Quote Originally Posted by Martin Hollinshead View Post
Hi Oliver,
Has flying ‘out of the hood’ been mentioned? If it has and I’ve missed it – apologies.
There are several types of hawking where the bird is kept hooded until a good slip opportunity arises – which might take some time and walking. In my own case this involves flying a Harris at hares out of the hood: some hares will be too far; some not right due to the ground/terrain/wind; some may be in dangerous situations – and some simply the wrong animal for perhaps the novice hawk. The hood allows me to select slips carefully, remembering that a normally free-flown bird might not appreciate a lengthy search without being hooded.
Martin
I can see where this is helpful, but does it not take time to get the hood off once game as been spotted? Maybe it's just seconds that you are losing but what if you didn't have to keep the bird hooded. I am training my bird now that it shouldn't leave the glove unless I motion for it to do so. It's nothing big, just the slightest movement of the glove hand. Sort of like a dog is taught to point, wait, and not flush until given the S(d), or discriminative stimulus. I know that it sounds complicated or even impossible, but I think it can be done. Instead of the sight of game triggering the chase, while on the fist, it's the movement of the fist that gives the ok. My PRT is just 5 weeks or so off the trap, but she is catching on quick. Sometime we walk with her being free flown and sometimes we practice with her on the fist, but when and where is always up to me, not her.

Is there anyone that does this already with success?