerhouse, and climbs like a maniac! I'm psyched to see him hunt, once Ryan gets him going strong!
Got a little lunch, and it was back to trapping. Saw another hag RS and a ton of RT's, but nothing to get excited about. Had Dee in the car, so we where half way looking for crow slips, but we didn't go out of our way to look for them or anything. Swung back to the pond by the school, and there where quite a few ducks on there. I was hoping Dee was just gonna be super and fly down and catch on, but it was not to be. Had her on the fist, and we snuck up toward the end of the pond with rocks. Ran in for the flush, and I tossed her at them, but she just flew up into the air, and then headed for a telephone pole back behind the car. Little slut!!!! A lot of the ducks hadn't flushed, so I swung the lure, and then when she was on her way in, I was going to try and flush the ducks again. Well, she started my direction, and I waited to long to flush.....she got too close, and was not even lookin at the ducks. When i took off to flush them, she just landed on the ground where I had been....balls! Leave the neighborhood, and we get a nice slip on some geese...but again....she didn't really chase...BUT...she flew up into a tree, and then ignored me for a little bit. She was stairing at the geese really hard, and hind sight, I probably should have tried to run in and flush them. She may have dropped off her perch and slammed on......MAYBE wishful thinking though. Anyways....a step in the right direction, and she has at least seen them now. I think I will bag her on a duck, and then see what happens. Went and showed Ryan a field I had checked out the other day, and there was rabbit crap EVERYWHERE! I kicked one up as soon as I stepped out of the car!
Ryan had some family stuff to take care of, so we parted ways at this point. I set forth with the plan of hitting the field behind the mall, but then I was like what the heck, may as well try and fly that new spot right? So i drove in there, and headed all the way to the back (where we had walked around). I stuck her up in a tree, and I got a slip within a a few seconds. It headed off through on open section, but it was into the wind, and the rabbit made it to cover before she got there. Kicked around in that spot for a little bit, but couldn't get a reflush, so we continued on. Kicked through a REALLY thick section where we could hear them running around earlier, and I managed to move a couple rabbits. She crashed the brush hard on both of those, but just couldn't make it through to the ground. She started loosing a little bit of focus at this time, and kept taking perchs really far away. I had to call her down twice and carry her to where I wanted her, and she just wasn't hunting well. Got another slip or two, but she pulled off both, without crashing the ground. Put her up for a moment, and I drove back toward the front section. Put her up in a tree, and it was like the switch had been flipped. Got a slip after about ten minutes or so, and she ALMOST snagged it, but barely missed. Headed across the two track, and started kicking around in a REALLY thick section. She was a little bit out of position when I kicked up the rabbit, but it didn't go far, and she flew up to the tree right above us. I beat around where i saw it last, and the rabbit shot out the side, and headed across the two track. As it was getting to the other side, she snuck in and nailed it as it was approching the brush line. I hear the squieel, and run in there for the dispatch!
We have a perfect trade off to the lure, and then I hop her to the fist for a front and back leg. We have been stuck at 19 rabbits for a minute (b/c i have been hawkin squirrels mainly), and it was great finally scoreing number 20. That's a big mile stone for us, and I'm so proud of my little girl! Got home, and she weighed in at 1115 grams, so I'm going to be able to have a session Sunday afternoon!
Got to sleep in a little bit later, considering I was heading down to Bartlesville. Lindz woke me up at about 6:30 AM, and after getting the bird loaded up, and a little Java from QT, was on my way by about 7:00 AM. Dee Dee had weighed in at 1040 grams, so I knew she would be good to go today. Got there about 20 min before 8, so I drove around for a little bit lookin for crows. Finally found some hanging out behind the Mcdonnalds over by the walmart, so I pulled her out and I gave her a go on those. It was an awkward slip, in that they where in a little gravel parking lot, and it was pretty much a head on slip, with her having to come out, and go the same direction the car is (as opposed to straight out the window). She made a really nice effort, but too many eyes popped up when the car hit the gravel, and she just couldn't close the gap in time. Called her down, and I headed over to Ryan's house. He was ready to go, so off we went in search of ducks (and a nice passage RS hawk too!!!!)!
Hit the training field first, but there where no ducks, so we headed off down the road. Found some ducks on a big pond that he hadn't ever flown before, but he just wasn't feeling the slip, so we kept on going. Made it to the pond where I have seen him kill the last couple ducks, and there where a couple Mallards, and a couple gadwalls floating in the middle. Put the hybrid up in the air, and he started climbing nicely. Out of no where, the two mallards bust....the hybrid hesitates for a little bit, but sorta starts coming down. Since the two had busted already, we ran in a flushed the gadwalls, and the hybrid switched focus, and came down hard on those. The mallards bailed back to the water, and watched as the hybrid drove the gadwalls down below the damn wall. Once he dissappeared behind that, the mallards broke off the other direction, and we see the hybrid whip back up, b/c he had apparently missed the gadwalls.
