Rest In Peace Luscian

Thank You to everyone that Followed Luscians Blog. Sadly He gave his life for the hunt today. Ill get a new Blog started up soon for My new Female Harris hawk at www.GhostHawking.Blogspot.com Ill miss ya Luscian. You where amazing.

624 Grams

Today we found lots of rabbits to chase but the downside was that they where near a prairie dog town and we lost most of them. We hunted for almost an hour and a half. Towards the end we had a couple young prairie falcons following us around and I thought that was just way too cool but Luscian didnt like it at all. Finally Luscian made it to a power pole and I kept on walking I got about 60 yards away and saw a bunny in a bush. Instead of busting it and teaching luscian a lesson I decided to Call him in. I waited for that perfect moment as he was sailing in to come to me and I busted the bunny out. It ran hard accross a hill and Lucsian changed directions on a dime closing in with his speed from the power pole. I really love to watch these kinds of flights as Luscian overtook the rabbit as it passed a bush, spinning both himself and the rabbit. I made in real quick and dispatched with the idea in mind that I was going to let him crop up real good for this hunt. I want to reward him well for this hunt as he really gave me his 100%. This also affords me to spend a day or two with Sonya, my new female Harris hawk as I want to hopefully get her outside on the creance soon.

I cant wait till it cools off. It is so hot by 10 am and no fun at all in pants and snake guards.

623 Grams

Luscian and I went out today to my Percell field. Its about 40 acres and deffinatly a bird of the fist field with little as far as poles for perching. Luscian and I where out for 30 minutes and only saw one rabbit before the kill shot. Coarse Luscian was dinking around a bit and i didnt really go crazy flushing bushes if he wasnt going to be around. I know that beating the bush even when he is not on the fist is important but I am trying to teach him that flushes happen when he is with me and rarely not when he is off screwing around. He is still 2/3oz over last years hunting weight but I think that this year that this may be his weight escicially when the colder weather comes. Coarse I could be wrong but he is doing so good now.

Our kill of the day was a CottonTail Rabbit that didnt make it but 20 yards as it worked a small circle and cut with the wind giving Luscian a great chance to get to him before he made it to the hole. I am so impressed with that Last Second Commitment that I have been seeing out of him and in videos of other harris hawks. It seems that, this last second or milisecond the bird really turnes it on hard for a good 5 feet and the Nitrous launches them foreward and the landing gear come out. I really do love seeing this from a side profile as you get to see the catch from another light as most of the catches are from behind. Today as I may not get to hunt tomorrow for the first time of the season, I let Luscian crop up nicely on the rabbit before I hooded him up and walked to the truck. Quiet as a lamb all the way back home and on the perch for the photo of the day. Thats when he started making a little noise.

627 Grams

Luscian was on fire today. Though he only caught things that I didnt want him to catch or things that I couldnt have imagined him catching. The wind was light but just enough to keep my bird wanting to keep his wings out on the T-Perch. We chased a few cotton tail and one jack with no luck. Luscian then turned his attention to a couple unmentionable birds. Caught one in the air and another in a cactus as he slammed the cactus to catch it. I did not reward him for either catch. Shortly after his second bird he caught a Baby Prairie Dog. WHAT? Yep, I said it. A baby prairie dog. Weird. Anyhow, all went well and I traded him off to the lure for the prairie dog as I thought I may be able to save it but Luscian did just the right amount of dammage. What the world was a baby like that away from the nest. It was a good 7 inches long. Anyhow, we got some excersize and it was a pretty day. Who could ask for more?

636 Grams

Luscian 636 Grams

Todays weather is much better especially as far as the wind goes. I got up around 7 and was out of the house with Luscian by 745 am. We got out to the field and started walking around. I have used the T Perch more so far this year and it seems to really be a nice addition to the arsenol. Luscian takes off after a flush before I get a chance to see it and todays flights where really great. Luscian is starting to show me some of his moves from last year and he is getting great excersize out of it. We chased a few jacks but I think his weight is still a bit high as he didnt really give them the good job that he did with the cottontails. Cover is really thick and the rabbits have got themselves lots of holes to escape into this year.





The populations seem to look good though as we got to chase a good 6-7 cottontail and a good dozen jacks in the area we used last year. We did manage to hunt around an area that I havent played in too much and i find that it is ok but not as good as the other. Luscians kill today was a good flush from right at my feet. The rabbit took off for the left with Luscian coming in HOT behind him. They both went behind some large cactus and I couldnt see the connect but I heard the tell tale sound of a cottontail getting grabbed and when I got there I see Luscian in one side of the cactus and the cottontail coming out the other side. Surly Luscian had a great grip as I reached in to help and get them both out of the Cholla Cactus. Trade off to the front leg while I went and cleaned the rabbit. The walk to the truck was a long one today but we got there happy and ready to kick back and rest for the both of us.

First Day of the 2010 Season!

Luscian 624grams

Todays first day of the season ended off with a BANG!

