insure imprint handles giant hood well

[goshawks00]

Paul,
If possible let's try and keep these threads separated. I can tell you what I do, and I'll preface it with nary a broken bent feather if at least a decade.
(How's that for thumbing my nose at Murphy?)

The hawk learns that the GH is a GOOD thing. I do lots of feeding in the GH with a light on. The hawk is brought to the GH with the food already in the GH. Once he or she sees the food in there, they hop right in... The door is closed with a light on inside it. After a bit the light is turned off and the hawk is in there for the count. Now then Let me back up, you can start this at any age, but it best learned in the evening so the hawk will be there for the night. I have seen my goshawks fly in and sleep in their GH,even after a couple of years not being exposed to them.
BTW my gos is riding in the truck unhooded.

[keitht]

Barry:

My practice is very similar. I too place food in the GH and the gos quickly learns that it is a food source. It has always worked best for me when they are started out while still young and not as well when started too late.

What I like to do is drive around with them in the GH while they are still young. (I'm starting that this week with mine) Then as they get a bit older and I start cutting their rations back a bit, I began feeding them in it.

But I can't say I've never had a bird bend a tail feather in there. If for no other reason, they tend to get very ancy and bounce around a bit in anticipation of being let out to hunt. I still prefer for them to wear a tail-saver.

I am thinking of trying a bit different perch arrangement. What kind of perch are you using in the GH - a regular perch or shelf perch setup?

[JRedig]

You guys should preface it with what style/shape and size of GH you are using...

[pj_elia]

Barry,
Sorry, for muddying up Thor's thread. Feel free to have a moderator take out my junk.

Anyway, sounds like something we need to try. I know we were missing something along the way. Thanks for explaining. I assume you are using a standard size GH instead of a narrow one assuming they need room to eat on the bottom of the hood?? Mantling is not an issue since you close the door and leave them to eat alone, right?

[FredFogg]

Barry,
Sorry, for muddying up Thor's thread. Feel free to have a moderator take out my junk.

Anyway, sounds like something we need to try. I know we were missing something along the way. Thanks for explaining. I assume you are using a standard size GH instead of a narrow one assuming they need room to eat on the bottom of the hood?? Mantling is not an issue since you close the door and leave them to eat alone, right?

Paul, I may be mistaken but if my memory is correct and Barry can confirm this the next time he is on but I think he uses a shelf perch with a edge on the shelf so the food stays on the shelf and doesn't fall to the floor. My buddy that made my gh made one for my giant hood and if I can find a picture of it, I will post it later. If not, I will take a picture of it out of the gh and inside the gh and show you. I pretty much used what Barry described to train my imprint coops to the gh and I could put a tidbit on the perch and she would fly right in. Not sure if you ever saw my carhawking video but at the end, you can see where I just hold her near the gh and she flys right in.

Found a couple pictures.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/FredrickFogg/P8010006.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/FredrickFogg/P8010001.jpg

[goshawks00]

Thanks Fred, pictures are worth a thousand words...

Paul, Fred's hood is real close to what I use, My only recommendation is to make sure the "round end' where the hawks feet will hang on to is big enough around that he can get a good grip, and is comfortable..

Other than that, it needs a light, and fan is used in hot weather. Fred did you make your GH? Looks great!! BTW It appears that the shelf may be made to pull out, is that right?

Re-looking at the pic., on other important thing I would change, would be to block off the bottom underneath the platform so the hawk doesn't end up under the platform. Hint , if I were making another GH I would make the space under the platform a drawer that pulls out to the side of the GH, a perfect place to keep and or store all those things we carry with us... such as extra leash, swivel, batteries, glove, flashlight,etc...

[allredone]

Nice work Fred. Yes seems like the perch tube could be higher to allow the bird to wrap the front talons around a bit more. I like that drawer idea barry. This is funny that the bird faces in with this box. Does the bird whip around the moment you open the door or face the wrong way ever?

[goshawks00]

I have never seen them ride backwards, and yes they do have to turn around to come out. I think if they sat backwards it would be uncomfortable on their tail, so they don't. If and when I build my next one ( still using the very first one I ever made) I will make the door on the side. I like my GH long and it's a pain reaching into it while leaning over the tailgate to get the hawk out.

