It was a bright January Saturday morning that saw NRC members gathered for the customary breakfast before hawking ritual. Some members hadn't seen each other for awhile, and so a fair bit of catching up was done over the meal.

Our destination was not far, and so the convoy left the cafe to enjoy the uncharacteristically fine January weather. We were all briefed by the field captain of the day as to where we would be hawking and what quarry we could expect, as well as what was expected of us in terms of safe and proper hawking.

That done, we formed a line to walk up some cover that was known to have rabbits, and within ten minutes, two rabbits were flushed. Lee's male Harris was slipped, as well as Martin's female. The rabbit put back into cover, but Lee's hawk was on the case...he spotted the rabbit and lunged down, catching the quarry clean. This set the tone for the day!

We returned to the vehicles, and split into two groups. Group one was Glynne, Myself, Kate, Joe, Gary Wison and Dave Whittaker. There were two females and one male Harris in this group. Group two was Lee, Martin and Jim.

Group one were to hawk a tightly closed wood for pheasant, and followed the gamekeeper on the short walk. First slip was to be Dave and Gary, with myself taking next slip. After walking down the wood with nothing flushed, we ranged across toward a hedgerow, where there were several pheasant in the corner of the wood, and so we approached the corner to flush the quarry and serve the hawks. The quarry were flushed, but unfortunately, no hawk could get a clean flight, and none were taken. Gary's hawk returned to the fist, and my male was then slipped with Dave's female,  after no success, they  took to a tree together, each a little loath to return to us.

Although Floyd, my male, is entered and has taken both fur and feather, he has never flown free on a field meet, and so needs to learn from the other hawks how to behave. Dave's female has not yet entered, nor flown free on a field meet, so we were each prepared for some extra leg work!!

Dave's female took off in one direction, Floyd drifted from tree to tree close by me, clearly wanting me to walk on and flush for him. As I made my way down the steep, slippery bank to the stream, my footing gave way, and I slid down the bank on my backside, straight into the stream! Nice and cool in January!

Upon getting my footing back, I needed to cross the stream. "Not very deep" I thought, "I'll just walk across..". The middle of the stream was like quicksand! My feet sank into it, throwing me of balance, and face down into the stream. How I love hawking in the winter, I was thinking as I hauled myself up, dripping wet!

Dave had gone after his hawk, and I could no longer see him. Once out of the stream, I collected myself, and spotted Floyd obviously eying something up. he came out of the tree like a missile, crashing into some cover in a marshy area..and after some cafuffle, a partridge flew up, obviously having a lucky escape.

Floyd put himself back in a tree, and I decided that as there was just me and him, we would walk on to the edge of the marshy wood, and then rejoin the group. As we walked, I almost stepped on a female pheasant, witch flew up and turned to go behind me. Floyd took of after it, coming quite close before losing the bird into cover.

He rejoined me near the edge of the wood, and we set of to join the others who were ferreting a hedgerow for rabbits. By the time I rejoined them, Gary's female had already bagged a cock pheasant in fine style, and Dave had returned with his female. Both hawks had already given chase to a bolting rabbit right into the adjacent field, but with no success. The wind was against them, and quite strong in the open..

Floyd took a place in a tree, and the ferrets went to work. Several rabbits were bolted, but the wind made it difficult for the hawks, and after retrieving both ferrets we headed off for lunch, rejoining the second group.

Group two had had some success, Martin's female taking a cock pheasant, and I believe a rabbit...

After lunch, the groups headed out again, group one heading for a wood with rabbit warrens with a view to ferreting. Glynne brought along Shakira, his female Gos on this occasion, but was undecided as to whether she would be slipped or not.

A warren was found, and the ferrets put down. After a short time, a rabbit bolted, and Gary's female gave great chase, narrowly missing. After another bolt or two, Glynne decided he would slip Shakira, and so the Harris' were tied on.

After a very short wait, another rabbit was flushed, and Shakira took of at ferocious speed, cutting a straight line after the rabbit, tagging it, turning it around, then changing direction herself, she swiftly caught up and hit the rabbit in full bolt. All over in literally seconds, but an absolutely awe inspiring flight! The speed and agility and skill are just amazing in these birds!

The group then wandered over to the edge of the wood, with Dave and Glynne spreading out, whilst other group member went over a rise to attempt flushing pheasant over the rise toward them. Several were flushed, but no chase was given as the quarry was to far away.

The group then returned to the vehicles for a last cold drink, a reflection on the day, and then the journey home after a more than satisfactory day's hawking for all present.

Total bag, 2 cock pheasant and 5 rabbits.

Looking forward to the next meet!!

John Tyas

26th Jan 2008