Fun With...*gulp...Harris' Hawks

Now I've gone and done it.  With the loss of one falcon and the minor illness of the other, I had lost all my drive for flying falcons the rest of this season.  But it has been many years since I have not had at least a bird to fly in the winter. So I approached another falconry friend of mine who has two male Harris' Hawks that he has not been flying this season due to a very busy work schedule.  Both birds have caught a few bunnies each as individuals but had not had much success hunting together, as the older bird was injured shortly after acquiring the second a season ago.  Both are healthy now and as much as I swore I had no interest in flying a cast of these social hawks.... I'm doing it now.

I've had them for only a couple of weeks at this point.  I got them down to weight and flying to me on creance as fast as I could and this morning hit the 'ol bunny field that I've neglected for the past 6 or 7 years.   Both birds flew well despite the light rain that was falling.  The bunnies didn't disappoint either as we had 5 slips in just less than 30 minutes.

The birds, although they didn't exactly work together, hunted very well for their first showing.  They even pulled fur from the first bunny that flushed.  They were quickly worn out from the multiple chases and coupled with the rain watering them down we had to keep the session short.  I ended up calling them to a rabbit drag from which they traded off nicely and we called it a day.  Short, sweet and to the point.

A week or two to get them in good shape and the bunnies better beware,  rabbit hawking has returned to Bartlesville.......

-RVZ