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Christian County, Missouri, U.S.A. - December 30, 2009
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After a week of inclement weather, Phebus and I enjoyed a still
morning after a light snow fall -- ideal for rabbit hunting. I was
joined by my soon-to-be falconry apprentice, David Poole. Accustomed
to hunting in open fields, my hawk found the grove of trees I chose
to be a veritable obstacle course. More than a dozen challenging,
acrobatic slips (including a tumbling tree top grey squirrel chase)
later, David and I flushed a rabbit from a snow covered thicket into
the relatively "open" area behind me in the photo. Phebus tucked
into a tight thirty yard gliding dive from her perch on one of the
higher limbs of a century old tree and connected!
We moved in. Even in the "open", the brush was so thick and their camouflage so good that both hawk and rabbit were still nearly invisible at fifteen feet. Once we located the pair, I quickly dispatched the rabbit. Then I began disentangling the hawk from all the brush caught between her feet and the prey to which she was still bound. After moving to a small clearing for the photo, I permitted Phebus to crop up once again, rewarding her exceptional effort and success. Richard Swinney |
Christian County, Missouri, U.S.A. - December 4, 2009
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Phebus
took her second rabbit on December 4th. Cooler weather and
higher winds made the hunt more challenging, but I was able to flush
enough rabbits to provide 2 good slips. On her first game
flight of the hunt, Phebus was outmaneuvered when the rabbit dodged
left. She pulled a hard wingover but couldn't connect.
Energized by a near miss, she became even more eager.
The next rabbit I flushed broke into the open, trusting to speed.
Poor choice. Phebus powered after her, connecting solidly.
Rabbit and hawk somersaulted once in the air, then several times on
the ground before coming to rest. I made in, then quickly
dispatched the quarry -- a kindness that raptors do not practice.
In the wild, birds of prey are quite content to begin eating their
still living, struggling prey.
Once again, I permitted Phebus to crop up fully, reinforcing her
satisfactory hunting performance. After a small number of
hunting successes, I'll transition to "trading off" -- the practice
of exchanging a meat reward for the taken quarry.
Richard Swinney |
(2 Photos)
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Christian County, Missouri, U.S.A. - December 1, 2009
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Phebus (named in honor of the famous
medieval hunting author Gaston Phebus) was trapped on October 21st,
2009. After roughly a month's training, she was ready for free
flight on game. On her first hunt she took a field mouse and a
pack rat, but both are vermin (not small game). Two more
hunts yielded multiple slips (flights on game) on rabbits, but
Phebus wasn't quite fast enough to connect. On December 1st we had
a clear, cool day with low wind -- ideal for hunting. After two
short unsuccessful slips on running quarry, Phebus spotted a rabbit
moving relatively slowly (sneaking away) under light cover.
She dove into an undetected 50 yard glide that connected. To
reward her success and reinforce her behavior, she was permitted to crop
up (eat her fill). Richard Swinney |
(2 Photos)
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South Lyon, Michigan, U.S.A. - November 6/7, 2009
'St. Hubert's Day Celebration Hunt'
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I
was honored to host Richard Swinney in Michigan for a weekend of hunting
in celebration of St. Hubert's Day. We float-hunted in a canoe up
and down the Huron River for the first half of both days (a technique
that I've used successfully in the past). It was a very windy
weekend with a huge temperature fluctuation; it was below freezing at 25
degrees when we started hunting Friday morning, but it reached 67
degrees on Saturday (3 degrees below the record high for that day). While floating downstream at first-light on Friday we heard a whitetail buck grunting and approaching the river's edge through a thicket, but apparently having seen or scented us he snorted and bounded off, giving us no more than a glimpse of his retreating tail. Later, Richard did have an opportunity at a weasel on the the river bank with his crossbow, and his shot was dead-on, but luck was on the weasel's side that day as he jumped the string and narrowly escaped. On Saturday, Richard spotted what appeared to be a whitetail doe on the bank, out of range, and she too high-tailed it out of there as we floated by. No other hunting opportunities presented themselves that morning, but the river was stunning and we enjoyed viewing the abundant wildlife, including: Canada geese, muskrats, great blue herons, and a variety of squirrels and birds. In the evenings, Richard sat in one of the most productive blinds on my property, and on Saturday I joined him in a nearby tree-stand, but we didn't see any deer either evening. Richard had shot opportunities on a couple squirrels, but it wasn't meant to be. Also, Richard brought his newly captured red-tailed hawk along on the trip so he could give her daily exercise and training, which was a weekend highlight for me. I learned an incredible amount about falconry from Richard that weekend. I have every confidence that we will be seeing hunt photos here soon complements of Richard and 'Phoebus'. Paul Wilburn |
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South Lyon, Michigan, U.S.A. - November 3, 2009
'St. Hubert's Day'
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I sat in my ground blind for the last two hours of daylight, and about
an hour into the hunt this gray squirrel came in and gave me a shot at 8
yards. I used a crossbow and a bolt with a wooden blunt that was
made by my father, David Wilburn. The blunt was based on those
illustrated in Gaston Phoebus' 'Book of the Hunt'.
