Irbis has his check- up tomorrow and should be close to running free– we hope! Despite the fact we are in the tail- end of our season’s biggest snowstorm (a foot so far) spring is in the air, and in the pup- and I do mean SPRING. So more soon– but first a few links. …
Category: Uncategorized
Spring strut
It’s official: spring has arrived in western Wyoming, as evidenced by the number of Greater Sage-Grouse on the lek I visited this morning. Leks are traditional strutting/breeding grounds for this biggest of our native grouse species. I usually set April 1 as my target date to visit leks, but with warm temperatures and most snow …
End of the Season
Louisiana’s rabbit season is over. I put my hawk up for the molt this weekend after a hunt with friends in New Orleans East. The place name refers to rural parts of Orleans Parish north of Chalmette and Arabi, two St. Bernard Parish hamlets that border the 9th Ward and spent weeks underwater in 2005. …
Revolvers
Cat’s post below suggested a follow- up from here. Handguns are such a common tool in the west that one forgets that they seem alien in England or on the coasts. Here are two favorites. The “pretty” one is a stainless steel old- style (no trigger lock) Smith and Wesson Mountain Gun with custom walnut …
Animal progress
Irb is better all the time and thinks he is 100%, though he still has a month on house arrest before he can run loose. (WE are a bit battered but that will be another story– he nearly broke Libby’s ribs the other night). When he is running we will give any benefactor who requests …
“Sparrow Hawk”
A local pigeon fancier asked me to catch a “Sparrow Hawk” that was (I qoute) “living under my coop and killing sparrows”. While I’d think that a bonus– sparrows waste pigeon feed and spread disease– I loaded up my trusty butterfly net and caught this VERY fat male Sharpshin. (David Z– in any other part …
Killers?
Annie Hocker sent a query about self- appointed “spokesman” Chris Palmer on the orca tragedy: “…Palmer has a big pulpit in his role as head of the environmental film dept. at AU, as well as being on the board of several other school and film festival depts. across the US. I did note that a …
Winter in Mongolia
Lauren is becoming a serious horsewoman as well as a Berkutchi, in the depths of a winter that can reach -50C at night. And she is getting the spectacular flights that ignorant American falconers deny eagles can do. An excerpt: “I’ve had confirmation from World Vision that it has reached -50 C where I have …
Links (First)
Science: Mother crickets can apparently warn their offspring about potential predators BEFORE BIRTH. “Researchers from the University of South Carolina Upstate and Indiana State University placed pregnant crickets in an enclosure where they were stalked, but not eaten, by a wolf spider, whose fangs had been coated with wax to protect the crickets. “The young …
Freedom Arms
Freedom Arms is located in western Wyoming’s Star Valley, a logical location for a world-class revolver maker, since the Baker family has deep roots in the valley. The historic Baker Cabin, located on Etna’s main street, is the oldest building in town. It was constructed by Bob Baker’s great grandmother Anna Eliza Baker and her …