Riddisk's first Grouse Kill (Sharp-tailed Hen)

I really had to gloat for a few minutes. I feel it is well disserved as I have sent out the trophy pics of Eric and his hen with the grouse when I dieing inside from the green envy monster. It has been a long time coming and FINALLY after a very tough and frustrating beyond words at times, season for both Riddick and I we have a grouse (sharp-tailed hen) in the bag.... Yippee.. I have included pics (the pictures of the grouse were actually taken with my little point and shoot camera after the hunt) at birds that returned to lekking area for courtship displaying but it really helps set the scene in my opinion...

In the past week both of the babies (River & Riddick ) have had a light switch turned on in their heads and all of a sudden they have become VERY serious about taking quarry... Eric's hen skied out to the point we could not see her or hear her bells prior to the flush and simply flew through the chicken that was put up under her. The last time I flew Riddick was Thursday morning and he hit a sharp-tailed grouse and made it to the ground with it but lost it in the struggle. Knowing we were very close I asked Eric to fly him on his next cycle (Saturday) since I would not get out of work till it was too late to set up on the grouse. (although I was worried that they would make his first kill without me it was what was best for the falcon) Eric was a good sport and really worked the tar out of Riddick making contact with grouse twice during that hunt.

Today we went out it was a beautiful morning 17 degrees and a 10mph wind and there were about 20 birds on the lek. We worked our way towards the Sharp-tail so that we were about 1/3 to 1/2 mile away on the upwind side before releasing Riddick. After leaving the fist he started heading directly towards on of his favorite perches at this field, so feverishly waived the glove above my head to try and turn him. It worked.....We continued making our way towards the grouse using the hills (Large sand mounds in this case) as cover so that the grouse could not see us. Riddick started his typical assent and was at about 400 feet when all of a sudden he disappeared. After a few minutes of us searching for his silhouette in the sky I pull out the receiver from the vest.. Just about then low and behold who shows up - yup you got it Riddick at about 800 feet (Eric thinks closer to 1000 feet). He is in perfect position and we make the rush towards the grouse from the last bit of features we had been hiding from the grouse in, waiting for Riddick to get into position. He swings down wind, we drop to our knees and wait once again for him to come into position this time we are dangerously close to grouse. He as he pulls back above us and we start running towards the grouse again, trying desperately to get there before the next swing around when a hen gets up about 30 yards to Eric's right- a bit wide but Riddick takes the stoop. We both drop to the ground again and watch in amazement as Riddick took the tight diamond like stooping formation - far tighter than we have ever seen him use before at the grouse and struck it. With a quick wingover they were both gone from sight behind the next sand-hill. Not sure if he actually took this grouse or if he was on the ground pouting (common for him) we approached carefully and wide to try and avoid flushing the birds we were originally set up on. For the very first time since I started flying Riddick the grouse held- "wow Eric, he has them really scared this time, look they are holding" I said. Once making our way to Riddick Eric yells to me (because as usual I am pulling up the rear) "He's Got it" This three words echoed in my ears for about 8 heartbeats before it really sank in..
1) I am no longer a "grouse harasser" but grouse hawker...
2) all the craziness is mostly over and I now have the beginnings of a gamehawk...
3) the huge weight that was lifted from my heart about the tiercle and if he would ever make a grouse hawk.....

For about 2.5 seconds I thought about getting greedy and trying to get a couple more hunts in before the season ends on the last of this month. Then sanity hit me- and this was a far better way to end the season than in frustration for falcon and falconer. IF I could have listed all the things I wanted to happen in a hunt before the molt we got them all and this is what I want him to ponder the entire molt


It has been an awesome day - a flight that was executed exactly text book style, a gorged falcon on fist and a kill in the gamebag- I just can not stop smiling from ear to ear!!!!......
Aj

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