Eagle Journal

Hello everyone,

I drove past the larger hay field and they have not bailed up the cut hay yet. The new hay field that I flew not long ago has also been cut. So that leaves me with the two smaller alfalfa fields and the weeds along the train tracks. The smallest alfalfa field looked just right so I drove in, got Widow out, and went into the field. Widow looked around the field and locked onto something way out there and launched. She flew across the field, over two fences and a road, and tried to hook a jack running in another field. Wow, you got to like that. I walked the entire small hay field and did not flush one jack, so off to another field we went. I was thinking that the middle sized hay field looked good, but seeing that Widow didn’t like the men working on the tank the last time, I went to the train tracks first; then if nothing happened I’d go back to the hay field.

I went up on top of the tracks, unhooded Widow, and started to walk along the side that over- looks the weeds where the jacks hide. While walking along a jack took off from the side of the bank and headed out into the dry field. Widow launched off my fist, went hauling down after it, closed on the jack, the jack did a 180’ turn, and Widow slammed into the dirt, missing the jack. She stood there for a moment and suddenly started to jump around, biting at her feet and, leaping into the air, and flew back up to my arm? When she landed I got several very small fire ants sprayed on me that were not at all happy!!!!!!!!! Apparently they don’t’ take kindly to a female eagle crashing into their ant hill. Widow was stomping around on my glove and I was flicking them off, franticly trying not to get bit they hurt! I would say it was at least 10 minutes before the burning sensation stopped and we could continue hunting. Widow was clearly agitated and, fortunately, she did not blame me. The next 5 or 6 slips Widow flew with a slight attitude; maybe she thought the jack rabbits did it to her.

With Widow flying with new desire I pressed even harder to find her rabbits. I walked right on the edge of the bank (at great personal risk, I’d like to point out) hoping to make more noise and therefore cause the jacks to flush in a more frantic fashion, giving Widow her best chance. I heard the dry weeds move before I could see the rabbit — just a flash; something slightly darker than the dry weeds moved out and accelerated. Then the jack appeared and Widow was off. Using the wind to help her build up speed, she quickly cut the distance between her and the jack in half. Dropping low to the ground Widow was closing in with powerful strokes on the jack that was now in full after-burn. Realizing that out-running this black thing chasing it was not going to work, the jack made a sharp left turn and headed for the weeds at the bottom of the bank. Widow banked sharply, followed the jack towards the weeds and at the last second flared her wings and missed. AHHH, why does she do that?! Every time she flairs her wings she looses air speed and the jack escapes! That was a good flight but she goofed again. A little annoyed and very frustrated, I called her back and continued hunting. Two or three more flights where she did the same thing and I’m thinking, come on bird, make the adjustment. You’re putting out the effort, now finish the deal.

I pressed on hoping that she would realize that flaring her wings at the end of the flight was not the way to go. The train track bank only goes so far and I was starting to think about going back the other direction, as the end was coming up fast. It’s funny..the jacks that flush, if they don’t go out into the hay field, will run along in front of and in back of me and hide again in the weeds. So, even though I just hunted an area, there will still be jacks that have gone back into the weeds to be hunted again. I figured I had just a little more space before I would have to turn around when both Widow and I heard the weeds move at the same time. I stopped moving. Widow and I were standing on our toes straining to catch a glimpse of what was making the sound. We were both leaning forward when the jack could no longer contain its desire to run and exploded straight down the bank. Widow was off in a heartbeat, flying with as much determination as I’ve seen from her. The jack rabbit came to the bottom of the bank, flashed out into the open, and immediately sensing that it was in trouble, started the classic jack rabbit evasive maneuvers, zig-zagging back and forth. Widow kept closing the gap, getting closer and closer. The jack busted out in a very sharp left turn and Widow folded her wings (did not flair!!) and struck the running jack with all the power and force a female golden eagle can bring! She worked hard for this meal. She’s been in somewhat of a drought, not having caught a jack in awhile, and she would get a nice full crop for her efforts today.

One of these days if it’s a slow rabbit day I’m going to take Widow out to the area where she can start to learn to soar.

Hope all is well,

Joe