Merlin Hoods

I offer Dutch and Indian hoods for merlins. My hoods are crafted with an emphasis on
light-weight and comfort. I've made merlin hoods for falconers across the country for
the past 12 years. You won't find a better fitting hood for your merlin.

 

Hoods & Boxes

Whether to hood your merlin or not is personal preference. I hood my merlins but I have a lot of hooding experience. Merlins do fine traveling in either a hood or a box. The box has the advantage of safety. Passage merlins are typically very difficult to hood. Therefore if you do not have hooding experience I would recommend using the box with your first merlin, you have enough new things to learn. Clumsy handling of the hood-training process will slow your training.

 Hoods

merlinhooded.jpg (46567 bytes)I like Indian style hoods (pictured) for merlins. Indian hoods are typically lighter and merlins seem to prefer the wider beak opening. I use Mavrogordato patterns and kangaroo leather. All of my females have worn either a 4.8 or 5.0 size hood. Don't use a loose fitting hood, your bird will easily learn to take it off. The opening in the back should close all the way or nearly so. The beak opening should not touch any part of the birds mouth.

Boxes

I’ve never used a box with a hunting merlin. However, I know a few falconers that do with good results. Merlins travel very well in a box and it provides a safe environment for your bird, especially if you also travel with larger raptors.

(I'm presently using a box with my female merlin, Lilly. I plan to add to this section soon.)

Dutch Hoods

Available for both female and Jack merlins. Made from the best merlin pattern and block I have found. The pattern has been scanned into a computer and corrected for exact symmetry - the beak opening has been refined over the past 10 years to provide a perfect fit.
I rarely find quality calf thin enough to make merlin hoods from so my Dutch hoods are typically crafted from kangaroo. These hoods are hand sewn and burnished to a high gloss. Gortex braces available.

   

jack merlin hood with minor tooling

Another Jack Hood

Dutch Hoods $60.00
Add $5.00 for Gortex braces

Indian Hoods

My Indian hoods patterns are derived from Mavrogordato patterns. They have been scanned and corrected for exact symmetry - like my Dutch hoods the beak opening has been refined to provide a comfortable fit.
My Indian hoods are made from kangaroo hide. I finish them with a lacquer based gloss finish that aids in weatherproofing.

 

Indian Hoods for Trapping (glued, no dye) $40.00 - Sewn and dyed with Gortex Braces $50.00
 

If you prefer to make your own hoods, here are a few of my patterns.
These are for typical female columbarius merlins.

I also make Dutch hoods for a variety of falcon species. I often sell hoods on Ebay. But, if you would like to order a Dutch hood the price is $80.00