[Squirrelhawkin]

a drawer that pulls out to the side of the GH, a perfect place to keep and or store all those things we carry with us... such as extra leash, swivel, batteries, glove, flashlight,etc...

Barry,the drawer is a good idea.My buddy makes hoods with a drawer.Here's a pic of the one he made me.
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc156/goshawkin/Photo191.jpg

[hcmcelroy]

Paul,

I've flown a number of gos over the years but I don't know them well because of the heat and our limited prey base. Are you saying you put the passage gos in the GH before the hunt without the hood?

Harry.

[Ken S.]

I found these pictures from the goshawk I raised years ago and thought I'd share. I'll preface this by saying that I have very little experience with this stuff but since this worked for me I'm humbly chiming in.

There's a woodstove in the room she was raised in so I had it covered with a tarp to protect from mutes, so it acted as a shelf for her to sleep on once she started hopping up there. You'll see that in the pictures below. With her nest basket and bowperch placed on the floor next to it, she regularly jumped up to that spot to sleep and it became a favorite, (probably because it was higher than the perch). I recognized this, so one day I put a large giant hood on top of it, with the door open and the perch removed and a towel on the floor(same color/model towel that was in her nest basket for whatever that's worth). She was leashed to a bowperch right below it. In fact you'll see from the old pictures below that I used a taller bowperch so it was about eye level with her. She jumped up there on her own to sleep on the floor of the box that was in her spot. Hopping up into the wide open giant hood was something she did on her own each evening to sleep, even after I put the perch back in, and I was able to close the door for longer and longer periods of time. I don't know if I have a picture of her laying down in the box, I'll look more later.

I know when she got a little older I did feed her in there a few times to reinforce it, and I just put a flashlight propped up in there for light and closed the door, etc.

http://photos.imageevent.com/saubier/falconry/websize/Day38-1.JPG

http://photos.imageevent.com/saubier/falconry/websize/Day44-1.JPG

Hope this helps...

[FredFogg]

Thanks Fred, pictures are worth a thousand words...

Paul, Fred's hood is real close to what I use, My only recommendation is to make sure the "round end' where the hawks feet will hang on to is big enough around that he can get a good grip, and is comfortable..

Other than that, it needs a light, and fan is used in hot weather. Fred did you make your GH? Looks great!! BTW It appears that the shelf may be made to pull out, is that right?

Re-looking at the pic., on other important thing I would change, would be to block off the bottom underneath the platform so the hawk doesn't end up under the platform. Hint , if I were making another GH I would make the space under the platform a drawer that pulls out to the side of the GH, a perfect place to keep and or store all those things we carry with us... such as extra leash, swivel, batteries, glove, flashlight,etc...

Barry, it has a light and fan. And no, I didn't make it, my skills aren't anywhere in that range. LOL Ling on here made it. And yes, the shelf does come out. I put the rubber mat on there so I can't blame Ling for the end not being big enough around, it is glued on there and I plan on peeling it back off the end and putting some pipe insulation on the ends and then glueing the mat back around that so the end will be larger as you described. And yeah, I am going to install a wall under the shelf and make it into a storage compartment. The shelf pops out and I can pop in a sisal rope wrapped perch. I used that same box for my 50 oz red-tail Sally last year.

Light and fan and with round perch for red-tail.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/FredrickFogg/P8010010.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/FredrickFogg/P8010003.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/FredrickFogg/P8010012.jpg

[goshawks00]

Very nice Fred, I have toyed with getting Ling to make me a new GH , just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

[FredFogg]

Very nice Fred, I have toyed with getting Ling to make me a new GH , just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Hmmm, I can probably persuade him for say.....a gos or a spar or a sharpie! ROFLMAO jaww:D

But seriously, Ling has more skills that I could ever dream of having. His gh's are fantastic, all his equipment is top notch and every time I see one of his new hoods, I can see they are getting better and better. I know this is a bold statement, but I think he has the skills to be one of the top notch hood makers in the U.S. All he needs is just more experience and he will be there. And on top of that, he is a great guy. I helped him make those giant hoods and when I say, helped him, I just tried to stay out of his way and he pretty much gave them to me at material cost. My only mistake was not getting to be his sponsor and then I could have gotten everything for free! LOL :eek: :D

[pj_elia]

Paul,

I've flown a number of gos over the years but I don't know them well because of the heat and our limited prey base. Are you saying you put the passage gos in the GH before the hunt without the hood?

