GOT TWO SATURDAY #26&27

Saturday I hunted the farm my dad was born on - it is Uncle Buddy's farm now. I drove up to the spot I had in mind. It looked perfect. Lots of green briers grown up around old farm junk. It made me think of my grandfather and how many times he must have hunted this spot.My dad tells a story about how Pop Pop blew the barrels up on his shotgun. He always carried some heavy loads for when he saw a hawk or fox while hunting. My Uncle Albert had used his hunting coat and left a 20 gauge shell in the pocket. Pop Pop saw a hawk in a tree, grabbed what he thought was a heavy load and loaded it in to his 12 gauge. The 20 gauge shell slide down the barrel and didn't fire. He opened the gun, saw no shell and dropped in a 12. The 12 went off with the barrel being restricted by the 20 gauge shell. The barrel was destroyed and had to be replaced.I remember big piles of quail getting picked in their front yard. I couldn't guess how many quail he shot in his lifetime.I don't remember a lot of rabbits but I'm sure he shot his share.
I let Keavy out and she went to the perfect tree.The dogs went down the edge and I took one step in to the briers and out came a rabbit.Keavy was on him fast.I got the rabbit in the bag, Keavy went back to a tree & we started hunting for another.It wasn't long and we jumped #2. Keavy had a ways to fly to this one. I saw her dive but I heard no squeal. When I got to her she was on a log looking for the rabbit.The dogs started trailing it.Keavy got back in a tree and within a few minutes she flew out a ways and dove in. I heard the squeal, we had #2 for the day. I got Keavy on my glove and went back to the Kia. I put the rabbits in the Kia. Turned Keavy loose for #3. We all tried hard too. We jumped 3 more, Keavy got fur out of one and just couldn't catch the others.Come on Pop Pop I know you were watching from above. You didn't need to shoot the hawk. You use the hawk to get the game.

#24- 25 AND BEAVER FOR DINNER

Last Tuesday, at lunch, I decided to hunt the thickets on the Sylvester's. We hadn't gotten a rabbit there yet. I loaded the dogs and Keavy in the Kia. I parked between both tickets and let out the dogs and hawk. Keavy got in a tree over a big brier patch.
I walked in and Keavy flew in at the same time. I heard the squeal and #24 was in the bag in record time.I was able to clean that bunny and get back to work on time.
Over the weekend I decided I had to do something about the beavers.They have build a dam in my ditch. The ditch is behind the cabin. It has flooded so bad I can't drive out to the back field. At first I liked the way it flooded the woods - it made for nice wood duck habitat. The water was getting way too high and backing water up on the neighboring farm. I had tried to tear some of the dam out, but they build it back the next night. So, with a party happening this Friday, the time was right to take him out. Every body likes beaver meat!! I had a neighbor help me set traps. This beaver was in one the next morning. He was 30 pounds.I skinned him last night.His pelt was real nice - maybe I could make a hat.I washed up the meat, cut it up, and have it soaking in salt water.At lunch today I hunted around the back field.
In less than an hour we jumped three rabbits. The first two got away with just loosing a little fur. The last one (#25) wasn't so lucky.

#23

Hunted behind dad's on Saturday morning. We hunted the back side of the woods. Keavy and the dogs were all hunting hard. Half way down the edge we jumped the first rabbit. It ran out to the edge and Keavy got some fur but the bunny kept going. Janey trailed it to a hole and wanted to dig it out - no time for that. We went back to hunting, Keavy followed nicely. After about a half an hour Keavy quit following us. She stayed behind to stare down at a brier patch. I went back to check it out. The rabbit made the move that Keavy was waiting for and #23 was in the bag. We headed back to the house to take a small break. After the break, we hunted the hedge row at the wetlands. There's a nice brush pile on the east side near the road - we hit it first. Out came the rabbit and down came Keavy. The rabbit made it to the hedge row. Keavy pulled up and then did a wing over into the cover on the other side. I ran over to find Keavy on the ground with a lot of fur but no rabbit. The dogs chased it into a hole. We hunted the rest of the hedge row and called it a day.

