Trustworthy

[colohen]

I was not sure where to put this story so here goes !

Due to the lack of bunnies in my area and not liking the ideal of chancing my Harris hawks taking a squirrel bit, this year I decides to take and fly a nestling Red Tail.
In order to do so I had to let one of my Harris Hawks go to some one I could trust and would be good to them, at least till I have my propagation permit finalized.
In selecting which harris hawk~ Lasair (2 yr old FHH) is my baby and she goes NO where with out me ! ! That makes it between Neo (2 yr MHH) and Kalu (1yr FHH).
Neo, I got as a mate for Lasair ( when they become mature enough to breed) and Kalu to fly as a cast of 3, at the time.
Unfortunately Lasair has a thing about MHH's and, so far , has tried to take out every male we have tried to fly her with.
Every attempt I have made to fly her in a cast with a male and work this out of her has failed !
BUT she has no problem flying with Kalu So the choose is made for me .
Know, to find some one I can trust that would be interested in flying Neo for a season or two. In exchange I would be willing to give a male off-spring out of gratitude, if and when Neo and Kalu produce! I could and would make no promises beyond that !

So, I found some one interested in fling a harris for the first time as well as some one I know would take very good care of Neo.
We made the agreement and done the transfer on a Saturday. The following Monday I went to get one of 3 nestling RT's I had been watching for some time and not a minuet to soon ! Another week and they all would have been gone.
The Red tail brancher ( Jingo 1380g flight weight ;D ) has been a trip and working out well !!

BUT as it turned out, my choose for Neo was the wrong one !
A month later, day before the club Apprentice Work Shop, I get a call saying she was bringing Neo back and would bring him to the work shop. Reason ~ "He's to much to handle, he's always footing, he's no good ( for me )"
This don't sound like Neo
At the meet I took Neo out on the glove, checked his keel, straighten a couple out of place feathers, NO Batting, No biting, NO footing ( note : still fat from the molt season )
Whats the problem ?
I get the same answer ! So I said " OK I'll take him home."
Before leaving the Apprentice Work shop I saw the party being given a little male HH by her former sponsor which has seen his 3rd or 4th master in the last 12 months. It seemed to be a calm enough bird but for some reason keeps getting passed around from one falconer to another ?
Well things became a little clearer now, as to why Neo was such a bad bird !
This would be a harris hawk free of commitment or should I say commitment to me. OK. understandable !
But on the other hand, would make the general obligated to a long term commitment to the former sponsor out of gratitude, which I was not seeking.

Now this puts me in a fix. I already have 2 HH's and a RT at home and my breeders permit was not planed to be completed till the first of the year
This means having to release Jingo

The rest of this is thanks to Michael
I no more then get home and I get a e-mail from Michael asking me my plans for Neo ?
So I told Michael about the deal that went south and was looking for some one else.
Michael said he was interested in flying Neo for a time with Padme.
;D This was GREAT !! I would be able to proceed with my plans for Neo and keep Jingo for squirrel hawking this year! ;D

Right choose !
Michael has done OUT STANDING with Neo ! !
From what I hear, Neo is working well with Padme and doing nicely on group takes

Thank You Michael !

There is one thing though ! !
Because of what was said as the reason for giving Neo back to me, I have learned it has started a rumor that Neo was a bad bird in my care
Neo was never a bad bird in my care and in fact was to friendly with other people for what I prefer !
I am offended by the rumors, for it demeans my abilities as a falconer and the general good nature of the bird, Neo !

How Wuold You Feel ?

K]n

[titaniumtalons]

Neo is a fricking awesome fearless little Harris Hawk. He works well with other hawks and he works well with other people in the field. I can't say anything bad about Neo and where he is right now!

If there is a rumor going around about him being a bad bird because of your Falconry abilities then it is behind the senses because no one has come out and said that to me, I certainly have never even told anyone where Neo comes from.

The last person you transfered him too (the lady Falconer) told me, " I hope you know a good catholic priest because this bird needs an exorcism "

Neo is doing great, he went through his training well, I worked out all the issues he had with me and he's catching anything that moves! When ever your ready for me to transfer him back he will make a great breeding hawk and will have a ton of game under his belt.