Harry.


Harry,
I'm no expert in goshawks, my bother and I have been flying them only for the last 6 seasons. We hawk 2 or 3 of them between the 2 of us each season. Most of the passage goshawks hooded well for us and we would hood them to and from the field usually perched on a car seat or held on a passengers fist. We will use the GH with or without the hood primarily after the hunt to either let them finish eating or to contain the mutes once they are full of food.

[pj_elia]

Fred,

Those hoods look great. So I guess both you and Barry use the narrow variety? I have some work to do. I will be modifying one this week to match.

Thanks.

[Saluqi]

I went through about 3-4 different designs of GH for my female imprint gos before I found one that she was content with, and didn't wreck her feathers. I tried a round plastic barrel with a block in the center, she'd bate off the block and snapped two tails feathers, next I put a shelf in it and it worked better but barrel was too short, height wise, for a female. After that I tried a narrow box, that was the worst, she'd covered with crap and didn't like the claustrophobia. Finally settled on a BIG GH, 22" wide, 28" deep, and 30" high, with a front facing shelf and interior lighting like Barry described. She was always happy to enter the box and content for hours in it, no broken feathers or mutes all over her. I have some other design features that I'll show that are useful if I can find the pics I'll post them later.

[ikcus]

I found these pictures from the goshawk I raised years ago and thought I'd share. I'll preface this by saying that I have very little experience with this stuff but since this worked for me I'm humbly chiming in.

There's a woodstove in the room she was raised in so I had it covered with a tarp to protect from mutes, so it acted as a shelf for her to sleep on once she started hopping up there. You'll see that in the pictures below. With her nest basket and bowperch placed on the floor next to it, she regularly jumped up to that spot to sleep and it became a favorite, (probably because it was higher than the perch). I recognized this, so one day I put a large giant hood on top of it, with the door open and the perch removed and a towel on the floor(same color/model towel that was in her nest basket for whatever that's worth). She was leashed to a bowperch right below it. In fact you'll see from the old pictures below that I used a taller bowperch so it was about eye level with her. She jumped up there on her own to sleep on the floor of the box that was in her spot. Hopping up into the wide open giant hood was something she did on her own each evening to sleep, even after I put the perch back in, and I was able to close the door for longer and longer periods of time. I don't know if I have a picture of her laying down in the box, I'll look more later.

I know when she got a little older I did feed her in there a few times to reinforce it, and I just put a flashlight propped up in there for light and closed the door, etc.

Thanks for sharing this Ken.

[goshawks00]

[QUOTE=FredFogg;197120]Hmmm, I can probably persuade him for say.....a gos or a spar or a sharpie! ROFLMAO


DEAL !!!! What color of sharpie do you want...red, purple, orange... shoot Fred I'll send you a whole box with all the colors you would ever desire... Thanks!!!! What a great offer, I take back almost everything I've said about you.

[hcmcelroy]

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/hcmcelroy/Gos7-12018xy.jpg

Here's a photo of Don Quijote inside his transport box.

[hcmcelroy]

Those boxes several of you sent are impressive.

The box with Quixote inside eating was yesterday at 50 days of age. This coroplast box is the Coulson design with the perch 6" from the front to encourage the hawk to sit facing forward. It is 23" long by 23" high so when facing forward the hawk's tail will not touch the rear wall. I've used this design for HH, Aplomados and gos for over a decade. They are lightweight and not stable in the wind so some hawkers do not like coroplast but it is cheap!

Harry.

[laj]

WOW Fred, thanks for the kind words!

I made this GH for a friend who is imprinting a male gos this year. It is 24"X24"X18", with light and fan. 1 of 3 I've ever made in this style. It has a pull out box perch for easy cleaning and a compartment for storage. There are holes in one of the shelf for hanging jesses, transmitter, etc.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/lajudoka/IMG_20110508_235456.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/lajudoka/IMG_20110508_235605.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/lajudoka/IMG_20110508_235548.jpg

This was the first one I made in this style. Same dimension, but with a wireless camera system that I can see when the bird is done eating on my drive back home. It has an infrared camera that can see the bird in complete darkness and the monitor attached to my sunvisor. Never used it much, just something I thought was neat crazyy
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/lajudoka/falconry%20misc/DSC00371.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/lajudoka/falconry%20misc/DSC00368.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/lajudoka/falconry%20misc/DSC00361.jpg

[pj_elia]

WOW Fred, thanks for the kind words!

