Which Mounting Method?

[RLBagley]

It's usually the case that we start getting a lot of questions about which way is "best" for mounting transmitters this time of year as the number of calls increases related to getting transmitters for young birds.

This is a topic that can become heated pretty quick between falconers as there is no shortage of strong opinions.

Anyway, in an effort to help with making your decisions, we've added this section on Mounting Methods to the new Website.

Hopefully, some will find it helpful.
RB

[frootdog]

This is a topic that can become heated pretty quick between falconers as there is no shortage of strong opinions.
RB

Isn't that ANY topic when falconers are involved?

[Lowachi]

Isn't that ANY topic when falconers are involved?

got that right!!!!
Brandon got a back mount for graduation from a falconer friend, might just try it on the big tiercel

[frootdog]

got that right!!!!
Brandon got a back mount for graduation from a falconer friend, might just try it on the big tiercel

I'm doing track packs on the 3 HHs this year.

[mainefalconer]

Here's my "two cents" if I may;
I'm a huge proponent of backpack mounts on longwings, and I've installed them on many medium and large falcons with great results, but I would warn people about a disadvantage that does NOT appear on the Marshall website. If you're thinking of backpacking a Redtail, Gos, or HH, think longt and hard about the kind of cover that you're bird might be crashing through. The terminal tip of a tree branch or shrub could slide between the bird's skin and the backpack ribbon, hanging the bird up. I would guess that the chances are very slim of this happening, but I had a redtail get caught up pretty badly once and was lucky to be able to assist her in releasing herself from the predicament.

But I can't imagine anything going wrong with a falcon and in fact the lowered risk of electrocution makes it SO worth looking into backpacks.

[Dirthawking]

Scott, there are inherent risks with anything we do with our birds. I would be more worried about somebodies bird flying into a window, than a tree branch going between the back pack and the skin. Then again, if fitted properly, this should not happen as easy, if at all. Just saying....

[Tony James]

It's usually the case that we start getting a lot of questions about which way is "best" for mounting transmitters this time of year as the number of calls increases related to getting transmitters for young birds.

This is a topic that can become heated pretty quick between falconers as there is no shortage of strong opinions.

Anyway, in an effort to help with making your decisions, we've added this section on Mounting Methods to the new Website.

Hopefully, some will find it helpful.
RB

Well done Robert, I can see that being a very useful reference point for falconers, particularly beginners.
It makes an interesting point regarding prejudices based on outdated reasoning, and it has to be a good thing to encourage falconers as you have, to consider the options based on their circumstances as well as the most up to date equipment.
It would be a shame to see falconers adopt an inflexible position on the subject, as that would inevitably lead to a limiting of their options, when, given what needs to be taken into account with individual hawks, keeping your options open is the most sensible route.

Best wishes,

Tony.

PS I hope you don't mind, but I've copied the link to the forum that really can get heated

[eminart]

Hey guys, I bought a receiver and am planning to put a transmitter on my red tail for the first time this season.

Just wondering, now that the trackpacks have been used a couple more years, if the opinions of them are still the same?

I fly my bird without jesses, and like to keep his legs and feet as uncluttered as possible. Just anklets and bells there. And, I worry about a tail mount, because with the amount of heavy brush that my bird crashes, I can envision some pulled tail feathers with that type of mount. So, that brings me to a trackpack.

Have any new negatives about them surfaced? Any more positive reviews?

[hcmcelroy]

Robert,

As you know I've used the back pack since before your company developed the more advanced design now called the trackpack. Your design has worked nicely for my hawks over the years and has been safe. Kimsey mentions using it on research and my guess it has been used on many thousands of research birds of various species in past years.

I like the Scout transmitter with the off/on switch on my gos and HH because the battery is good for months and mount mine relatively loosely. They stay on through the molt.

I must be dreaming because after all these years of searching I feel that my telemetry needs are answered. The Scout is reliable to the extreme. Thanks!

Harry.

[Dirthawking]

Ditto with the backpack and scout!

[Ross]

I have used a trac-pack on a retail and liked it. The scout would be a great transmitter for a RT.

[FredFogg]

Hey guys, I bought a receiver and am planning to put a transmitter on my red tail for the first time this season.

Just wondering, now that the trackpacks have been used a couple more years, if the opinions of them are still the same?

I fly my bird without jesses, and like to keep his legs and feet as uncluttered as possible. Just anklets and bells there. And, I worry about a tail mount, because with the amount of heavy brush that my bird crashes, I can envision some pulled tail feathers with that type of mount. So, that brings me to a trackpack.

Have any new negatives about them surfaced? Any more positive reviews?

Scott, I used a trackpack on my HH with a Scout and she crashed brush after rabbits and I never had a problem. Well, let me correct that, after she caught a rabbit in the brush one time, I looked down and I could see the shiny battery in her transmitter on the backpack. The lid had come off. But I think that was more of a transmitter problem of the lid not staying on tight than anything to do with the backpack. Luckily, I found the lid and just screwed it back on. Pretty neat that the battery stayed in too! I don't think you will go wrong with the backpack and Scout setup on a red-tail. And like Harry, I love the tap on/tap off. I left the transmitter on my HH all season and took it off at the end of the season. She is molting just fine with the backpack still on.

