Ttalons...that has got to be the neatest thing I have seen in a while...I would love to watch them in action! Beautiful birds!!! Good luck with the competiton!!

We will be in Abilene, Texas January 2008 and in Amarillo, Texas November 2008, we do a couple hunts in the Dallas/Fort Worth area during December and we'll be in the Denton, Texas area in February. Anyone that wants to come out and watch is more than welcome and encouraged to come and meet the birds.

Crazy, crazy weather! One day it's 27 degrees the next it's 65 out, hard to keep up with the weights of the birds but I wanted to hunt them a little higher so Neo was 602g's and Padme' was 945g's.

I could barely get the birds out of the giant hoods before Padme' spotted the first squirrel!





I jumped Neo out of the GH and took off after Padme' who had the squirrel running around the tree, Neo came blasting in and they both chased the little tree rat round and round and round a good sized oak. I was spinning round the tree so much I got dizzy and never saw the squirrel jump but both the birds took off into the woods hard and low. By the time I caught up with the birds Neo was low in a tree and Padme' was sitting on a fence post!






I beat around looking for the squirrel and found him holed up in a log, poked so more and he popped out and made haste up a small tree and into the nest! Neo pumped hard right up into the nest and started shaking it up!





A few minuets and the squirrel had enough and jumped from the nest with Padme' and Neo power stroking after it! Neo hit it first, lost grip and Padme' grabbed it next and just as it was dragging Padme', Neo came in again and grabbed it. Both birds finally got it under control and we had our first head in the bag!

We chased several more squirrels but they made it to holes or in logs that I could not get them out of but the birds worked it hard! Neo and Padme' both are starting to show the benefits of working on the launcher leash, as they can really power up high into the trees.


As we were heading back to the truck Padme' took off like she saw a squirrel and Neo was in tow so I started running in the same direction. I couldn't see exactly were the birds were but suddenly I heard the most awful growl/hissing/snarling sound I have ever heard then I saw Padme' locked up talon to talon with a huge Barred Owl and about the time I saw them Neo flew over my back and nailed the owl in the head/shoulders. I jumped in the middle of it and the owl was making some of the most awful sounds I have NEVER heard before and I was scared, I didn't know how I was going to get them off the owl and I didn't want the owl to grab one of the birds, luckily Padme' had the thing foot to foot and the owl had mostly squirrel cuffs!

I figured I had to get Neo off first so I grabbed him like a loaf of bread and pulled him up, all he had was feet fulls of owl feathers, this owl was so big, at least three times the size of Padme'. I was glad Neo didn't have the owl by any body parts and just feathers so I pulled him lose with feathers clutched in his feet, he thought he had something and mantled and hopped off to hide his goodies.

Padme' was another problem, I grabbed the owl by both feet so it could not release then grab Padme' somewhere worst. As I grabbed the owl it let go of Padme's feet and she let go and didn't want nothing more of the owl. I pulled the lure out with my right hand and threw it down for Padme' and she jumped on it fast, I then tucked the owl and walked away to the bayou, I walked down the bank till I couldn't see the birds any more and let the owl go, he flew low and down the bayou till I couldn't see it anymore.

I got back to the birds and Neo had jumped on the lure as well and both birds were trying to steal it and drag it off so I traded them each off properly and headed back to the truck, relived, happy and feeling very, very lucky!

I will be out for a visit, met Wild Ed on another forum and plan on meeting him in person.

It’s with much trepidation that I must inform so many people that I will not be attending this years THA meet. Now I have to go out to the mews and tell Neo and Padme’ as well!

I was informed this morning of an opportunity that I have been dreaming of for the past seven years. I have always wanted to be on the TV show Survivor and now I have the chance to make that dream come true, unfortunately I have to be at a production call Sunday the 20th from 10am to 1pm.

I hope everyone can understand, but to make up for missing this quality time with all my friends I’m going to make a trip to Amarillo the end of February and I will be in Fort Worth at least two weekends in March and April.

Took Tirzah, Padme' & Neo out rabbit hunting today, busted three bunnies caught none of um!

Neo, Tirzah and Padme' did however catch plenty of rats!

Here's Neo on one!



This is a creepy PIC of the days catch!



All in all we did have a bunch of fun, even when the Meany land owner got pissy with us because we crossed the boundary and picked up Padme'