By taking this squirrel I finally achieved St. Hubert's Rangers 'Master Huntsman' rank, and I was thrilled that it actually happened on St. Hubert's Feast Day. Paul Wilburn |
Addington Highlands, Ontario, Canada - September 12-15, 2009
'Holyrood Medieval Bear Hunt'
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Looking to late medieval German, French, Portuguese and Spanish hunting
texts for inspiration, seven hunters (5 Rangers, 2 guests)
traveled to the lake country of Ontario for the opportunity to pursue
North American Black Bears with hounds, bows and crossbows. Although
legal to harvest, the senior guide respectfully requested that we not
take sows or cubs -- only adult male black bears. As these would be
closest in both size and disposition to the medieval quarry (Eurasian
Brown Bear), we wholeheartedly agreed.
From our encampment on an island at the western end of Skootamatta
Lake, we set out early each morning to check for sign of bear
activity. The first morning, we came upon fresh scents from a sow
and cub, then from a solitary juvenile. The guide offered the
option of pursuing the solitary juvenile bear with the understanding
that it would likely NOT be large enough to take. As organizer of
the hunt, I chose to decline. Chasing a juvenile would likely not
be particularly challenging. Moreover, it would force the bear to
burn a substantial amount of its energy reserves -- decreasing the
likelihood that it would survive the long, harsh Canadian winter to
follow. Further attempts with hounds and stand hunting that day
proved fruitless.
The second day, two hunters had tree stand close encounters with
bears. Kirk Sullens (guest) had a sow and cub within earshot
that were flushed when the guide arrived after sundown to take him
back to camp. Jesse Weber saw a sow and cub from his vantage point
but (as previously agreed) held his fire.
The third day we saw tracks, and the fourth day we found what
appeared to be two hot trails. Following the dogs through the
forest in search of a bear with a video camera in one hand and a
spear in the other was truly invigorating. Alas, at the end of the
first "hot trail" were 3 treed raccoons. The guide assured me that
this was the first time in years that his two lead dogs had been so
misled. The second hot trail yielded no chase.
We were able to gain a great deal of insight into bear hunting with
hounds, both medieval and modern. More importantly, we were able to
demonstrate the mettle of both guide and hunters. Disappointed by
his failure to provide a meaningful chase, the guide categorically
refused a substantial tip at the end of the hunt. None of the
hunters balked at the prospect of mortal injury in pursuit of truly
dangerous quarry. Perhaps most impressively, Jesse displayed
extraordinary discipline and sportsmanship in NOT shooting the sow.
Afterward, our guide confided that occasionally some hunters would
shoot both sow and cub, then drag off the cub's body (found later
by smell / vultures) to hide their actions simply to be able to
take home a trophy. The guide closed with the fact that he was
profoundly impressed with the quality and discipline of the Rangers,
pronouncing us the most educated bear hunters he had ever
encountered.
Richard Swinney |
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Cook Station, Missouri, U.S.A - September 5/6, 2009
'St. Bertin's Day Fallow and Red Deer Hunt'
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Organized as a group hunt in the ~ 2000 acre modern equivalent of a
medieval deer park, the St. Bertin's Day Fallow and Red Deer Hunt
provided a rare opportunity to learn and practice period cooperative
hunting methods in pursuit of Western European game species. Unlike
their North American cousins (whitetail deer), fallow deer
and red deer tend to travel in sizable herds. This makes successful
stalking extraordinarily difficult, as a hunter must evade dozens of
eyes during his approach. Furthermore, when experiencing
significant hunting pressure, fallow deer become quite flighty --
red deer, flightier still.
Employing a modified version of the "bow and stable" technique (no
horses were permitted), Rangers and their guides encircled and
gently drove herds of deer toward other Rangers who were hidden
along likely routes of travel. Some Rangers in ambush further
camouflaged themselves using the period practice of placing sprigs
of greenery in their head gear. On a few occasions, solitary deer
were approached with period stalking techniques. For those with
reservations
about the degree of challenge of crossbow / longbow hunting fallow
and red deer in deer parks (medieval or modern), it is worth
noting that of 6 hunters (4 having previously taken large game
with medieval weapons) working cooperatively for 2 days, all
went home empty handed.
