Emma Takes Four

By Tony Englert

March 6th, 2002

My friend John and I talked on Friday evening about hunting plans for the next morning. We decided that since it would be raining we would just wait and see. I woke up early Saturday and could hear the raindrops on the roof. I rolled over and pulled the covers up. It was too early to rise anyway. Later I awoke again and this time I did not hear the rain. I knew it would be wet, and considered just staying in bed. Had this not been so close to the end of the season, I may have done just that. I had already decided that the next weekend would be my last, and so out of bed I rolled, pulled up the shade and looked out. Wet, but no rain at this time. Looks like I'll go.
I fixed my coffee and loaded Emma, my female gos in the car. I didn't even take the time to weigh her. She was at least hungry and even if she might have gained enough weight to not chase the way I wanted her to, I knew she would come down out of a tree in this weather. I didn't bother to call anybody, just headed to the latest field the local guys were using. It is an industrial lot surrounded by warehouses. It has a rail spur with some honeysuckle on both sides, making for a nice rabbit habitat. I pulled into the parking lot and saw no other trucks. It looks like for the first time in a while Emma and I would be hunting by ourselves. That was okay with me. I thought if it started to rain we would probably be done anyway. I parked the car, got out and started the routine.
Once I had the telemetry on her, we started out into the field. I decided to walk the open short grass first looking for that ideal slip. Well by the time we got to the other end of the field and had crossed many ditches, no rabbits had flushed. Emma seemed content to just ride the fist and look around. With no other falconers present there would be no distractions for her. So she just sat and looked. I decided that it was time for some action, so I headed over towards the tracks and thicker cover. The tracks were raised above the field and the honeysuckle was on the hillside. We started walking down the edge and suddenly Emma bolted. A rabbit was running under the cover in front of us. She flew, then butterflies up, then landed on the honeysuckle. As I approached her a rabbit bolted across the field. I gave the "Ho Ho" call, but she just sat looking down. A few more steps and another shot across the field. I watched it run back and out towards some small saplings. I walked over and picked her up and asked her where it went. She looked down, then looked back and forth.
We continued down the tracks and a rabbit flushed. It ran over the tracks and was heading for cover on the other side. Emma decided that she wanted this one, and needless to say she got it before it reached cover. Good, now I can relax a little. It was starting to drizzle a little as she sat and broke in. At least it wasn't a wasted trip out of bed. I let her eat a little then traded her off for some quail. Up to the fist she came as I put the rabbit in the bag. A few more little nibbles, then into the bag for the quail. I pulled my hood up thinking we probably would be done if it got much heavier.
We poked around again and another rabbit shot down the tracks through the cover. Emma followed but lost sight of him. I got her back on the glove and poked around some more. Nothing. I crossed to the other side of the tracks and poked over there. I saw a little movement. I walked down through the honeysuckle and poked again. A rather small rabbit shot out and up the hill towards the warehouse. Emma was hot after it. She made a few grabs and misses before it reached the corner of the building. Both disappeared around the building. I ran up the hill to the corner and walked around the building. No immediate sight of either. I saw a clump of rabbit fur down the hill towards a grassy ditch. A few more steps and there was Emma in the ditch, wings out, with rabbit underneath. Cool, a double in the rain! I let Emma take out the heart and feed a little. I trade her off on a rabbit leg, since this always seems to work for Richard, and put the bunny in the bag. I pick her up and notice she is a bit wet. Her tail is fairly wet and anybody who flies goshawks knows that their speed diminishes when they are wet. Well I decide to head back to the car. Rather than walk the rails I think I will go out into the field.
I headed down towards the saplings where one of the earlier bunnies headed. These are just some small ones on a hillside out in the open field. I get to them and start walking through them. A bunny flushes and runs down hill and turns down wind. Big mistake! Even though Emma is a little wet, a downhill, downwind flight is an easy one for her. I don't know if it was the same bunny that ran down here earlier but it was right where I thought it would be. Now I am feeling really good about her. Out comes the trusty rabbit leg and now my bag is getting rather full. We are definitely heading back to the car. I pick Emma up, happy as can be for her success. You know it always happens that way when you are alone. We are about 200 yards from the car so I slip the rabbit leg into the bag and start walking. Now that she has caught 3 bunnies, she is paying more attention than when we started out. We zigzag back and forth in the field. Her head is bobbing like a bobble-head doll. We get to the end of the field and turn up towards the car. Out of the corner of my eye I see some movement out to my right. I look just in time to see a bunny tail go behind a small mound in the center of the field. We stroll over to the hill and climb on top. This is just a bulldozed hill about 5 feet tall by about 10 feet wide and about 30 feet long. I walk it out but no sign of the bunny. At the end of the hill the field slopes down to a ditch that runs perpendicular to the railroad tracks and the honeysuckle. We start down towards the ditch thinking that the rabbit had not yet made it to the honeysuckle. Suddenly Emma flies from the fist. Where is she going now? Did she get bored with our game? She flies out across the ditch and heads across the next field. She is a good 40 yards from me and I am thinking she is going to sit somewhere. Suddenly she rolls and hits the ground. The hit is followed by an unmistakable squeal. Now Emma is not one for long slips, but after 3 close ones, she has taken her 4th on a 50 yard flight. WOW! I walk over and talk to her. Eileen at Raptor Rehab. of Kentucky will be glad to see me (she gets all the rabbits). I let her pick at the rabbit leg and this time I walk along the tracks back to the car. I put Emma in her kennel and get into the car. Not even 10:00 A.M.! I started about 8:30 A.M. I head home amazed. I almost slept in and passed on this dreary morning. I look at other travelers on the road and think to myself how they must be thinking what a miserable Saturday this is. Inside my car the sun is shining. I am happy. Back at home I cut off the chest cavity and front legs of one of the rabbits and throw it to Emma. That evening about 6:30 P.M. she finally jumps to the perch off of what remains. I look out at her and her bulging crop and smile. Next week will be the last for the season. This day will be in the back of my mind for a while. The uphill flight around the corner of the building is etched in my mind. It was a good flight on a good day.

Tony Englert
Kentucky Falconer