I redesigned my Squirrel Chaps for this next season . After viewing many photographs of My hawk and others In action I decided the toe guards on my squirrel chaps were more of a hindrance than a bonus. They always seemed to slide up the tarsus during a strike rendering their purpose obsolete at the least if not blocking the hawks view of her toe placement .
I still wanted the double layer of Bison leather for the tarsus guard and placed the metal studs as distractors...
It is good to have an end to Journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the End. - Ernest Hemingway
I prefer the look of the raised grain in bison ,It has a tougher grain per mm & More dense yet supple leather . I use a thick coat of NurtureSeal and apply low heat for it to soak in to the chaps . Then I buff it out with a cotton rag , Glove, etc and let sit in form for a few days before placing on my hawks . So far they last all season and take repeated abuse .
Last Edit: Aug 30, 2012 8:28:33 GMT -5 by echotadog
It is good to have an end to Journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the End. - Ernest Hemingway
Joby , Sure I can , PM me your address I'll send you some blanks in a standard envelope . If anyone has any design ideas for a loop for the bells to be attached to the anklet I'd welcome the input ... My Sponsor gave me the pattern I was using the past few seasons with the toe guards and I Altered the base pattern of those . The grommet tabs sit higher off the toes on these to keep the protection where it counts .
This year if you plan a trip down through middle TN I will host you and your hawks on my farm so I can see them action .
Last Edit: Aug 30, 2012 8:32:46 GMT -5 by echotadog
It is good to have an end to Journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the End. - Ernest Hemingway
Thanks!! I'll shoot you a PM. Regarding your Bell Spring question, have you ever seen a set of Gary Brewer squirrel chaps? He's got them up and off the side with what he calls a "bell spring". PM me your e-mail address and I'll send you a copy of his plans.
I have never been able to get the bell springs to hold up. After a short time the bell droops and ends up dangling down and hitting the toes. Traditional bewits seem to last the longest and work best for me.
I'm thinking this year I'd try using a tail bell instead of messing with a bell on the chaps/leg. Is that a silly idea? I've never used a tail bell before so I don't really know much about them, but I'm liking the idea of one less thing hanging off the leg for me to have to mess with as I change back and forth from anklets to chaps.
These chaps are permanent and have lasted a full year only to be removed by my choice . No worries about switching out on hunt days . I feel , here I go projecting human emotion on hawks , that they are better off ( accuracy wise ) keeping the heavier gloves on between the fights .
I recently talked to a friend about tail bells , they are louder when on a kill and even if your hawk knows to silence its feet while hiding on a Kill they will still move their tail for balance . That said , I already use a tail mount for telemetry and don't want to add any weight to the deck ... A few guys around TN use neck bells on their accipiters but I have no experience with them to weigh in on usefulness ...
It is good to have an end to Journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the End. - Ernest Hemingway
I definitely want to try these this year. Last season I used a pair of Brewer style chaps. I had no problems with them, but taking them on and off every day is a pain in the A__ that I never did get real comfortable with.
These chaps are permanent and have lasted a full year only to be removed by my choice . No worries about switching out on hunt days . I feel , here I go projecting human emotion on hawks , that they are better off ( accuracy wise ) keeping the heavier gloves on between the fights .
I agree with echo here. I hunt only squirrel with my hawk. My hawks chaps are very similar I kind of think of them as hybrid squirrel chaps/anklets. The leather does not cover the feet just like these ones, and they are permanent as well. 20 squirrels with these on and so far no damage to the bird. I have even seen my hawk look down many times at her catch while bringing it to the ground, and changing her grip mid air to grab the head better. I don't think she would have as clear a picture as to where to grab if she had say a brewer chap on her foot.
Also it is allot less hassle as well. Yours look great.
Question: is that chrome stud on there for decoration, or is it there to draw the squirrels attention to it?
Last Edit: Aug 30, 2012 10:59:10 GMT -5 by nanahawk