I wouldn't worry about what you think other people are saying, if anyone is saying anything at all (which I think is the case because no one has said anything like that to me)!

[colohen]

Again ! Thank You Michael

I only learned if it this week through a phone call with Raul and it was he that brought it up, other wise I would not have known myself.
But it does not realy matter. I take good care of my birds. Lasair is spoiled with out a dought ! She can't help the way she is and I would not have her any other way.
If only I had more game in my area
I am pleased with what you have done with Neo ! ! ! He would not have better experance, by far, here.

K]n

[titaniumtalons]

Hang in there Man,
It's still early in the season and the trees are still full of leaves and the ground cover heavy. After the first frost I think you will find this year you have more game then in the past few years!

I hope you get things worked out with your breeders permit so I can transfer Neo back to you this summer, as much as I like Neo and enjoy hunting with him and enjoy flying him with Padme', I'm convinced now to go down and trap a passage male HH, either Texas or Arizonian.

Of course I'll fly Neo as long as you need me too, we'll see how things go with your permit, just give me enough notice to make plans for next hunting season.

[Dustin]

Maybe Neo just has problems with wemon. Has she ever been flown around them before? I've heard of birds that don't like certain sexes, or just certain people in general.

[colohen]

Dustin

Neo is doing great with Michael ! He was not the problem my Lasair is!
My Lasair is the problem, Can't put her with any thing under knee high or she thinks it is far game , including male harris hawks ! !
She'll fly with Kalu my other female but have tried to get her with 3 different males and so far has tried to take them out

There is only one bird she liked, My former RT 3 seasons ago. That my be her problem She thinks she is a Red Tail
They flew well together her first season till the RT ( Sath ) picked up avian pox some where and I lost him then Lasair contracted it about 3 weeks later.
We'll soon find out ?? Have plans to work her with a young male RT as soon as he is ready to be introduced.
I have no doughty she will be OK with the RT but not sure how the little male will react to her ??


Michael

My permits will be ready as soon as I have the nest box finished so I can get the photo's ! Every thing else is in the packet ready to go!
I'll be ready to take Neo back when you decide the season is over for this year or you can fly him again next season. Kalu will not be old enough till after next season any way. Ether way Neo's mew will be ready for the summer molt.

For now, every one is waiting on me !
Squirrel's are thick and bunnies are like trying to find a pearl in a restaurant oyster, not impossible but almost!
It has been so warm Kalu has made 2 kills, both reptiles
If only the trees and thickets would give up and drop there leaves, we could get some business done! !


K]n

[Dustin]

I was talking in regards to why that lady said that Neo was a possessed bird, maybe he doesn't like wemon. He likes you and Michael, there must have been some thing about her he didn't like.

[colohen]

Dustin

You may be right ?
It was almost time for him to start coming off the molt !
Maybe she expected him to be like a trained bird ?
Just maybe he got his bluff in on her and know she was afraid of him


K]n

[fotofamily]

Tristan,

From an apprentices view:
I wouldn't worry too much about the rumor. If we worried about every bad rumor that people had about us as Falconers, we wouldn't be flying.
Keep doing what you are doing, how you are doing it. You must be doing something right otherwise you'd be "featherless".
I, for one, am proud and honored to be in the company of all members of AHA, no matter HOW argumentative we can be. The discussions we had at the last Apprentice workshop simply told me that there are different ways of doing things, ALL of these may lead to the same end result, but the way to get there is simply.....different.
We enjoy each others company and views.

The way Neo is performing for Michael shows the prowess BOTH of you as falconers possess.

Fly free,
Ty

[colohen]

Glade to see you here Tyger

Your bird ready yet ? I don't recall if you took a new juve this year or inter-mewed from last year ?

Lasair and Kalu are ready for the bunny hop
but I been holding off getting Jingo ready for the tree rat's because of the foliage so heavy and the temp so HIGH !

I've played the " Who's Snake Is It Any Way " game before

It's a thriller but I don't care to make a habit of it. ;D

Michael's trying to put together a mini meet may be in the Little Rock area. You'll be there ? Yes ? No ?
Robert is looking in to some property in the general area, any Ideals ??


K]n