GriffMJ
10-01-2006, 06:16 PM
Hi All
I have opened this thread as a result of what has come out of discussion from other threads regarding hooding and problems with raptors being made to the hood.
The aim of this thread is to establish what is a "correct fit" and what is not.
As commercial hood maker I am not able to see the fit of one of my hoods in person the majority of the time...so I have to rely on the client falconer to be the judge. I always ask for a photo(s), if its possible, so that I can see the hood on the raptor and judge for myself when I receive it ... to see if the hood was adequate in fit. Another thing I will do is, when possible, send 2-3 hoods bracketting the size range for the raptor that judge will be correct according to its weight and species.
Another difficulty is the amount of Hybrids there are and the variation in shape and size of head that this brings.... its often quite difficult to judge and get right first or second time.
If a falconer brings the raptor to me for a hood fitting I like to try 2-3 hoods onto the bird and let it sit for 10-15 mins. This allows me to judge the comfort of the hood.... things that I look for, for example:-
The hood may look as though it fits the falcon when put on fresh..... and it might not bother the falcon for the first five minutes....
1. If the hood is slighlty too tight and is causing a pressure point somewhere then you will start to see the falcon scratching to hood excessivley.....
2. It might start to nod forward and shake its head as if something was pinching that nape of its neck
3. The bird might start open its gape (Yawn) and shake its head as if something was trapped in the corner of its mouth.
The above are some observations that are tell tale signs ...I will describe others as I get further into the thread.
Sign of a good fit.....after a short time in the hood or extended....
1. No movement can be detected by waving your hand in front & under the front of the hooded falcon
2. Settles quickly after hooding
3. the bird will start preening...
4. will rouse.....
5. Will sit queitly on the block and fluff up
6. Put a foot up
7. Will tuck its head in to sleep
8. Have a bomb go off next to it and keep steady!
**Note: Some falcons will naturally "star chase" for a short period after hooding but soon settle, or after being picked up from the block in the hood.
Happy falcon in hood..... (one of my Dutch hoods with covered soft parts of the gape BO)
http://www.m-jhoods.co.uk/images/hooded_arnold.jpg
Sign of a badly fitting or fitted hood:-
Observation when braces closed:
1. Raptor will almost immediatly try to get the hood off.. (extreme)
2. Will get vocal and panic lurching backwards... (extreme)
3. Moisture "circles" start to form on the outside of the hood after a very short period of time and they will appear as perfect circles (the falcon may appear not to be in discomfort) **Note: On a cold day you will get condensation in a fitting hood as the air temp on the outside of the hood is colder ...but it wont be a perfect circle it will appear as damp patches.
4. Fidgeting... not settling and scratching at the hood.
Observation when taking the hood off:
5. On taking the hood off you see clear but jelly like substance on the interior of the hood where the eye's have been after a prolonged period of being in the hood (the falcon may appear not to be in discomfort)
Signs of Hood shy'ness
1. On approach of the falconer with hood visible the raptor is vocal and bates away. (does not behave in the same way when falconer approaches without the hood visible). (Extreme or young bird)
2. When on the glove and the falconer produces the hood, the raptor bates and is vocal (Extreme or young bird)
3. Will try and dodge the hood persistently when hooding. (Mild or young bird) ** Note: bold colours in the hood or white seam lining strips can also make some raptors do this...solution is to darken the hood interior with a permanent marker lightly or purchase a hood with a one colour interior.
4. To be continued (as i think of them or you tell me them)
Hood makers around the world have their own patterns as well as the commercial patterns that are supplied with the various blocks that can be purchased now, a common hood block is the Ron Rollins hood block.... this is an excellent block to make hoods from if its an original block. There are badly produced copies as so often seen .... some copies of this particular block type are copies of copies and end up being badly out of shape and therefore a poor hood will result. I have some copy blocks and i have put them against the original blocks ...and you can visibly see the difference in shape. Ofcourse some original blocks are out of shape (not symmetrical) a good example is the Rollins size 11 or the Tait size 15 but this is compounded by poor copies and therefore not fit for use ....any hood made from these copies will have one side bigger than the other.