Ryan was pissed! It wasn't a good flight, and he was NOT saisfied, so he lured the bird down, and off we went for some other ducks. Saw a bunch of passage RT's as we where driving around, but still, not what we where looking for. Finally saw a RS, but it was a stinkin hag (surprise!), so we kept on driving. Came to the pond where the hybrid scored his first duck, and there where TONS of them on there. We pulled him out, and tossed him into the air, and more ducks kept coming in and landing on the pond. Ryan said some days are just like that, and we where getting pretty psyched for a good flight. Took a pitch that was acceptable, so we ran in for the flush. Bird came down like a rocket, and hammered a gadwall onto the ice. She winged back up, and there was that one on the ice, and then one more in the water next to it. Bird went a few hundred feet back up, and then the ducks flushed. They headed off into the wind, and the hybrid got burned! Called him down to the lure, and called it a day for him. Headed back to the training field, and we kited the gyrkin. He is still getting back into the game, so he only flew him up a couple hundred feet, but that bird is a powerhouse, and climbs like a maniac! I'm psyched to see him hunt, once Ryan gets him going strong! 
Got a little lunch, and it was back to trapping. Saw another hag RS and a ton of RT's, but nothing to get excited about. Had Dee in the car, so we where half way looking for crow slips, but we didn't go out of our way to look for them or anything. Swung back to the pond by the school, and there where quite a few ducks on there. I was hoping Dee was just gonna be super and fly down and catch on, but it was not to be. Had her on the fist, and we snuck up toward the end of the pond with rocks. Ran in for the flush, and I tossed her at them, but she just flew up into the air, and then headed for a telephone pole back behind the car. Little slut!!!! A lot of the ducks hadn't flushed, so I swung the lure, and then when she was on her way in, I was going to try and flush the ducks again. Well, she started my direction, and I waited to long to flush.....she got too close, and was not even lookin at the ducks. When i took off to flush them, she just landed on the ground where I had been....balls! Leave the neighborhood, and we get a nice slip on some geese...but again....she didn't really chase...BUT...she flew up into a tree, and then ignored me for a little bit. She was stairing at the geese really hard, and hind sight, I probably should have tried to run in and flush them. She may have dropped off her perch and slammed on......MAYBE wishful thinking though. Anyways....a step in the right direction, and she has at least seen them now. I think I will bag her on a duck, and then see what happens. Went and showed Ryan a field I had checked out the other day, and there was rabbit crap EVERYWHERE! I kicked one up as soon as I stepped out of the car! 
Ryan had some family stuff to take care of, so we parted ways at this point. I set forth with the plan of hitting the field behind the mall, but then I was like what the heck, may as well try and fly that new spot right? So i drove in there, and headed all the way to the back (where we had walked around). I stuck her up in a tree, and I got a slip within a a few seconds. It headed off through on open section, but it was into the wind, and the rabbit made it to cover before she got there. Kicked around in that spot for a little bit, but couldn't get a reflush, so we continued on. Kicked through a REALLY thick section where we could hear them running around earlier, and I managed to move a couple rabbits. She crashed the brush hard on both of those, but just couldn't make it through to the ground. She started loosing a little bit of focus at this time, and kept taking perchs really far away. I had to call her down twice and carry her to where I wanted her, and she just wasn't hunting well. Got another slip or two, but she pulled off both, without crashing the ground. Put her up for a moment, and I drove back toward the front section. Put her up in a tree, and it was like the switch had been flipped. Got a slip after about ten minutes or so, and she ALMOST snagged it, but barely missed. Headed across the two track, and started kicking around in a REALLY thick section. She was a little bit out of position when I kicked up the rabbit, but it didn't go far, and she flew up to the tree right above us. I beat around where i saw it last, and the rabbit shot out the side, and headed across the two track. As it was getting to the other side, she snuck in and nailed it as it was approching the brush line. I hear the squieel, and run in there for the dispatch!
We have a perfect trade off to the lure, and then I hop her to the fist for a front and back leg. We have been stuck at 19 rabbits for a minute (b/c i have been hawkin squirrels mainly), and it was great finally scoreing number 20. That's a big mile stone for us, and I'm so proud of my little girl! Got home, and she weighed in at 1115 grams, so I'm going to be able to have a session Sunday afternoon!
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