dirtlooter
Gold Member
- Jun 5, 2014
- 8,889
- 13,497
- 🏆 Honorable Mentions:
- 3
- Detector(s) used
- XP Deus with 9"LF and 9" HF Coils and 600 Equinox with stock and 6" coils
- Primary Interest:
- Relic Hunting
The wife and I were driving around in a management area not far from our home. This place is very hilly and most of it is a grown up mess with big sections clear cut for timber. We were coming down this really rough logging road in between to larger ridges when both of us noticed buzzards and crows off to the right in this drainage area. The way that these birds were centered in a rather small area, I figured that something was still alive or something was eating on it and keeping these birds at bay. This drainage was what I would call a wet weather branch, only running after rains. My wife who has been learning a lot about the outdoors wanted to go see what it was. I pulled over and warned her that we had to be slow and make sure that there wasn't a mountain lion or a bear on a deer kill. Now we could see fairly well back in the area and I couldn't see anything large and was beginning to wonder what they were so excited about. Then we saw the small hawk struggling to take off but something obviously had a hold on it. My wife got really excited, she had never been this close to a live hawk and she asked what was I going to do. Well, turn it loose as soon as I figured out what exactly was the problem. Then it became clear or mostly clear, the little hawk had caught and killed a smaller bird, a female Bluebird. Then somehow in the process of the kill, one foot had gone between two saw briers and then the bird had flipped over twisting the briers and it was snagged with it's meal at it's feet. I could tell that the bird was really stressed as it tried even more so to get away. Then I had a Duh moment and reached down to simply turn it over, yep, the little claws and the beak are both very sharp. So, had the wife go get the thick leather gloves out of the truck. I was amazed at how quick it had got me and now had a deeper respect for it's weapons. With the gloves on, I grasped the desperate bird and simply turned it over and under, freeing the foot. Then I opened my hand and the bird just lay there for a moment and then it realized that it was free and shot up and away from us to a tree about forty yards away. The Bluebird was still lying there and even though the hawk had no desire to eat this one, I know that it would be eaten by something before the night would be over. This small hawk was a beautiful male with very red eyes. We completely forgot about taking pics until it took off, guess we were caught up in the moment. I have been sitting on the ground hunting and had hawks either catch a bird very close to me or were plucking their catch in a tree above me. It is really awesome to suddenly realize that feathers were floating down from above as one plucked its prey clean. I have always thought that our various hawks and owls are beautiful birds and important in nature. Just had to share it, don't get to do this very often. DL
Well done on you and the beloved giving nature a hand.
