Oldfart
555 posts
Mar 27, 2008
3:28 PM
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Today was a very eventfull day! I placed four holdover cocks on top of the fly pen with wings taped, to trap train them. I had three more flying overhead, when they were coming in to land, one of the taped birds was startled by their approach and flew to the ground. Helpless on the ground I started after it with one of Tony's roller catch nets, and as I bagged the one on the ground a Cooper's Hawk hit the top of the kitbox! All I could see was a--holes and elbo's everywhere!! I could not tell if the hawk had anything in it's clutch's, all I could see was it fading into the distance. I started counting and ground grabbing the taped birds while looking overhead for the ones that could fly. One was missing and of course the one I like best! I searched the sky, but no bird. My wife hearing all the commotion came out to see what was up. I explained and she joined in the search but to no avail. My loft has a wind blind of Leland Cyprus that are closely planted to form a solid hedge row. Laughing my bride says, there is a bird in the Cyprus and sure enough, there was my Red Check, walking back to the loft through the Lelands. He had travled at least twenty five feet through the trees, not so dumb this bird!! ;-))
Thom
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Snake Doctor
247 posts
Mar 27, 2008
3:44 PM
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Hey Thom!
I bet that one had a Bull Dog Tattoo on his bicep!!!!
Good luck buddy!
I had my first two Rubys to hatch today!
If it gets better'n this I'll have to be double medicated!
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"Semper Fi"
SD
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Windjammer Loft
258 posts
Mar 27, 2008
4:11 PM
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Thom...sorry about what happened. BUT,first of all,if you were trap training your birds, WHY on earth would you NOT have them in a settling cage to trap train them?? This way you lock them out until feeding time,repeat as many times as it is necessary to get them to come in on comand, plus you are getting them use to their surroundings at the same time. Open the traps and do your whistling and shaking of your feed can or what ever your ritual is. Thats how alot of us do it. I have never in many many years lost a bird to the BOP this way. This way YOU eliminate problems like what happened to you. Just my take. Hope it might help you out next time you trap train.
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Fly High and Roll On
Paul
Last Edited by on Mar 27, 2008 4:13 PM
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Oldfart
556 posts
Mar 27, 2008
5:10 PM
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Hey Paul, The birds were holdover and on a simple refresher course. I was using some of the lighter colored birds as droppers for the flying birds. Their wings were taped to keep them on top of the kitbox. I have had good luck with this method. I will say that whenever I have a bird with taped wings outside of the flypen, I'm not more then ten feet away standing guard. I think the hit could have happened anytime. Could I have lost a bird? Yes, but I have one M.I.A. that just got lost on it's first time out after a short flying season last year.
Thom
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Windjammer Loft
260 posts
Mar 28, 2008
10:13 AM
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Thom.......thanks for the better explanation. Now I understand the method to your madness.....LOL. Good luck.
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Fly High and Roll On
Paul
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Oldfart
558 posts
Mar 28, 2008
3:12 PM
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Hey Paul, Thanks for the concern. Most of the time my mouth goes faster then my brain and I fail to explain myself properly. I try hard not to do stupid things that unnecesseraily expose my birds to harm but truth is, every time we open the door they go in harms way! (To steal a line) We are all on a learning curve, me most of all and I always appreciate genuine concern. SO.....for all, please if you think I'm messing up! Tell me!!!! Again, thank you Paul!
Thom
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Windjammer Loft
262 posts
Mar 29, 2008
3:37 PM
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Thom....no need for that. We all get caught in the trick bag at one time or another. That's just LIFE.....LOL. I completely understand what your are saying. Just keep'um rolling.
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Fly High and Roll On
Paul
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