Another problem is patterns that are circulated...most people will receive a pattern that has been photocopied X amount of times and as a result will bare little relation to the orginal in fit....classic example is the Rollins pattern again.... they dont actually fit the original blocks.... I have a pattern that was sent to me by Ron Rollins himself (size 10L) ..I put it against the commercial patterns that Hawkmasters send out with their blocks....and its not the same.... and Ron has not changed his pattern. Thats is not to say that the patterns cant be used.... its just an observation of comparrison.
Falconers taste in hoods change over time.... if we go back 30-40 years in the UK, Phillip Glasier hoods were vogue and the Jack Mavro' pattern were issued in his books.... two totally different hood types and fit. Both falconers would have had their point of view on fit and what was best.... if we go back 100 years.. we have the hoods of Adriaan Mollen and his son.... considered to be the best fit of the day ... but all patterns are now not considered when making hoods now. Personally I think your hard pushed to get a better fitting Anglo Indian that a Jack Mavro..... but the modern falconer wont consider it because of its "look".... is that right.... we shall see! Here is a Jack Mavro pattern Anglo Indian on a Peregrine Tiercel....
http://www.m-jhoods.co.uk/images/Clients/NeilPT2.JPG
This is probably one of the best fitting Anglo Indian patterns...yet it seems modern falconers will not use this pattern hood for cosmetic reasons.... comments I have had are ...."its too pointy" and "its like a triangle" .... no mention of how well it fits the falcon...but it doesnt look good!
*** Jack Mavro Anglo Indian patterns can be found in his books "Hawk for the Bush" & "Falcon in the field"... modern editions of the books are cheaply available from Western Sporting publications in the US and also available from falconry book sellers here in the UK. You can also buy ready made hoods from me!
Another important part of the hood pattern is the beak opening... the gape. This "shape" varies considerably over time ....from the Mollen slot for example to the key hole type shape that we have today.... and if we take both examples used in the Dutch hood.... they both serve the same purpose to keep light out but have different levels of risk and comfort to the falcon. There are many issues that come with this simple device ...for example ....in North America some hood makers like to have the top of the beak opening "BO" placed at the top of the cere whereas here (in the UK) we like to have to top of the BO a good distance away from that point. Some hoodmakers will cover the soft parts of the beak and hide them away in the hood bringing the edge of the BO over the hardest part of the beak and others (myself included) will try to expose the soft parts. The latter being the harder method but the best in most opinions that I have come across....
This is an example of an excellent dutch hood gape.... but very hard to get it exactly right without trimming back with the falcon present....
http://www.merlinfalconry.com/images/opening.jpg
and here is my version on Sabs
http://www.m-jhoods.co.uk/images/examples/DutchMBlock1.JPG
Sign of a poor fitting Beak opening:-
Obsevations:-
1. Able to to see motion of hand waved in front whilst in the hood..
2. Able to jump off the block...and able to jump back on again...
3. Turning on the block as if chasing light...
4. Excessive "Star Chasing"
Physical:-
1. Pressure marks on soft part of the gape when unhooded...
2. Chaffing marks on the cere or nares...
3. Bleeding from any part of the gape...
I would say this, being a hoodmaker, but its worth your while buying 3-4 different hoods of the same size for your raptor if you can do it ....and 1 of those will fit it like a glove and the others can be used as back ups. I have made a few for my own falcon and have established a working hood and a travelling hood (wider eye bowl and looser fitting in the neck)...
A difficult raptor to get right is the Goshawk.... males dont seem to be a problem but for some reason the female is a tough nut to crack. I am still looking for that perfect pattern for her... i think I have found it.... but I am just trying t perfect it at the moment. The best fitting block that I have in the dutch pattern is the "Tait" ... I can only describe it as a German Helmet shape.... but the pattern I am trying to master is a Pakistani hood specifically for the Gos and its the best fit I have seen for a Gos.
I have blabbered on enough here for the time being....it would be interesting to hear and see some examples of good fitting AND poor fitting hoods and general opinions on fit.
REMEMBER: The hood is the most important part of a falconers kit.... look after it.
