Quote Originally Posted by PeteJ View Post
If it is spending hours trying to get the hood off then probably that isn't funny, but probably the hood is not fitting well. As for where to stand when around someone else when they are fist hunting their bird? Most lookie loos do not keep up appropriately to be on the backside of your bird and the bird will notice it and will be distracted by that person. If they could talk this sort of behavior (looking back over there shoulder at the laggard) they would say "Keep up or go home!" As such it is better to be off to the far side of the hawk with the falconer in between, less distracting there and the hawk will treat you like you don't matter one bit to them.
Hours was an exageration, but it was pretty funny. I don't put it on and annoy her with it for my own entertainment, I'm not mean. I had my sponsor check it out and he hasn't seen anything wrong with the hood, like I said we are working on it. I will check into the fitting again just to make sure that it's right, thank you for pointing this out. I walk with her on the fist occasionally and I have a friend that also goes with us nine times out of ten. My friend is also a professional animal trainer with experience in marine mammals, birds, primates, etc. Sometimes he will walk right next to the hawk, maybe 2-3 feet off her back and she doesn't seem to care, I don't even hold her jesses.