2014/15 Season

[pointer 543]

The wind has been blowing but the forecast said it was worse up the dales than what it was where I live so we stayed local. Although she seems fine from the other day I didn't want to risk a rat bite so went to an area she was unlikely to find one. She flew around in the trees and it was hard to keep an eye on her but I found her stabbing her foot in the hollow of a tree. The squirrel was on the other side of the tree but she hadn't realised it had moved and as it ran up the tree she was left jumping about and footing the hole whilst chirping on. She then missed a rabbit and we had a half hour hunt after moorhens but couldn't get one to flush from the reeds. We blanked but it was still an enjoyable little session.

[pointer 543]

It was raining today after work so I couldn't fly her. High jumped instead and spent ten minutes with her near the pony as she's a bit unsure about it.

 

Got the pup jabbed so it won't be long before it can go for a walk about.

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

Luckily the rain and wind eased off a bit here. Its a nightmare though. I've found out this hawk likes to have a play about in the wind though, she went straight up today and just soared about for 10 mins, kept me fit chasing after her though lol.

[pointer 543]

We had a look out with the dogs and went lamping the other night. I've come to the conclusion that whilst I couldn't find the time to run a lurcher the hawk can't go out all the time which leaves me with a dilemma. The only solution I can find is to go out with mates and their dogs when the hawk can't go out and rat shooting is an option if things get really desperate.

[pointer 543]

It was raining when I got home but the horizon looked clear so we quickly got the Hawks boxed up. With only forty minutes until darkness the idea was to give each hawk twenty minutes. Mine went first crashing into cover a couple of times before diving into the reeds surrounding a pond getting a get soaking. That was mine done so we walked over towards a quarry, my mate let his hawk fly over the edge and it instantly spotted a rabbit which was caught before it could have known what was happening. We arrived back at the car in darkness. We were lucky to get anything done today.

 

[pointer 543]

We had been out ten minutes yesterday when the rain started so we made our way back. As we got to the car it became heavier so we had a lucky escape. After work today we went to scout out a wood we have been invited to hunt in. We didn't take the Hawks as I don't know the place and it was raining. We saw squirrels running about and there must be rabbits etc so once the leaves come down we might get something done. When we got home the rain had stopped so I got my hawk out for half an hour but she didn't see anything except for a rat in a hedge. She was unresponsive and just soared about ignoring me.

 

With more rain due for the next few days it's going to be challenging doing anything.

[bullet 125]

the good thing is pointer your getting out abit, great accounts of your days too

[sprockerjay 74]

Love reading your posts pointer your so enthusiastic keep them coming atb aidy

[pointer 543]

Cheers lads

[pointer 543]

With rain due and a dark sky it didn't look good as I left work. I thought I'd just go for a walk near home but my mate was keen to travel to the dales. As we drove up there the rain started but it was a clear sky where we were headed so we kept going. With only forty minutes to go before darkness we decided to split up going around the edge of the valley in opposite directions and meeting at the grass fields to walk back to the car together.

Mine had soon missed a rabbit in the rushes then after soaring for a couple of minutes landed in some cover but after a few seconds the pheasant flew out the other side. She followed on along the steep edge of the river seeing rabbits but nothing she fancied pursuing until she took off on one a bit further out, they disappeared into a dip. I ran over to find her emerging from one of the big rabbit holes looking a bit shook up and out of breath. By now I'd reached the grass fields and saw my mate standing at the other side with his hawk on the ground. I walked over to see she had caught a rabbit, it turned out it had been a long flight over the field and into the rushes. I was pleased for my mate and it's great his first hawk is going well and catching, I struggled at first so I'm glad I've been able to help him out. I don't know enough myself to be any kind of mentor but I can get us on to good land and flights at quarry. Something I lacked in my first season.

Anyway it looked like my Hawks luck was out but I thought I'd try one last section of rough cover whilst my mates hawk was feeding. I'd only taken a few steps when a hen pheasant got up and my hawk flew off the glove in hot pursuit. I lost sight of them after about fifty metres so after making my way over two dry stone walls I was looking down the bank side with a river at the bottom and couldn't hear or see anything. I was pulling out the receiver when I thought I heard a bell and with a bit more searching found my hawk on her kill. I was buzzing it had been a long flight and it had ended in success. We walked back over the fields to the car as darkness fell both of us feeling pretty content.

 

[pointer 543]

My Hawk was overweight from yesterday's pheasant and was reluctant to jump onto the glove when I opened the aviary door. I wasn't expecting much from her and my mate let his hawk off first. It soon caught a rabbit so I let mine fly free. She flew after a rabbit which went around the bend of a steep bank and out of sight. I couldn't see her for a minute but found her wedged in a rabbit hole. Unfortunately I couldn't help her quick enough and it escaped, she got to catch another one a short while later. The other hawk then caught a rabbit on a very steep rock face and it took ten minutes for my mate to locate her then carefully climb down and get his bird. Mine was then dragged around a field by a big rabbit that didn't want to give up easily but she eventually got it by the head.

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

Well done mate.

[pointer 543]

Cheers mate.

This season I've got a mate who's keen to go out all the time which helps me enormously. My Ranger has snapped a leaf spring and it went through the rear shocker so it's off the road until I get it repaired. In the past this would have meant I couldn't go hunting or would have been stuck just messing around the local hedges but we've simply been going everywhere in his pick-up. Having another person with me allows me to use ferrets if I want and in time lamping will be so much easier.

 

There's a lot of people who like to go hunting but not all of them are keen to go out whenever possible after a day at work. I really struggled last season but I knew what was going wrong and things are going much better now.

[pointer 543]

After spending this morning doing a few jobs in the garden ( which I hate with a passion ) I was ready to go hunting. We were driving up the farm track when I saw a rabbit go into a patch of reeds on the bank side. I quickly got my hawk out the box, clipped on the transmitter and jogged across to the bank. The rabbit sat tight until Id flattened the whole patch of cover. It only ran down hill a few metres before turning and going back up the bank leaving the hawk overshooting by a good distance but she battled her way back up hill and caught it. I wish it was so quick and easy to secure a kill on every outing. Soon afterwards she flew into a tree overlooking a steep bank covered in bracken, she spotted something and crashed into cover. I could see she had landed on a cock pheasant but couldn't get to them quickly as one bad step could have you falling sixty feet into the valley bottom. The pheasant fought free and flew off around the banking with the hawk following. I lost sight of them but as I got back onto the flat fields my mate told me where they had headed. It was across the river and into a plantation some 300 metres or more from where they had started. Apparently my hawk had followed it in twenty yards behind all the way. I got to her as she looked straight down into the cover. We had drifted off our permission and I didn't want to do anything here except get my hawk back even though I could see the pheasant clamped tight under a fallen tree below the hawk. She reluctantly jumped down on to the glove. She deserved that pheasant and if it had been where I can hunt she might have had it on the re-flush.

My mates hawk was then given its freedom and we got to see some good attempts on rabbit and pheasant but she was unlucky today. On the way back to the car I let my hawk off to follow and she started diving down onto voles as she always does at this spot. They usually get away as its really thick cover but today she caught one. I think she must like eating them as she's always keen to have a go even though she rarely gets them. After that we gave the dogs a run out through the reeds for half an hour before setting off back home.

Edited October 12, 2014 by pointer

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

Well done again mate, its killing me seeing and reading everybody being out there and putting game away and not doing it myself. Hows that pointer pup doing?