TUESDAY LUNCH TIME HUNT

Keavy is taking this lunch time hunting thing very seriously. She's flying along with the bush beaters and positioning herself perfectly. George and Cindy came along and we had a great hunt.Cindy jumped the only bunny just in time for me to get back to work on time. This big old bunny made a big mistake when he ran from the briers.Keavy had him before Cindy could yell there goes a bunny.

#4 & 5 BUNNYS

The grandchildren were visiting this week and wanted to go rabbit hunting with Keavy.
I got to take them a few times on my lunch hour. Friday Xander and I got #4. The two young boys missed it but Xander was in on the action. Saturday Rick and I went and Keavy made two good tries. The first was a good chase scene and the second she got some fur but no rabbit.Sunday was just me and the dogs. Keavy was on top of her game. She wanted a rabbit bad and followed along from the tree tops without a call from me. We hunted the field edge behind the cabin. We didn't jump a rabbit till we were half way around the field edge. As fast as I could yell rabbit I heard Keavy hit the ground hard. But no squeal from the bunny.I found Keavy on the ground with that disappointed look on her face. She got on my glove and I walked her out to the edge.I gave her a pitch and back up in a tree she went.The dogs where off on the rabbits trail. It had only been a few minutes and Keavy made a dive through the woods dodging trees and branches.Then came a squeal and I went running.I went in a little way and stopped to listen for her bells.I still can't believe how she could see that rabbit so far in that thick woods. When I got there she looked at me like she was saying come on help me hold this thing before it gets away .

SATURDAYS RABBIT #3

Rick came over around 10 for a morning hunt.The neighbors, the Webers,stopped over and they joined in. Bill Wright and his new puppy, Charlie, stopped in. We hunted the woods edge behind the cabin. Keavy went to the same tree that we had jumped 2 rabbits under last week. So we started there. Keavy was not in any hurry to move from that spot. She finally did move on and we had a good hour and half hunt. We only jumped one rabbit and Keavy missed it. Keavy got some good flying in. After lunch we headed over to dads. I met with Bill and Scott. There is a spot in the corner of the woods where there are always rabbits.Bill jumped one right away and it ran across the open field. Keavy gave us a good show chasing it across the field. She made her dive just as the rabbit turned the corner out of our sight. When we went over to check it out I found Keavy on the ground with a disappointed look on her face and lots of fur on the ground but no bunny.Back in a tree Keavy went and we started working away down the edge. Keavy was staying with us and the dogs were hunting good. I jumped the next rabbit and it went for a brush pile. Janey got in the pile and Keavy moved up to a high oak. I saw Keavy make her dive and #3 rabbit was in the bag. I really didn't think that rabbit was going to leave that brush pile. I got the camera out for some pictures only to find I didn't put a card in it. Got some pictures later that evening. Tired ground crew. I think in this picture Keavy is going over tomorrows hunting strategy and being ignored.

HAWKING ON LUNCH HOUR

Wednesday It was back to the hedge row for a lunch time hunt.
Keavy was ready for #2.I had help from Nick beating the brush.The dogs were hunting
We were 3/4 the way down hedge row when I jumped the first rabbit. Keavy had just moved up to a tree in front of us. The rabbit ran back down the edge with Keavy on it's tail.It was a great chase and Keavy got a lot of fur but the rabbit got away.
I went Thursday at lunch time and we hunted the ditch bank on east side of the farm but didn't jump anything.
Today we hit the jack pot. First a snipe got up and went 100 yards and back down.
Keavy went for it and missed. Then I jumped a rabbit - she just missed it.
Then Janey found a covey of quail and Keavy made a try on one of them. Janey then got a rabbit moving and Keavy nailed it.#2 bunny in the bag.

FIRST RABBIT

Thanksgiving Day was Keavy's big day. I took her out to the edge of the woods and released her.She didn't want to leave my glove at first.I finally gave her a big throw and into a tree she went. She settled in and watched the dogs and everyone like she'd done it before. We didn't jump any rabbits in the field so the next step was to see if she'd follow me. I had to get the lure out and give it a swing but she moved along with us just getting higher in the trees each move. Then she made a dive back toward the field. I headed for where I thought she should be but didn't see her or hear bells.I looked across the field hoping not to see her heading south. Then my sponsor, Bill, found her back up in a tree. I got the lure back out to try to get her to follow but she was happy where she was and not interested in the lure (she may have caught & ate a mouse). Keavy finally came down to the lure. It was getting close to turkey time so I put her back in the mew. Bill thought she did well and to take here hunting again.After dinner and a couple of glasses of wine, I ready to try again.
She really did well at staying with me & Steve. We jumped a rabbit and she dove for it but just missed. It was getting late so we called it a day. I was happy she went for the rabbit. Saturday I loaded her and dogs up and hunted a hedge row. She flew up in a tree and watched as the dogs and I hunted out the bunny.We had only hunted for a few minutes when out came the rabbit. I heard a crash and a squeal and found Keavy holding our first rabbit.She got to eat all she wanted and left some for me and the dogs.She's a lean mean hunting machine with a full crop now.I cooked my share last night.May have been the best Rabbit ever.

I GOT HER

Last Friday I went to Western Maryland for my second attempt to trap a female juvenile red tail hawk. I rode up with Bill who has been trapping hawks on the mountain for 25 years.The hawks are migrating south this time of year. Days with a good north west wind are best and that was what we had. We caught 10 juvenile red tails, most were females.I picked this one.She was the biggest and came into the trap hard and fast.She spent most of the next day with me on the glove getting to know the dogs and her new home. She has been a great first hawk. She ate from my glove Saturday and flew to me the on the zip line. She got a jetty ride too! We at Bobworld decided to name her after Keavy. We all agree Keavy wouldn't have minded and probably would have gotten a hoot out of it.

DEER,DUCKS,QUAIL,HAWKS

Garry's here and doing a fine job.The cook house is clean, supper cooked.He's supplying deer meat too. Sorry Connie, you can't have him back.I took Xander and Nate duck hunting. We shot them up close coming into the wetlands. I was able to knock a couple down and the dogs picked them up. Sunday Bill and I worked the dogs on quail and had a good hunt. The dogs found a covey and we each killed a couple.The jersey guys were down for early muzzle loader season. I wasn't home Saturday when they left but heard they got one.I haven't heard what yet.I went after my hawk Saturday to Western MD. I want to catch a female red tail. The females are bigger then the males and that gives them an advantage for rabbit hunting.We were using bow nets. We caught this pretty male.We had a female make a couple of stoops [that's a dive] but we didn't get her in the trap.
Garry's grandson, Brodie, got a deer and brought it over so he could learn how to butcher it. Wood duck season opened in Delaware and we've been hunting at the Taylor Farm.(Billy is out of town)The dogs have been doing a really good job retrieving.