I have opened this thread as a result of what has come out of discussion from other threads regarding hooding and problems with raptors being made to the hood.
The aim of this thread is to establish what is a "correct fit" and what is not.
As commercial hood maker I am not able to see the fit of one of my hoods in person the majority of the time...so I have to rely on the client falconer to be the judge. I always ask for a photo(s), if its possible, so that I can see the hood on the raptor and judge for myself when I receive it ... to see if the hood was adequate in fit. Another thing I will do is, when possible, send 2-3 hoods bracketting the size range for the raptor that judge will be correct according to its weight and species.
Another difficulty is the amount of Hybrids there are and the variation in shape and size of head that this brings.... its often quite difficult to judge and get right first or second time.
If a falconer brings the raptor to me for a hood fitting I like to try 2-3 hoods onto the bird and let it sit for 10-15 mins. This allows me to judge the comfort of the hood.... things that I look for, for example:-
The hood may look as though it fits the falcon when put on fresh..... and it might not bother the falcon for the first five minutes....
1. If the hood is slighlty too tight and is causing a pressure point somewhere then you will start to see the falcon scratching to hood excessivley.....
2. It might start to nod forward and shake its head as if something was pinching that nape of its neck
3. The bird might start open its gape (Yawn) and shake its head as if something was trapped in the corner of its mouth.
The above are some observations that are tell tale signs ...I will describe others as I get further into the thread.
Sign of a good fit.....after a short time in the hood or extended....
1. No movement can be detected by waving your hand in front & under the front of the hooded falcon
2. Settles quickly after hooding
3. the bird will start preening...
4. will rouse.....
5. Will sit queitly on the block and fluff up
6. Put a foot up
7. Will tuck its head in to sleep
8. Have a bomb go off next to it and keep steady!
**Note: Some falcons will naturally "star chase" for a short period after hooding but soon settle, or after being picked up from the block in the hood.
Happy falcon in hood..... (one of my Dutch hoods with covered soft parts of the gape BO)
http://www.m-jhoods.co.uk/images/hooded_arnold.jpg
Sign of a badly fitting or fitted hood:-
Observation when braces closed:
1. Raptor will almost immediatly try to get the hood off.. (extreme)
2. Will get vocal and panic lurching backwards... (extreme)
3. Moisture "circles" start to form on the outside of the hood after a very short period of time and they will appear as perfect circles (the falcon may appear not to be in discomfort) **Note: On a cold day you will get condensation in a fitting hood as the air temp on the outside of the hood is colder ...but it wont be a perfect circle it will appear as damp patches.
4. Fidgeting... not settling and scratching at the hood.
Observation when taking the hood off:
5. On taking the hood off you see clear but jelly like substance on the interior of the hood where the eye's have been after a prolonged period of being in the hood (the falcon may appear not to be in discomfort)
Signs of Hood shy'ness
1. On approach of the falconer with hood visible the raptor is vocal and bates away. (does not behave in the same way when falconer approaches without the hood visible). (Extreme or young bird)
2. When on the glove and the falconer produces the hood, the raptor bates and is vocal (Extreme or young bird)
3. Will try and dodge the hood persistently when hooding. (Mild or young bird) ** Note: bold colours in the hood or white seam lining strips can also make some raptors do this...solution is to darken the hood interior with a permanent marker lightly or purchase a hood with a one colour interior.
4. To be continued (as i think of them or you tell me them)
Hood makers around the world have their own patterns as well as the commercial patterns that are supplied with the various blocks that can be purchased now, a common hood block is the Ron Rollins hood block.... this is an excellent block to make hoods from if its an original block. There are badly produced copies as so often seen .... some copies of this particular block type are copies of copies and end up being badly out of shape and therefore a poor hood will result. I have some copy blocks and i have put them against the original blocks ...and you can visibly see the difference in shape. Ofcourse some original blocks are out of shape (not symmetrical) a good example is the Rollins size 11 or the Tait size 15 but this is compounded by poor copies and therefore not fit for use ....any hood made from these copies will have one side bigger than the other.
