Labor Day

Spent the weekend at Hackberry Flats looking for Redtails and Falcons. The red area in the picture is the refuge area and you are not allowed to enter into this area after October 12th.

We have gone ti the flats every year a couple of times in the fall and normally the area is under water with plenty of birds flying around. More often than not you can spot many adult Redtails, and Harriers. In previous years i haven't looked for anything else but this year is a little different as i wanted to see what falcons where there.

Ryan VanZant went trapping there in 2009 and Caught a Prairie Falcon. Because of the heat and the lack of rain the landscape is vastly different. The lake is only down to a few acres of water and the normally flooded wet plains are dry. We spotted a few ducks and Canadian geese on the lake sure but that was about it. I did spot a Falcon by the primitive camp grounds diving in and out of the long grass.

There should be 2-3 feet of water here. I want to go back in a few weeks on my own and try trapping again but unless some rain comes really soon there probably wouldn't be much point.

painting and weathering

Well as i waite for permits to arrive i've been water proofing everything, we have had none stop rain since the actual inspection. I noticed the sealant i had used had not bonded to the wood and therefore let water in. I experimented ona 2x4 and with a blow torch lightly heating up the aluminium backing. This melted the pitch that was supposed to seal the wood cracks and joins. The instructions said just run your hand along the top and that is enough. Well that's not the case. I found you have to use a blow torch on it. Lightly brush it over the top use an old towel and its bonds very very well. So yesterday i re-sealed the whole roof, i also painted it with some black asphalt paint, No 201. This should completely seal the wood and keep it water tight, i should no again in a few days as we have another cold front coming in and probably some rain with it. I have also been painting the OSB board white and sealing that. This shot was taken from the farmers field next door. I'm wanting to put some siding on in a few weeks time but overall its pretty much finished and waiting its new tenant.

Yesterday we where heading down the platter road bypassing some very heavy traffic heading north on highway 75 out of no where a coopers hawk flew right across our wind screen with one wing actually hitting it. I couldn't believe how close we came to hitting it. It was flying like a bullet and was gone by the time we looked round no where to be found.

My wife and i have been thinking about some ethics of falconry recently. One conclusion we came to is we never want to pay for a bird of prey and we feel morally obligated not to be potentially responsible for the accidental realse of a bird of prey that is not native to this area.

Whilst the red tail is the apprentices bird i don't want to give up that hawk once my two years is up. however for the above reasons i feel uncomfortable introducing a Harris hawk or a goshawk into the area. Don't get me wrong i love Steve's birds, smash is an awesome hunter and when charlie gets going he will be too, however i feel what a miserable existence not being able to find a mate or one of its own kind. This came to light last year as Steve was hunting in DFW and a female Harris joined them on a peace of flood plain in the middle of the city, wild but either realised or escaped in that area.

In this area there are lots of pecan orchards. One of the biggest problems the pecan farmer has is crows. Someone recently suggested that i should use the RT to bait the crows (as they will mob the RT) bring the RT down and then get someone with a coopers to get the crows. Interesting concept and thoughts. Potentially opening up allot of hunting areas for me in this area.

Also recently when the game warden came by to inspect my mews he left a Game Magazine for me to look out, Two things Car Hawking on public land (including public roads ) is not legal in Oklahoma . During muzzleloader and gun season, the hunter orange has to be warn both a head covering and a vest.