I made this GH for a friend who is imprinting a male gos this year. It is 24"X24"X18", with light and fan. 1 of 3 I've ever made in this style. It has a pull out box perch for easy cleaning and a compartment for storage. There are holes in one of the shelf for hanging jesses, transmitter, etc.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/lajudoka/IMG_20110508_235456.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/lajudoka/IMG_20110508_235605.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/lajudoka/IMG_20110508_235548.jpg

This was the first one I made in this style. Same dimension, but with a wireless camera system that I can see when the bird is done eating on my drive back home. It has an infrared camera that can see the bird in complete darkness and the monitor attached to my sunvisor. Never used it much, just something I thought was neat crazyy
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/lajudoka/falconry%20misc/DSC00371.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/lajudoka/falconry%20misc/DSC00368.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/lajudoka/falconry%20misc/DSC00361.jpg


That is an awesome box. Let me know when you are taking any orders. What is the box made out of? Is it polycorbonate?

[goshawks00]

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x341/hcmcelroy/Gos7-12018xy.jpg

Here's a photo of Don Quijote inside his transport box.
************************************************
Harry what am I missing here... Is there a door at each end of the GH?
Surely he isn't jumping over the perch is he?

Coroplast is good stuff , but be careful of the edges they can cut like a knife..

[NMHighPlains]

That is an awesome box.

That's incredible.

It looks space worthy.

[FredFogg]

[QUOTE=FredFogg;197120]Hmmm, I can probably persuade him for say.....a gos or a spar or a sharpie! ROFLMAO


DEAL !!!! What color of sharpie do you want...red, purple, orange... shoot Fred I'll send you a whole box with all the colors you would ever desire... Thanks!!!! What a great offer, I take back almost everything I've said about you.

Hey, what have you said about me! Wait.....I probably wouldn't want to know! LOL toungeout :D

[laj]

That is an awesome box. Let me know when you are taking any orders. What is the box made out of? Is it polycorbonate?

Thanks. It is made of 1/4" ABS. The seams are chemically welded, so no framing or screws required to construct the box itself. Only a few aluminum rivets and stainless screws used for other parts. I am too busy with work and family to consider taking any orders at the moment. I only have time to make a few box a year.

[hcmcelroy]

Barry,

Yes, disgraceful as it may be he is jumping over the perch to reach the food which is on a white saucer.

If I may repeat myself once they are hunting I tidbit through a side vent once they enter the box and they are eager to return to the truck to get inside.

Agreed coroplast edges can be sharp. But a 4 x8 sheet only costs $17 here, no painting and it can be washed out with a garden hose.

Harry.

[hcmcelroy]

Ling,

Your box is incredible! I would love to examine one up close.

Harry.

[goshawks00]

Barry,

Yes, disgraceful as it may be he is jumping over the perch to reach the food which is on a white saucer.

If I may repeat myself once they are hunting I tidbit through a side vent once they enter the box and they are eager to return to the truck to get inside.

Agreed coroplast edges can be sharp. But a 4 x8 sheet only costs $17 here, no painting and it can be washed out with a garden hose.

Harry.

Gulp........... may I make a suggestion... it's free and won't hurt much:D, why not put a box or platform of some type in there that he can hop up on, might help save his tail.
Returning to the GH is a biggie for me also, many times coming out of the field esp. on a cold evening, my goshawks will fly a long way to get to the GH. Remember my birds do not get fed in the field no matter what... they are fed in the GH, they know , I know , and they know I know it, so it's a done deal.

Coroplast it a great piece of material, I have it inside my old GH , all edges are taped with 200 mph duct-tape, which withstands even my power washer. That said I have never made one pout of just coroplast.

[allredone]

WOW Fred, thanks for the kind words!

