I figured I would ask for some help with this little problem that is getting to be quite frustrating...

Long story short: for 4 seasons I flew my MHH following on, at weight going from 600 to 700gr. His best hunting weight was around 620-630gr, but he always responded very well (meaning 100% response if not eating or looking at a potential prey) to the whistle, and 80-90% response to his name. I never lost him once, he was the type of hawk who came before being called, and I never resorted to bribing him with visible food. If I offer food, it's hidden in the glove while he doesn't look. When he doesn't eat all his ration while hunting, I give him the rest either while doing recalls on a heavy rope (rope training) or jump-ups.

This year I didn't go into the woods not even once, I'm tired of having trouble with hunters so I'm waiting for the moose season to end in november to go and free-fly him. So far I've been carhawking him on crows 5 times, he caught 3 crows and 1 ruffed grouse to which he didn't bind, unfortunately. He is very gamey, very motivated by the hunt, bates toward the car, look intently at anyting remotely looking like prey while I drive. He caught crows at 660gr, 650gr and 620gr and teh grouse at 610gr.

However, his recall has totally fallen appart! I've got NO response out of him when he misses a crow, it's like I'm invisible. That's the reason for playing with his weight so much, I even got him down to 600gr after totally skipping a day's meal with no results whatsoever, not even when I'm like 12 inches away from him (he will chitter excitedly at me then just like when he wants to be fed, but won't come to the glove).

It's becoming ridiculous. At home his response is always instant no matter his weight.

I'm stupid so I still fly him, looking for the best slips I can find and avoiding the more difficult ones, but I know I'm an idiot for doing this with a hawk who doesn't come when called... yet I can't refrain myself. What would you suggest? Of course I need to train him in the woods again, from small distance then increase the distance etc, but I'm trying to figure out what went wrong.

The cause is obscur to me: maybe he doesn't want to go back into the car, maybe he wants to stretch his wing and simply flying him free following on would resolve the issue, maybe he doesn't like the taste of crow meat which he has been eating on our outings for the last 2 weeks, maybe I flew him on the heavy creance too much and he feels like coming to me will be too difficult, etc... I really don't know. But I need to figure it out, make that unpleasant thing go away so coming back will be pleasant again...