Despite ongoing chemotherapy for his leukemia, Jerry Cossey (aspiring
Ranger) took to the rolling woodlands with the rest of the
hunters, alternatively employing crossbow and video camera. His
footage includes glimpses of "stampedes" of both fallow and red
deer, both remarkable experiences.
In addition to the opportunities to practice period hunting
techniques, the St. Bertin's Day Hunt also highlighted the use and
importance of hunting horns for field communication.
Richard Swinney |
(16 Photos)
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South Point, Hawaii, U.S.A. - July 17-18, 2009
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In the Hunting Book of Gaston Phebus, the pursuit of ibex (Capra ibex / pyrenaica) and chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) are discussed. German sources also deal with chamois hunting, describing both individual and group techniques. In July, I had a rare opportunity to hunt feral goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) -- an analogous species -- on the southernmost tip of the Big Island of Hawaii. Initially released by Captain Vancouver in the 1700s, these animals have proven highly destructive to native Hawaiian plant life and are considered a nuisance species with year round open season. Phebus recommends a week of scouting, combined with blocking various routes and employing subordinates to channel the quarry to maximize chances for success. None of these options were available. I was limited to spotting and stalking small herds with a local guide along the edge of a 1400 foot volcanic escarpment. The goats feed on the plateau during the day, seeking shelter on the cliffs from danger, rain and nightfall. I chose to hunt in the evening with a 55# English longbow and the following morning with replica 11th century javelins. Given the minimal cover of volcanic scrub, much of the hunt involved maneuvering within range by crawling. The hunt was made a bit more challenging by the average daily wind velocity of 20+ mph (the site is a commercial wind farm with 14 active one hundred meter tall windmills). These winds were intensified by the approach of Tropical Depression Carlos. The first evening I was able to get a solid arrow hit on a nice buck. He dashed with his bachelor herd perhaps 100 yards before disappearing into a large patch of scrub. The rest of the herd emerged a short time later without him. Much to my dismay, within the patch of scrub we found an immense (more than 10 yards wide) vertical shaft of a volcano tube -- a veritable bottomless pit with innumerable ledges on which the buck might shelter. Without rappelling gear, there was no way to locate or recover the goat. We scoured the surrounding area for more than an hour hoping that the buck might be somewhere else, but to no avail. Javelin hunting the following day proved more challenging still. We started the morning in a natural materials blind (see photo) on the plateau. Intermittent rain kept the goats close to the shelter of the escarpment, so we had to leave the blind to hunt the edge of the cliffs. Gusting well over 30 mph, the wind almost knocked me off my feet at one point. Several times we crawled almost within effective range ( < 10 yards ) only to be thwarted at the last moment. Finally, the rain (highly unseasonable) worsened to a downpour. I tried a couple of 20+ yard javelin casts at the last dozen or so goats scrambling to the escarpment for shelter, but by that point the wind, rain and distance rendered my attempts ineffectual. The hunt was a tremendous educational experience. I learned a great deal about hunting a new and challenging quarry, as well as the modifications necessary to my medieval gear (e.g. no cloth hats, all gear positioned for prolonged crawling, etc.) for stalking on exceptionally rugged terrain in high winds. I can certainly see why Maximilian the First found javelin hunting chamois so enjoyable. Richard Swinney |
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Lake Okeechobee, Florida, U.S.A. - March 6, 2009
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With the assistance of a local guide and dogs, Brett Smith took this nice 110 lb. sow with a boar spear. He was wearing the garb of one of his alternate personas, a 10th C. Scandanavian. |
Crawford County,
Missouri, U.S.A. - January
5, 2009
'Yuletide
Hunt'
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By the start of the fourteenth century there were more than 3000 deer
parks in England. Typically enclosing 150 to 300 acres, deer parks
accounted for as much as 2% of the entire countryside. Hunting managed
herds in such parks was an integral part of the hunting experience of
the upper class.
Female red deer (until the last decade,
thought to be the same species as North American elk) and female fallow
deer were hunted from Holyrood (14 Sep) through the end of Yuletide (6
Jan) or even Candlemas (2 Feb). On my third day of hunting fallow deer
and red deer in a 2000 acre modern deer park, I was able to close within
15 yards of a mature female elk. I was hunting with a ~ 60 lbs. draw
yew self longbow with horn nocks and handmade medieval arrows. To
maximize arrow effectiveness, instead of Saxon Type 1 arrowheads I used
modern heads with an equivalent silhouette because I could get the
modern heads substantially sharper.
Richard Swinney |
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2005-Present, Paul Wilburn
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