Caught a hawk...

[jbird]

Totaly off topic, but I was driving just outside town and saw a red tail hawk in the grass. Thought it had taken prey, but as I crept closer, he didnt fly. Grabbed the camera and got out to approach it. He ran across the ground like a chicken. He obviously couldnt fly. I approached it speaking softly and he was very dosile. Let me get within 3 ft.



After spending 30 minutes with the poor guy, I decided to go to wildwood park (our local zoo) and ask if anyone would capture/rehab an injured raptor. They said no but theyde call city ordinance. DOH!

After a couple hours, I couldnt stand it and went back to see if he was still there. He was. As I sat with him, he saw a chipmunk out of the corner of his eye and ran as fast as he could after it. Much to my surprise, after his failed hunt, he wadled back over by me. I jumped in the truck and headed to the nearest market and bought some ultra lean beef and returned to the hawk. I tossed him a small peice and he jumped on it with his talons and enhaled it. Then he started coming at me! I quickly threw him another and he was on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3eGJPCqQ70

I fed him 5 or 6 small peices and went home to research who could rescue this guy. I called the DNR and was put in touch with R.E.G.I. (Raptor Education Group Inc.) I was very impressed with their urgency! The lady I spoke to said they couldnt get anyone over here til late afternoon. So I suggested I could capture it, especially since this little fella seemed to trust me. She gave me all the details on capturing a wounded hawk. So off I went with a box, two blankets and my package of meat. After a few awkward moments, I had him in the box.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnLH7YUA3sQ

I brought him home and kept him in the basement where it was dark, quiet and cool until the REGI lady arrived. She came around 7pm and took the bird. Hopefully theyll keep me updated on how he does. His chance of survival was 0 where I found him, but I think it just went up a bit.

[k9mark]

Good Job! Well done.

[BillB]

One of your best catches ever jbird. Nice going. Looks to be a really young RT, maybe recently fledged. How does that pencil in your "Caught Log"?

[Mike O]

One of your best catches ever jbird. Nice going. Looks to be a really young RT, maybe recently fledged. How does that pencil in your "Caught Log"?

He can't write it in...he caught it on bait!!!

LOL

Seriously...good on ya for this. Have spent many an hour watching Swainson's Hawks circle and take grasshoppers and mice.

[Jay]

Awesome!

I had a similar experience when I was 15, growing up on a cattle ranch in Colorado. One of our hired hands came to the house when i was the only one home. He asked if I had a shotgun, I said of course, then he said " Well you better grab it, theres a hawk south of the house that has a broken wing, and you oughta put it out of its misery."

Grabbed my 20ga and went in search of it. When I got out there what a I found was not a hawk, but a Peregrine falcon trying to take off from a prairie dog city. It seemed pretty obvious to me that it wasnt a broken wing, but something else.

Since it was a Peregrine, I decided that a mercy kill was an absolute last resort. Some friends of ours operated a wild animal rehab center about 45 minutes away, so I knew who to call, but since it was getting dark, I knew I wouldnt have time to leave the bird, make the call, get instructions, and then come back and capture it.

So imagine a 15 year old kid with his tshirt in his hands running around trying to catch a falcon with it. Probably pretty comical. I did eventually get the shirt thrown over it and it's wings pinned to its body. He was not a happy camper.

Walked all the way home (3/4 mile) since I couldnt take my hands off of the shirt without him flapping and going ape on me.

Managed to get ahold of the rehab center, and they told me I would have to drive the 45 minutes to their facility. I informed them that I was 15, home alone, and unable to do so. I told them if they didnt come get it, I would either have to mercy kill it (illegal) or put back out for the coyotes or foxes to find. They eventually agreed to come get it.

That meant I got to sit at my kitchen table for almost 2 hours hanging out with one of the coolest creatures I have ever been around. I'm not gonna romanticize it and say how friendly he was and how much we bonded. LOL. He straight HATED me. After awhile I decided I just had to know what his bite was like. I dont recomend this. It hurt like hell, but it was still cool.

Ill always remember what the eyes of a pissed off, wild, injured falcon looked like.

They eventually came and picked him up. Turns out both legs and the birdy equivalent of hips were both broken. Presumably he was in a dive to kill a prairie dog and misjudged the ground.

Three months later I got a call that they were releasing him at a local wildlife refuge and I drove out to see him set free. What an amazing feeling. Hard not to like a bird of prey, specially one that does 220mph!

Cool story jbird! Well done!

[RenoLipRipper]

Man that is a great deed you did. In my opinion, never worry about posting a story like that. Those are the great ones.

[Black Cloud]

Don't want to rain on your happy parade.

[Ed Wahl]

Well done Jay.

You're my brother from another mother.

Ed

[aaron]

Nice Jay. I interned in college at a wildlife sanctuary, we had a few birds in the same situation who lived out their lives happily and healthily educating youngsters. Hopefully that guy is able to do the same.

[Mark Kranhold]

Nice going Jay, good for you! My wife and I had a similar encounter with a Great Blue Heron on the American river. We went home and researched for a bird rescue outfit and found a lady that rehabs Eggrets and Herons and then finds homes for them if they aren't able to be released back into the wild. So we went back down to the river and got her into a large box and then drove her over to the ladies house. The lady had to hand feed the Heron for about 10 days before it would eat on it's own. Come to find out it had a bullet wound very close to the spinal cord so surgery was not a option. Unfortunately the heron could not be released back into the wild. She ended up nursing it along and now it resides in a zoo down in Modesto area. Birds are beautiful, and what beautiful flies that Great Blue could have made! A ++ for effort Jay.