Anklets For Trapping

One aspect of  hawk trapping that is troublesome, is installing your Alymeri anklets on a freshly trapped, overheating bird out in the field. Here is an alternative. Use the pattern shown and use 1/2 inch diameter heavy duty snaps instead of a grommet. In the drawing, the dashed line is the outline of the snap. Available at a fabric store, the snaps come with a little punch tool and very cheap little anvil, which will break in two minutes. At that point use some solid wood as the anvil. The anklets take only minutes to make, so you might make two or three pairs in different sizes. I recommend using light or medium weight kangaroo hide, oiled and well stretched, before you punch the holes. Cut out the pattern shown, or fold a 4 1/4 inch long X 1 inch wide piece of leather in half and punch the holes off the centerline. Use the dimensions shown. You want them a little on the loose side.

Click here, and print out. anklet drawing

The off-center hole exists for extra security. If you are concerned about the snap coming open, put a very small tie wrap there. It just takes a second, and one per anklet is all you need.

By using these anklets, you can have your freshly trapped bird jessed in about a minute, without fighting with your two piece grommets, setters, getting the anklet perfectly sized, etc. You won't even need tape balls for her feet, it's so quick. She could ride home hooded, on the fist or perched. At the house you can lay out your tools, control the temperature, and work at a bench, that evening or weeks later after she's manned. The permanent anklets can then be installed much more efficiently. Even if you normally take the bird to the house to install the Alymeri anklets, this system is advantageous, as all the time constraints go away.