Ive been working Luscain for a couple weeks getting his weight down and excersizing him in the back yard and it all payed off. Luscian played the game like he never went through the moult and showed me that he was well worth his salt as a falconry bird. We flew for just about an hour and grabbed 2 jacks and ended the day with a cotton tail. The cottontails that he chased early on in the hunt where really not that lucky as Luscian seemed to have forgotten a few of his moves and didnt really turn it on till the end when all the sudden it seemed that he remembered a trademark tactic and excecuted a perfect wingover with a slide under a bush to grab his bunny just as it was hitting its Hole in the ground. Luscian was rewarded with a front leg and a nice walk back to the truck.

Awesome first day of the season!

Fresh Trapped Starling

Trapping Starlings

Ok here is the trap im using. It does require all my attention but hey, Im on Vacation! Waiting for my wife to go into labor affords me time to do this, lol.

Well the new Mews is done and Luscian spent his first day in it. By the end of the day he was quite comfy in the new enclosure that measures 12x16. He wasnt too interested in eating but he did preen quite a bit and dropped 2 more secondaries. We are now up to 8 secondaries and 2 tail feathers. We are getting another freeze warning tonight so Luscian will be spending the night inside where it is warm. He should be pretty happy. I know I am!

Luscians New Mews in the Making

Luscians New Mews is in the making. It will be 12d x 15.5w

Large mews big enough to moult 2 Harris Hawks with ease. Maybe some day it can be a breeding chamber.



Couple Photos

610 Grams

Well its been almost 3 weeks since I have gotten to take Luscian out. The first week I was dealing with the death of my Father and the next two I was dealing with being on graveyard shift and inventory for work that involved 12-13 hours a day.

So Today We finally got a chance to get out. Today was a good day for a little industrial Hunting. I went to the CSU with Noah and he had a friend that could get us into an area that is normally locked and fenced. That seems to be the area that all the rabbits run and end up healthy to live another day. This area has a large shed that the rabbits go to. Surrounding inside the fenced area are large poles and a playground of sorts for adults that want to be high up in the air practicing climbing and such. Luscian was very anxious today and seemed great for a good time. Once we got him out to the field he was very active, changing positions often and following every step we made. We started on a rabbit that we saw run out to the edge of the field near the fence line. Well the bunny got flushed and ran for the fence with luscian in tow. Luscian ended up hitting the fence as the rabbit went under it. The rabbit went under a evergreen tree and we got luscian back up on the fence. Once lusian saw the bunny as we where working on the right slip, Luscian took off after it in the tree and lost it but nearly had it. The rabbit then ran for the large shed. We got Luscian up on one of the poles that was at least 50 feet up. Noah and I got the rabbit running and I think Luscian traveled farther than the bunny did. Luscian wrapped it up nicely. Noah got to the catch before I did and grabbed the back legs passing it to me when I got there for the stretch. I let Luscian pluck fur for a few and pulled a leg for him to eat after a few minutes. I thought that the hunt was over so we did some jump ups where I threw food up in the air for him to go catch. Noah had a couple of his friends along and they really enjoyed watching the event. On the way back to the truck I noticed 3 new culverts that where put in, in the past couple weeks. I looked in 2 and found 2 rabbits. Well with Luscian having a good amount to eat I decided that we where going to still try it. We got out the mechanical Ferret and Luscian took off super fast as it exited the pipe. the rabbit was running towards another evergreen and it was a new one so the grounds people had poles in the ground to help support the new trees. Just as Luscian grabbed the bunny, not 40 feet from me he hit his wing and possibly his leg on this wood dowel that was as thick as a baseball and spun, loosing the rabbit but taking away a whole fist full of fur. Instantly he pulled up a leg and started talking to me as I came to him. I think he may half been hurting but the good tidbit showed me that everything was in working order as he came for more food. So my bird is ok and he did bag one bunny. We needed that as we have had a dry spell finding bunnies. We are both happier for that for sure.

2 Short Videos

Ive been working on bringing Luscians weight back down and in the mean time Ive taken a couple videos. He is now at weight so we should hope to have a kill soon.

640 Grams

Yesterday Luscian was at 650 grams and today 10 down. I know now that this is above his higher weights to do any decent hunting. I have showed Luscain in the past 2 days a good dozen rabbits in the short 45 minute hunts that we have after work. Nothing but a mouse kill today. I really am hoping for some nice weather to stick around as having the Hawk on the perch sitting waiting out a cold spell really drives me a little nuts.

Hopefully to have the weight down with in the next few days and hunting hard and acting like he has a sence of urgency.

Luscian coudnt hunt today due to weather and my schedual. So we go to eat a Jack rabbit head and work on that beak. Afterwords I replaced the bath pan and he spent a good half hour in the drink. Couple photos for today as we are bored, needing the weather to warm up just a bit and the wind to go away.

593 Grams

I took Luscian out again today for more duck hunting. Unfortunatly a dirtbiker buzzed through and broke at least 3 good flushes before I even got a chance. By the end of the hunt though we did get a chance at a couple teal with no luck. They both went both ways except in my birds feet. Luscian did chase good for a 20 yard dash but gave up on those little speed deamons. Ill keep working on that area and see what happens. I do love how he follows and when I bring friends like today Luscian really makes me look like a great falconer. Thanks for coming Dan and Rick!