Attaching bells

[Fowler]

What's the best place/way to attach a bell to a Harris Hawk? So far I've done a tail mounted bell and it's was back off in 12 hours the second time it lasted a bit longer....then tried a bell on his leg which holds the record so far of lasting a day!

Fowler

[Wightwings]

good question fowler, its a mixtue of personnal choice and what the birds is used too.
personnaly i like em on both legs and the tail.
there is a thread on here somewhere that has gone into this in detail but im not sure where, can one of you mos stick a link on here for Fowler please.
cheers :D

[Bill]

What's the best place/way to attach a bell to a Harris Hawk? So far I've done a tail mounted bell and it's was back off in 12 hours the second time it lasted a bit longer....then tried a bell on his leg which holds the record so far of lasting a day!Fowler

Number one - youve got to stop using blue tac. lol

Ive mostly used the traditional leather bewit for leg bells. Currently one bell is attached with a cable tie padded with shrink wrap. It certainly stays on and doesn't show any sign of causing HH any problem.

Always find tail bells tricky. Probably cos HH doesn't like being cast and I generally haven't got anyone wiith the right skills to hold her.

what have you been trying so far?

[ShushiBasher]

i always mount mine on the tail with a leather plectrum and cable ties,the plectrum is shield shaped with four holes running across the top, two more holes placed vertical halfway down the shield to hold the bell, the cable ties go through the shield and attach to the central deck feathers and are then pulled tight and trimmed down,when that is done put one drop of superglue onto the end of each cable tie and robert's your mothers brother.[dont forget to cabletie the bell on first,] so far this method hasnt let me down and one fitting has lasted a season.ps, try to make the leather quite thick so that theres not too much give . hope this helps even if it is a little longwinded!!!!

[Sparrow Hawker]

Hi All,

Last year I relied solely on a leg bell, but must admit if the birds perched in a tree, I was not getting sufficent enough audiable indication. A tailmount was however used because i was using telemetry. Birds do have a habit of picking at them. So this year I put one on the leg and one on the tail via a tail-mount as well.

I prefer to add some Araldite to the leather straps which hold the tailmount in place. I then use some waxed sail makers thread which i re-wax with bees wax this will hold the knot in place while the knot is being completed. I use a simple reef knot, and tie 2 pieces of thread per leather strap. This should hopefully keep the tailmount on and hold it in place.

All The Best,

Regards,

HH

[Fowler]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll give it another try...may be I'll attach a tail and a leg this time see if he'll leave one of them alone.

So far I attached a tail bell with a cable tie that had an extra loop to put the bell on, then tried a leather plectum, he got both off. The leg bell was on a bewit he ditched that as well. I haven't tried glue, so I'll see how it goes on the tail mount. Thanks.

Fowler

[Jiff]

my leg bells are attatched by a bewit crossed through a hole to secure the bell,then wraped arround the birds foot.at the point both ends cross it's punched through then secured with a cable tie and the excess trimed off,it's in the complete rabbit and hare hawk,i've used pre stretched cangaroo leather,and theyre perfect even after an awol episode,they stay where there supposed to on the leg and not the foot.

[Grand Master Falconer]

don't all laugh at me, but at the risk of sounding sillier than I usually do, howabout cable tieing the bells to the eyelet, on Hawks anklets when you fly and then snip them off when you get home, that way he won't mess around with them when hes weathering and when hes flying he should have more important things on his mind than twatting about with bells. we all take telemetry off when not in use why not bells?

[Ian Wileman]

I attach permanent flying jesses to the eyelet. Bells to the leg opposite the ring.

[Jiff]

NEHH i believe tiewraps bells direct to the back of the anklet,it's the recomended method for owls and frigenous hawks,or birds with feathery legs,i believe,looks a good idea to me.

[Ian Wileman]

I noticed that Jiff. Good method. I would have told him, but you know about his large head........lol.

[Jester]

i was thinking about making up some kinda quick release clip (not unlike telemetry) so i could stick a plectrum on the deck feathers and just clip and unclip the bell as needed.


but then o thought ......... its an owl so he should be silent in flight so i will just stick with telemetry ( as soon as we get more names for the Jeross deal or one comes up cheaper on ebay:P ) when i get him flying free

[North East Harris Hawker]

I noticed that Jiff. Good method. I would have told him, but you know about his large head........lol.
can anyone rub some lard on my ears? im having difficulty getting out of this room!

[Finnish]

MOVED THREAD!

[Hawkmaster]

I like to tail mount BUT it has its drawbacks, like coming off in a struggle or through the brush.

I personally want nothing on the legs.

[Wightwings]

interesting why is that HM?..........snagging i presume?

