Making Jesses for falconry: See the process for making leather jesses.

[@adrianforrester325]

Is there a right or wrong length for the jesses,or is it dependent on the size of bird ?

[@falconquest-birdsofprey7326]

It has been my experience that jesses that are too long tend to tangle around the birds legs more in certain situations. A gauge that I use is when the jesses are on the bird and the bird is on the glove with the swivel attached to the leash. While holding the jesses together in my glove to control the bird the swivel is just out past my glove. Not out hanging dangling but the swivel is out and exposed enough so that one can take on or off the swivel easily.

[@falconquest-birdsofprey7326]

Also, with too short of jesses if the bird pulls its leg up while you are trying to attach the swivel the bird can more easily pull the jess right through the glove freeing the leg altogether. We want to be able to hold the jesses together in our glove having control of the bird in case the bird bates before we have the swivel and leash attached.

[@adrianforrester325]

@@falconquest-birdsofprey7326 thanks for the reply that has cleared that up for me, one more question for now, how do you know the size of anklets if you haven't got the bird Infront of you because there legs are different sizes,I just want to have things prepared for when the time is right rather than rushing around at the last minute

[@falconquest-birdsofprey7326]

@@adrianforrester325 Great question. If you are purchasing the anklets you will order based upon species and gender of the bird. If you are making your own anklets you will most likely purchase leather similar to what you see in the video. I use jess leather for anklets all of the time. If I trap the bird I cast the bird, which the process I use is too long to place into words here. This will be the source of a new video in the near future. When the bird is constrained I then take the leather blank and measure around the bird leg. I cut the leather and use a hole punch for where the gromets will go. After the anklet is cut and the hole in place I put the leather around the leg and put in the gromet to be sure that it isn't too tight or loose. Then I a-fix the gromet. You are correct, you can't make the anklet very easily if you don't have the bird. I have all of my materials together then when I trap a bird I use the bird to get the correct size. If I have a bird transferred to me from someone else I ask them to put anklets on the bird. If I buy my anklets I buy according to species and gender of the bird. Take a look at my "How to use anklets, jesses, leash and swivel" video for additional information. Hope this helps you a little.

[@adrianforrester325]

@@falconquest-birdsofprey7326 thank you very much for a thorough explanation, no doubt I will have more questions in the future looking forward to seeing more of your videos thanks again