[sugezwolf]

Hey guys, I bought a receiver and am planning to put a transmitter on my red tail for the first time this season.

Just wondering, now that the trackpacks have been used a couple more years, if the opinions of them are still the same?

I fly my bird without jesses, and like to keep his legs and feet as uncluttered as possible. Just anklets and bells there. And, I worry about a tail mount, because with the amount of heavy brush that my bird crashes, I can envision some pulled tail feathers with that type of mount. So, that brings me to a trackpack.

Have any new negatives about them surfaced? Any more positive reviews?

Hi Scott - I was always a big fan of backpacks.....using them even before Marshall became involved. However I won't risk using one again after what happened to my tiercel a couple seasons back.



Gerry x

[Dirthawking]

What happened?

[sugezwolf]

What happened?

Hi Mario - he took a drake just as it was heading back to a brook lined by a barbed wire fence and the p-max caught on one of the strands of wire. Fortunately the cross-over stitch on the keel pulled apart to act as a sort of shock-absorber and he got away with bruising & minor cuts.

Gerry x

[Tony James]

Hi Mario - he took a drake just as it was heading back to a brook lined by a barbed wire fence and the p-max caught on one of the strands of wire. Fortunately the cross-over stitch on the keel pulled apart to act as a sort of shock-absorber and he got away with bruising & minor cuts.

Gerry x

Frankly Gerry, I'm surprised there haven't been more accidents like that. After all, if a tail mounted transmitter has the potential to snag, surely a back mounted one is equally likely to do so?

Regards,

Tony.

[Chris L.]

Scott my HH is going on 4th molt this year with same trackpack. She has never had any issues. I like power max and a trackpack for my HH or any larger bird. If I can fit a bird with a trackpack it gets. In my opinion, its the best mounting method out there. You can't go wrong with any combo of Marshall telemetry with the trackpack

[460shooter]

I use only trackpacks now. I even have one on my eyas tiercel kestrel now. I have the Micro from marshall on it, and it stays on him all the time, except to change batteries. It is so easy to just hit it with a magnet, and get after it!

I'm sold on the trackpacks.

[eminart]

Thanks for the responses, everyone. Your endorsements have set my mind at ease. It seems like the best way to go for what I need. I'm going to try to get my bird outfitted before the season starts.

[eminart]

Well, crap. It appears there are risks to everything.

[RT Alison]

While imprinting my coops I took extra effort in handling JUST so mounting a trackpak would be a breeze. Lots of time spent touch the bird's back, underneath the wings, etc. When it came time for the install, he just sat unhooded on the perch watching me put it on without so much as a single bate... or bite. I still added a tail clip for a tail saver wrap or a second transmitter.

My HH is just now tame enough to get hers installed. Again I have been expanding the human touch routines to include reaching fingers under her folded wings and lots of back touching. I also trained this one to the hood so I don't expect any real behavior issues in the install. Again, she will continue to have a tail clip for a tail saver wrap or second tranny.

[RT Alison]

This is why I like the Trackpak mounting system. My tiny male Coops, Ehrler, is wearing one with a Merlin transmitter in this photo.

[eminart]

Looks good, Michael. That's one thing I like about them too. Or, that I think I WOULD like about them.

[BestBeagler]

Well, I tried one on my sharpie and did not care for it. I love the principle but did not like it on my sharpie. His feathers never laid right no matter how much preening and rousing he did. Even with my help preening. I had it on him for a short while and cut it off finally. I couldn't stand those odd feathers not laying right. In fact, after I took it off he preened himself more and was just overall happier in the care of himself. I might try it on a bigger bird and see how I like it. Also, I was talking to another falconer and we agreed the down side is that you can't see what's going on with that ribbon under all those feathers. You have to be very vigilant in making sure it's a good fit. That means misting the bird down so you can see what's going on. This is just what think after having used it on one bird. My friend uses them exclusively and loves them I do to but they have their downsides like all the mounting methods.

[RT Alison]

If the band is too loose, displaced feathers are going to occur a lot more often. I noticed this after one installation settled in and a larger gap was available under the plate. I carefully picked the glue off, managed to use hemostats to clip onto the ends, relieve tension on the brass tube, then tighten up for a better fit. The displaced feathers greatly reduced at that point. Once the thing is correctly fitted snug, but not too tight, the plate and bands no longer shift around causing feathers to skew.

[hcmcelroy]

Isaac,

No doubt some hawks will not do well with any mounting system as you say but I've ignored feathers being out of place and leave the harness on for years. At times feathers are displaced during the molt but eventually they go back down. My 4th year HH and 3 year gos are ending the molt with the original harness at this time with no problem.
I mount them rather loosely so they do not become tight during the molt.

Harry.