Training Archives

-

Rummaging through old files, I found a treasure: the notepad where I recorded my first training sessions with Carson the Red-tailed Hawk. 

When I first started at the Museum in 2016, I asked her to step on my glove (a behavior she had done with other trainers) and she ran away from me. We had such little trust that she wouldn't even eat in front of me. That was my first goal to overcome, highlighted at the top of the notepad: 


To get to that point, I started by leaving a piece of food on a perch, stepping out into the hallway, and waiting for her to eat it. Sometimes she ignored it and I took the food away after 3 minutes. After a few tries she started eating the food. On the third day, she was waiting for me at our training spot, eager to take food!

Carson waited for me at our training spot in 2016.

We started with the bar pretty low. Since I took the time to start our training with the very basics, Carson gained confidence quickly. Fast forwarding to 8 months later, I found this gem in my notebook:

"OMG she roused on my glove!"

A rouse, when a bird shakes out their feathers, is the ultimate sign of comfort. Carson's behavior had completely transformed. She started by running away from me, but learned to trust and began choosing to relax with me. This old notebook was a heartwarming reminder of how far we have come!

Carson rousing on my glove in 2017.




Comments

  1. Wanda SpitzerJune 8, 2025 at 8:16 AM

    Your calm patience is a valuable asset to many Beings:-)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are live animals worth it?

-
Image
The Museum introduced live animals into its collection over 11 years ago. We are now home to 6 ambassador animals including raptors, snakes, and a frog. These critters came with a cost, including the necessary facilities, staff time required for care, and ongoing financial costs to provide what they need. There is also the ethical question of keeping wild animals in captivity. Why did the Museum take on the burden? Live animals seemed a perfect fit to fulfil our mission of " connecting people to Northwoods nature through educational experiences that inspire wonder, discovery, and responsibility ." Programs with these animals seem to do just that. During raptor programs or snake feedings, I have seen the wonder on audience members' faces, fielded fascinating questions from people wanting to discover more, and taught how we can help these animals in the wild. While my observations are useful to justify the live collections at the Museum, a study published recently looked at...
Read more

Hiding in Plain Sight

-
Image
I stepped into the Curiosity Center to check on the herps. Digger the hognose snake basked under her heat lamp. Emory the rat snake lay coiled under her rock hide. The tree frog was next on my list and I checked his favorite spots. Was he on the upper backdrop ledge? Nope. In the back corner? Empty. On the branch hiding under leaves? Not there. Where could he be? Can you spot the tree frog? My nose came close to the glass as I searched the rest of the habitat from every angle. On the back wall? Behind a different group of leaves? Under the moss? Nothing. At this point I was getting worried. Where else could he possibly be? Did he escape? I stepped back to mist the habitat with my spray bottle and I jumped with a gasp. The tree frog was sitting on the branch right in front of me, front and center. Was he there the whole time? He had quite the "hiding" spot!
Read more