Here is  a report from  my friend Justin  who is in  Massachusetts  after  his
Red-Tail tagged him.   This happened on 11/07/07.   Here is what he wrote about the
situation:

     So I'm working with  my RT hawk yesterday,  and I go to cast the bird from the 
fist. It binds to the fist,  probably because its weight was too low, and the temp-
erature was cold, roughly 30 degrees.  I should say, the bird kind of binded to the
fist.  In fact it seemed to bind to my head/face.  What happened you see, is that I
was wearing  a brown tossle cap similiar to the  rabbit lure I've trained the  bird
on, at least in color, and similiar texture. I didn't realize what happened yester-
day.  I thought the bird was just a  little angry for working to hard,  and took it
out on me.  So this morning  I brought her in  to weigh her,  and she weighed  high
because I let her gorge yesterday afternoon, well after the incident by the way.  I
didn't want her  to think it  was alright to  bind to my  head.  After I  weigh the
bird, I sit with her,  touching her feet,  and relaxing a bit,  manning her,  and I
notice that  she seems to want to jump up on my head.  I've heard of Cooper's doing
this, but RT's? I'm holding the jesses rather tightly. What look like bates towards
my head,  are in fact actually attempts to get the rabbit lure (my brown tossle cap
that I'm wearing) on or rather off my head. I can only imagine a cartoon version of
what the bird must have seen.  Nonetheless, I feel a lot better  knowing that I can
hopefully curb that rotten behaviour, insofar as it's my face and head we are talk-
ing about, by simply a change of wardrobe!  I'm lucky to have only come away with a
few scrapes yesterday,  but I think in the end it was my pride that stung the most.
Incidentally, the hat he was wearing when he got tagged is the same hat he is wear-
ing in the photos below!








  
All images and materials contained within this site are the property of
Eddie B. Horvath, unless otherwise noted, and are not to be used without his
express permission.  For photo credit and other info, put your mouse on the pic.

Copyright © 1997-2007 Eddie Horvath