WEEKEND

Saturday Cindy and Rinker came over to go hawking with me.We made a big breakfast first. After eating, we loaded Keavy and the dogs. We started at the hedge row by the wetlands.Keavy hadn't hunted since her night out and was ready to go. She got in a tree and I gave everyone a stick. It was Rinkers
first time hunting with a hawk.I jumped a rabbit within a few minutes.Keavy made a dive and hit the rabbit in some thick briers. We ran to her. She was on the ground with fur only. We hunted the the rest of the hedge row with Keavy staying in one spot. She seemed to think she knew something was there but we never got it to move.I called her down with the lure and we headed for the thicket. Keavy followed us through the thicket. We then hunted the field and got nothing to move so I called her down and put her in the truck.Then Janey started barking and I went over to check it out.She was barking at a bush pile. One kick from me and out came the rabbit. Keavy was in the truck. We will get that one another day.We headed behind my dad's.We hadn't hunted long and we got one moving. Keavy made a dive but the rabbit made it to thick green briers.The dogs gave chase.I saw Keavy make a dive into the woods.Rinker was in the right spot and got to see Dakota hit his brakes as Keavy came down for a perfect kill.I let Keavy have some rabbit and headed back to the truck.
We got back to the house and took a picture.I showed them how easy it is to skin and clean a rabbit.With the skin off we could see the damage Keavy did to the rear leg..Rinker offered to help me cut and split some wood. Real good day: rabbit #21 and a nice stack of wood cut and split.
Sunday I was on my own. I went back behind the airstrip hunting. I jumped a rabbit really fast. Keavy missed on the first try. The dogs went after this rabbit hard. In only a few minutes Keavy made her dive and I heard the squeal. I ran over and found Keavy standing in the ditch. She was in the water and I thought she'd missed. Then she started dragging the rabbit up the bank. I was really shocked. That was a steep bank.#22

KEAVY'S NIGHT OUT

Tuesday on my lunch break I went back behind dad's. Keavy was high in a pine tree.
The dogs and I were 25 yards from her when I heard her bells and then the sound of her smacking against a tree.I turned to see Keavy gliding down with a squirrel in her talons. She disappeared behind some holly trees.The dogs and I ran to the spot where I thought she'd landed but couldn't find her. After looking for a few minutes I thought maybe she dropped it and it got away. I started looking for her in the trees and got the lure out. After 20 minutes of calling her and swinging the lure I was getting worried. Then I saw four redtails soaring high above and really got nervous. I called Bill, my sponsor, he said she most likely had feed up on the squirrel and was sitting in a tree full and happy. I called work and told Judy I wouldn't be back on time. I looked for Keavy till dark.I was back at first light on Wednesday and hunted for her for an hour.I went into work for awhile and then headed back to the search. I was walking on the other side of the woods when I thought I heard bells. I stood there hoping I wasn't hearing things. Then I heard them again. I went into the woods a bit and heard nothing. Went back out where I heard them, looked up and there she was. Keavy was all feed up, sitting high in a tree, enjoying life. I took a few minutes and thanked God for answering my prayer. I put a big piece of rabbit meat on my lure that she couldn't resist and down she came.She was 42oz before the hunt, she weighted 56oz when I got her home!

19 &20

Saturday it was raining so I worked on the cook house. I had built shelves last week and needed a silverware drawer.I used an old coke case for the drawer. I got that done, cleaned up some and decided to take the hawk out in the light rain. Tried hunting again at the cemetery down the back lane. We haven't gotten any rabbits from there yet. Keavy got in the big cedar tree, the dogs and I went into the thick brush. Janey got a rabbit moving and Keavy made a dive for it.She got hung up in the cover. The rabbit went into the field and Keavey got back in the tree. It wasn't long when she flew out into the field, hovered and dived. I went to her but she had missed. The field has great cover for the rabbits to hide in. I tried hunting the field but was getting really wet. I called Keavy down and went back home for waterproof pants.I decided to hunt the thicket by the wetlands next. Keavy got high in a corner tree. The dogs and I hunted through it to the end. We hunted the other side back and Janey started trailing one. Janey had worked her way out into the field. I followed along with Dakota - we hunted out a hundred yards and worked our way back. I jumped the rabbit and it headed for the thicket but Keavy nailed it.
Sunday I hunted down to my Dad's in a corner of the woods I hadn't hunted yet.
We jumped a rabbit in just a few minutes but Keavy missed it. The woods is open with lots of green brier patches. Keavy tried six more times before she got him.Keavy got a lot of dives in, good exercise for #20 rabbit.

#18 TODAY ON LUNCH BREAK

We were doing some work on Christina's truck today.I told her about Keavy and all the rabbits she's been catching.She told me she has a good place with lots of rabbits. Off we went on a lunch time hunt.Keavy was a little heavy at 44oz. but did a great job.She missed the first one but gave it a good chase. The next one wasn't so lucky.Keavy put the dive on it.We tried for two and Keavy put on a good show chasing another but it made it to cover.Lunch times are not long enough - we had to quit.But bunnies beware - Christina invited us back.