4/15/07

JH 8.6 lbs

MM 7.0 lbs

 

Both birds were hungry. Yesterday was to have been their next hunting day but it rained all day, so today is the day. The rain had stopped but the wind was howling 18-25 mph. Today was my last day hunting down in Lathrop after 15 plus years and countless flights and jacks. So, despite the wind, I loaded up the boys and drove down to the fields.

 

JH:

I went to the big hay field and could hardly keep the door to the truck opened. JH found it impossible to sit on the glove. I flushed a jack and JH was off but had no chance in the wind. He pulled up after a short flight. I thought that I would stand a better chance in the fields that are surrounded by the huge warehouses acting as wind blockers.

 

By going up close, in the corners, the wind was not near as strong. I was walking alongside of the field, working my way to the area that would have less wind, when JH launched off and went hauling downwind on something. He pitched up, made two or three passes over an area, and then landed. JH then jumped back into the air, gained height, did a wingover, and slammed the ground, just missing a rabbit. He came back to the fist and we continued walking. Way out in the field something flushed and JH was off again. It was a big black and white dog! JH was cranking, went in fast and hit the dog, flipping it up in the air, head over heels. Fortunately, JH pitched up and came back to me and did not go back in and bind to the dog. The poor dog was quite shook up and went howling out of the field with its tail firmly tucked between its legs. I continued to work my way over to a dead area but JH was off again. Using the wind, he closed on a jack running 100 plus yards downwind in seconds. He went in, tried to hook the jack, but it was just able to scoot away. JH pitched up in the wind and was back in the chase. The jack headed straight for the cyclone fence with JH closing. JH hit the fence and was bounced back, gulp! But he was okay and got back in the air heading downwind of me over the huge, and I mean huge, water treatment ponds. I could see him trying to work his way back to me but, with the extremely strong wind and the attacking red tails, JH could not manage to get back.

 

I had a long hike back to my truck and after finally reaching it I went tearing over there, circling the ponds, looking for my eagle. I should point out that the ponds are fenced off with eight foot cyclone with rows of barbed wire on the top, made not to be climbed. These ponds are football field size and 100 feet deep, lined with a heavy black liner to hold waste water. The sides, however, are not steep. They can be walked down, as I later found out. So I drove around to the back side and saw JH sitting on the top of the wall of a pond. I called him and he started to fly in my direction, but turned back into the wind and was forced down on the side of the lined pond bank. JH then started to slide down the slippery black liner all the way into the water. Of course, he was trying his hardest to fight the sliding and hold his position, but to no avail. He was, as I could see, very tired and was standing in water at the bottom of the pond! There was no place that I could climb over this fence, although I did find one spot that I could have possibly gotten over but to return with an eagle on my arm would not have worked.

 

I returned to my truck and went hauling all the way around the plant hoping that the truck I saw pull in was still there and would, by some chance, let me on the grounds. If not, my last choice would be to cut the fence and go in. if I lost Jackhammer it would not be because he drowned in a waste water treatment pond! I slid up to the gate, pressed the buzzer, and said “My eagle is stuck in one of your ponds. I need to get in there fast!” Next thing I knew the gate was opening….yes!! I went tearing up the gravel road heading for the pond that JH was in. These things are huge. The first pond I passed was almost full of waste water which was some kind of aqua, greenish blue color and stunk. Thankfully, the pond that JH was in only had a few feet of water in it that was clearly rain water, it even had some ducks in it. There was nothing in the aqua green water. So now I was looking at a huge plastic lined pond that looked as though, if I went down the side to get JH who was now too wet to fly, I would not be able to climb back out. But I noticed steps glued on the side of the pond liner. A quick look over my shoulder to see if anyone was coming, and down I went, slowly and with caution.  First of all, I didn’t know if I was supposed to be walking on this, and secondly, what would I find at the bottom, soft mud that would not support my weight?

 

JH was up against the bank looking spent but happy to see me. He was too wet to fly but was able to jump up on my fist. I tip-toed back along the edge of the water and got back to the steps. Up I went, hoping to get out of the pond before anybody saw me, which I did, and got JH back in the truck. I stopped in at the main office, let them know that I got my eagle, and thanked them for letting me hunt my birds down here over the years. I returned the keys to the alfalfa fields and turned towards home. This was a close call for JH and as the fields that I have flown, fall one by one, close calls will be more and more the norm. My time down here has ended; time to move on…..

 

I did not fly MM.