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Recovering from falconer error

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Cisco came in at a hefty 920 body weight. It was cool and sunny. Early on I second guessed him after he watched a couple of squirrels before following. I was wrong. Within a minute or two  Cisco had a squirrel up on the side of a tree. He neatly pulled it off and dropped straight down into a big grove of palmetto. Unfortunately, palmetto can be loud and his falconer ran in to help him. When I hit the palmetto, it sounded like a cannon going off and a squirrel was gone.. Cisco didn't want me to feel bad so he went back to hunting. It was a little slow for a few minutes but pretty soon he peeled off another one this time. This time gliding about 100 ft off instead of into the palmetto. Most of the time when I second guess Cisco I'm wrong. Arnold helped. He was pretty good today. He got a small squirrel tidbit to eat. All is good.

It's been over

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An uneven season to say the least. Some moderate injuries sidelined the buzzards, but all are in generally good shape. I have now safely flown Farrah and Cisco for a combined thirty seasons. BB I flew some this past season; he's now hanging out with Ismael Cano. James Major flew BB for most of this season, but Ismael will have him for most of the next year unless something changes.  Cisco in convertible mew/field jesses BB  Farrah in convertible jesses

🎵You're gonna lose that squirrel🎵

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Cisco didn't and because my video didn't work I was spared a lawsuit from The Beatles and the readers were spared hearing my singing. Cisco is doing better it appears..... two in a row, a big deal these days. https://youtu.be/vqpEZuv29qE

A Micro Bushy-tail Bash

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This weekend is Aesha's Bushy-tail Bash, held in Aldo, TX, on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan. I couldn't afford the time or airfare, so held my own meet. Attendance pathetic, but one of the Red-tails, a seasoned buzzard, caught a squirrel. It was his first since December 12 of last year and the 11th of this season. The Team Cisco take of this season stands at 57. Two Harris’s and a Red-tail. 

Early December Update

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BB has gone to James Major for a while. He will spend most of the winter with James. BB left in good shape, and took a few small game birds while with me. Farrah caught two squirrels in the last week or so. She also earlier caught a couple of game birds. Cisco pulled out of a major slump, consisting of six or seven hunts without a squirrel. I don't remember any normal season streak like that. His performance this morning was stellar, catching his ninth squirrel. He was flying at 899 grams net, but it was warm, high 70s I'm guessing. This is the first hunt with his being at 900 this season. Mostly he's flown heavy, an ounce or two mostly. This morning I released him, he found a squirrel, and pursued. Twice the squirrel bailed into some nasty ground vines and escaped. Cisco twice dove after it, and was thwarted. A miss in that vegetation meant escape. But Cisco caught the squirrel high in a nearby tree and parachuted down. Arnold helped too. This was an excellent performance

Squirrel Terminator mode

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Cisco's sixth this season. He acted different today. Wandered around until he got the perfect shot. He's an ounce high. Body weight 938, well more than an ounce over his theoretical 900 gram flying weight.

BB and Farrah

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I've been taking BB and Farrah out, flying serially, and they have caught a few small game birds. BB caught today, while Farrah managed a grasshopper. Cisco has been catching squirrels, taking his fifth yesterday. The last two outings he was well overweight, and it's too warm. He still got the job done. BB on the lure this morning Cisco with the fourth squirrel