[Renton]

I use a double brass telemetry/ bell tailmount glued to a deck feather. Have yet to have any problems with the mount, or bell being pulled off if the bird goes through a wire fence. A tail bell does make it a LOT easier to locate a Harris in heavy cover.

[Hawkmaster]

interesting why is that HM?..........snagging i presume?
I like a bird to be as natural to its normal flying state, if that is at all possible, clutter around the legs just messes with the whole take off, footing and general manevourablity of the hawk albeit a very small one.

If there was a snag I woulod rather loose a feather than a leg injury. Saying that I Lost a Female Gos because of tail mounting? :cry:

double brass telemetry/ bell tailmount glued to a deck feather
I personally think they are too high and therefore will not try them.

Streamline that is the quest I have. :wink:

[Coedhirion]

I always use a tail mount on both deck feathers for bell and telemetry, agree dont like things on the legs. Exception is the Sakeret who's tail is a complete imp job & probably wouldnt hold. :lol: :lol:
Poor little transvestite !! :lol: :lol:

[Jack Merlin]

Currently one bell is attached with a cable tie padded with shrink wrap.

I don't know whether I was just unlucky, but I tried this method on my gos, cutting the free end of the cable tie very close. Somehow the gos managed to tighten the tie so it was cutting into his leg. If he had been lost, I have no doubt he would have lost a leg.

I am back to using leather bewits. If he pulls at them I put some English mustard on them (easier to get than Bitter Aloes). He don't like that!

[Jiff]

bewits are the deal i think,hollinsheads idea of cable tying the ends of the bewit is great,i used mine for a bussy season and i'm sure they'd have done a second without doupt, as for being a hindrance on the legs, i used a bell on both legs with sky, she nailed and chased rabbits through un-immaginable tangles of scrub and bramble without a problem,( i hope i havnt just tempted sky's fate this year) no way, this comming season i'm planning a tail bell only and a small one at that.

[Jack Merlin]

I saw a description of glued bewits somewhere. But I could never get the glue to hold, though the idea is good.

You put the bell on a strip of leather as usual by doubling the end back through a hole after putting it through the bell loop, then put glue on the inside of both ends, then squeeze them together with a pair of pliers.

I am sure it would work fine with the right sort of glue!<g> Any suggestions?

[Coedhirion]

I am sure it would work fine with the right sort of glue rub the feather clean with a small piece of sand paper to roughen it, then try super glue 3. The gel is easier so you dont end up with every thing stuck to the wrong things. If you isolate each deck feather with a piece of paper to keep the glue under control too, it helps. Attach high up on the feathers, you can then add small cable ties or thread for added security if you wish.

[Mary Quite Contrary]

I use a double brass telemetry/ bell tailmount glued to a deck feather. Have yet to have any problems with the mount, or bell being pulled off if the bird goes through a wire fence. A tail bell does make it a LOT easier to locate a Harris in heavy cover.


Same here.
Everyone i know uses this method and no one has had a problem with it.

[Mary Quite Contrary]

I am sure it would work fine with the right sort of glue rub the feather clean with a small piece of sand paper to roughen it, then try super glue 3. The gel is easier so you dont end up with every thing stuck to the wrong things. If you isolate each deck feather with a piece of paper to keep the glue under control too, it helps. Attach high up on the feathers, you can then add small cable ties or thread for added security if you wish.



Araldite is safer

[Coedhirion]

Can't get on with Araldite as it takes so long to stick, also if the telemetry or bell do get caught up I prefer the glue to come unstuck rather than pull the decks out, tho I have never had it happen I admit. I do occasionally get one side of a mount slide down a bit, but it is just simple reposition and re-glue job which I have done without even casting the bird sometimes.

[Tim Laycock]

With shortwings it is my preference to have the smallest possible tail bell permanantly mounted on the decks with a neck bell added to small hawks in the field and either a neck or leg mounted bell for large ones in the same situation

[Finnish]

This year i'am going to have a tail bell and a leg bell on the Gos.

[Tim Laycock]

Always best to have bells sited in two different positions on shortwings, I find.

[Finnish]

I no some people who fly female goshawks with bells on both leggs and the tail.

[North East Harris Hawker]

thats cos they want the bird to at least sound good when it doesent catch anything :wink:

[Tim Laycock]

:roll: :mrgreen:

[Wightwings]

This year i'am going to have a tail bell and a leg bell on the Gos.

me too...i have always done this anyhow dont see a reason to change.

Always leather bewits and usualy make my own tail mounts and attach with leather and gle ( araladite ) but must admit last season used the falconers friend ( cable ties :roll: ) to mount the clips etc it was very quick and less stressfull for the birds