I made this GH for a friend who is imprinting a male gos this year. It is 24"X24"X18", with light and fan. 1 of 3 I've ever made in this style. It has a pull out box perch for easy cleaning and a compartment for storage. There are holes in one of the shelf for hanging jesses, transmitter, etc.
This was the first one I made in this style. Same dimension, but with a wireless camera system that I can see when the bird is done eating on my drive back home. It has an infrared camera that can see the bird in complete darkness and the monitor attached to my sunvisor. Never used it much, just something I thought was neat crazyy



Oh my goodness!!

Nice design. Great execution.

[Ken S.]

Thanks. It is made of 1/4" ABS. The seams are chemically welded, so no framing or screws required to construct the box itself. Only a few aluminum rivets and stainless screws used for other parts. I am too busy with work and family to consider taking any orders at the moment. I only have time to make a few box a year.

Yes, I still want one of those! Just let me know when you're ready...

[allredone]

Ling.

Could I get one with keyless entry? How bout a LoJack system? A retina scanner would also be nice. ;).

Seriously those are fantastic.

Great work! What do you do professionally?

[laj]

Yes, I still want one of those! Just let me know when you're ready...
I will Ken.


Ling.

Could I get one with keyless entry? How bout a LoJack system? A retina scanner would also be nice. ;).

Seriously those are fantastic.

Great work! What do you do professionally?

Thanks Aaron. And I thought I went overboard with just a camera.

I manage a restaurant. I've build many big aquariums out of acrylic when I was into fish keeping a long time ago. Making a giant hood is not much different from fish tanks. Just something I enjoy tinkering with.

[hcmcelroy]

Barry,

Interesting that you don't feed in the field. I would suppose that your gos are searching for your truck if separated from you even with a full crop?

Yes almost pure coroplast along with floor and perch covering, leather straps as handles and a few tabs of velcro as door fasteners...I'm a minimalist.

Harry.

[goshawks00]

Barry,

Interesting that you don't feed in the field. I would suppose that your gos are searching for your truck if separated from you even with a full crop?

I'm a minimalist.

Harry.

I don't know Harry, I've never lost a bird in the field. I was separated from one once but it was at dark after a long pheasant chase went across a river. I had to drive 10 miles to the next bridge, 10 miles back to where I lost her, then 1/2 mile in to where I found her in a tree. She had missed the bird and I suppose took post over where it put in. Luckily she was trained to come down to a flashlight lit lure.

BTW I tend to a minimalist too. So much so I had to use a boot once to call down a goshawk!!:D

[pj_elia]

Well I decided to make another GH last night with parts I had already. I wanted to get something going quick to start this eyas on. I had this extra large dog kennel I used to mail my sick RT and a freshly trapped Harlan's home from a Kansas NAFA meet around 7 or 8 years ago. Anyway I cut and sandwhiched it together to make it a little smaller and built the perch and shelf. I'll use cloroplast to cover the door and holes on the side. I need and handle and a light. We'll see how it goes.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/pj_elia/2011-07-13221656.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/pj_elia/2011-07-13221404.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/pj_elia/2011-07-13221338.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/pj_elia/2011-07-13221318.jpg

[pj_elia]

By the way, we fed him in it this morning, and left it open in the yard. We came out a few minutes later and he finished eating and was lying down on top of the box.

[hcmcelroy]

Barry,

A picture of that boot lure retrieve would be worth a thousand.

Paul,

The revised box looks good. I can see the cut down the side. What are the dimensions?

Harry.

[goshawks00]

Barry,

A picture of that boot lure retrieve would be worth a thousand.
Harry.




DOLLARS????????????

[pj_elia]

Barry,

Paul,

The revised box looks good. I can see the cut down the side. What are the dimensions?

Harry.

I sandwiched to 28" long. Its about 26" high and 20" wide.

[pj_elia]

Hey guys, just wanted to follow-up on this some more. Our guy still does not like the box. He gets all his meals in there and he has to be hungrier to eat in the box than outside it. When he finishes his meal he immediately turns around and jumps at the door. If he is placed in there with no food, he'll sit still for less than a minute or not at all and bate against the door. We're trying to keep all the GH experiences positive but I'm starting to wonder if we missed our window in getting him to like the giant hood buy not putting his nest box in there when he was only weeks old. Low light doesn't seem to matter but I have yet to try complete darkness. We try to use the GH to and from the hack site every day but the one minute drive will have numerous bates against the door. He still takes the traditional hood well which we slip on and off occasionally.