Another problem is patterns that are circulated...most people will receive a pattern that has been photocopied X amount of times and as a result will bare little relation to the orginal in fit....classic example is the Rollins pattern again.... they dont actually fit the original blocks.... I have a pattern that was sent to me by Ron Rollins himself (size 10L) ..I put it against the commercial patterns that Hawkmasters send out with their blocks....and its not the same.... and Ron has not changed his pattern. Thats is not to say that the patterns cant be used.... its just an observation of comparrison.
Falconers taste in hoods change over time.... if we go back 30-40 years in the UK, Phillip Glasier hoods were vogue and the Jack Mavro' pattern were issued in his books.... two totally different hood types and fit. Both falconers would have had their point of view on fit and what was best.... if we go back 100 years.. we have the hoods of Adriaan Mollen and his son.... considered to be the best fit of the day ... but all patterns are now not considered when making hoods now. Personally I think your hard pushed to get a better fitting Anglo Indian that a Jack Mavro..... but the modern falconer wont consider it because of its "look".... is that right.... we shall see! Here is a Jack Mavro pattern Anglo Indian on a Peregrine Tiercel....
http://www.m-jhoods.co.uk/images/Clients/NeilPT2.JPG
This is probably one of the best fitting Anglo Indian patterns...yet it seems modern falconers will not use this pattern hood for cosmetic reasons.... comments I have had are ...."its too pointy" and "its like a triangle" .... no mention of how well it fits the falcon...but it doesnt look good!
*** Jack Mavro Anglo Indian patterns can be found in his books "Hawk for the Bush" & "Falcon in the field"... modern editions of the books are cheaply available from Western Sporting publications in the US and also available from falconry book sellers here in the UK. You can also buy ready made hoods from me!
Another important part of the hood pattern is the beak opening... the gape. This "shape" varies considerably over time ....from the Mollen slot for example to the key hole type shape that we have today.... and if we take both examples used in the Dutch hood.... they both serve the same purpose to keep light out but have different levels of risk and comfort to the falcon. There are many issues that come with this simple device ...for example ....in North America some hood makers like to have the top of the beak opening "BO" placed at the top of the cere whereas here (in the UK) we like to have to top of the BO a good distance away from that point. Some hoodmakers will cover the soft parts of the beak and hide them away in the hood bringing the edge of the BO over the hardest part of the beak and others (myself included) will try to expose the soft parts. The latter being the harder method but the best in most opinions that I have come across....
This is an example of an excellent dutch hood gape.... but very hard to get it exactly right without trimming back with the falcon present....
http://www.merlinfalconry.com/images/opening.jpg
and here is my version on Sabs
http://www.m-jhoods.co.uk/images/examples/DutchMBlock1.JPG
Sign of a poor fitting Beak opening:-
Obsevations:-
1. Able to to see motion of hand waved in front whilst in the hood..
2. Able to jump off the block...and able to jump back on again...
3. Turning on the block as if chasing light...
4. Excessive "Star Chasing"
Physical:-
1. Pressure marks on soft part of the gape when unhooded...
2. Chaffing marks on the cere or nares...
3. Bleeding from any part of the gape...
I would say this, being a hoodmaker, but its worth your while buying 3-4 different hoods of the same size for your raptor if you can do it ....and 1 of those will fit it like a glove and the others can be used as back ups. I have made a few for my own falcon and have established a working hood and a travelling hood (wider eye bowl and looser fitting in the neck)...
A difficult raptor to get right is the Goshawk.... males dont seem to be a problem but for some reason the female is a tough nut to crack. I am still looking for that perfect pattern for her... i think I have found it.... but I am just trying t perfect it at the moment. The best fitting block that I have in the dutch pattern is the "Tait" ... I can only describe it as a German Helmet shape.... but the pattern I am trying to master is a Pakistani hood specifically for the Gos and its the best fit I have seen for a Gos.
I have blabbered on enough here for the time being....it would be interesting to hear and see some examples of good fitting AND poor fitting hoods and general opinions on fit.
REMEMBER: The hood is the most important part of a falconers kit.... look after it.