Easy Steps to making jesses

Step One –
Measure out a 35cm x 1cm rectangle of leather…

1

Step Two-
Cut one end to a point with a Stanley knife…

2

Step Three-
Fold the square end over it’s self 1cm, 3 times…

3

Step Four-
Using a leather punch, punch all the way through the rolled up leather…
(Leather Punches are sold in most hardware stores -£10)

4

Step Five-
Bring the point around the through the hole…

5

Step Six-
Pull it all the way through as tight as possible…

6

Step Seven-
Muse jesses- Place two holes in the pointed end of the jess, slice along making a long slit, to allow it to be attached to the swivel.

7

Flying jesses- Make one small hole at the end of the point. This will allow you to attach a small clip on the glove, to later detach quickly whilst hunting.

7

Jesses can become stiff over time due to dirt and food getting on them. Using Neatsfoot oil, (for horse hooves) can keep them soft, therefore easy to manage.

Equipment Essentials

So just a few things that you’ll need as a bare minimum…

Gloves

You need a glove to handle any bird of prey, even the little ones hurt when they nip. I personally prefer Falcon Crest. All gloves do the same thing, but this Dutch company make a range of designs and they’re amazing quality.
Falcon Crest Gloves – £20- £100

Bells

Bells are essential, even when you’re using the best telemetry, they can become invisible among the trees and just a tail rustle with these on helps you spot them.
Depending on the pitch you prefer,
Lahore – £10 a pair.
Asborno – £60 a pair.

Leather

Of course the leather you use for your jesses depends on the bird you’re handling, the expensive tough reindeer hide is for eagles, however you can go cheaper for the hawks, cow hide will be fine.
Reindeer- 3ft x 3ft – £100
Cow- 3ft x 3ft – £5- £10

Leash

Leashes can be bought cheap, however you have to make sure they’re strong enough! The smallest birds can be the pickiest and undo their leashes, so have plenty spare.
Leash – £3 each

Swivels

Again, you have to take into consideration the size of your bird, have a strong swivel, especially if they’re baiting about a lot. The price range is drastic, but I’m sure you’re not starting out with an eagle…
Swivel –  £5 – £70.

Bags

You can choose bags on whatever you prefer, it’s probably better to chose one with a waste belt to support the weight of game.
I’ve improved mine by attaching a few eyelets to the front to hold jesses, this can be helpful when your quickly swapping in the field. This one in particular…
Falcon Crest – £100