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Testimonials

Joe Atkinson
Golden Eagles
Got the hoods yesterday and they look great, I am pleased with them. As you can see, they fit both eagles. Thank you for sending them out quickly. I appreciate your effort.

Lydia Ash
Red-Tail Hawk and Cooper's Hawk
My bird's comfort is paramount. A hood must be comfortable to the bird. Many hoods don't have sufficient clearance around the eyes, are too narrow and rub the corner of the gape, or the chin strap doesn't allow for freedom of movement of the jaw. Larry's hoods have always fit well and provided a comfortable fit.

Michael Benatar
Harris Hawks and Falcon hybrids
I have been flying hawks and falcons for 11 years now and I have come to love Larry Ray's hood design. I purchased my first one for my female Harris' Hawk and my second one for my Gyr/Peregrine. I have been using the same two hoods for 6 years now. Both hoods fit my birds like a glove. I recommend Larry's hoods to anyone who is looking for excellent craftsmanship, style, quality, and durability. One of my hoods got dropped in the field during a rainstorm. We found it a few hours later and it was no worse for wear.

Chase Delles
Golden Eagles
I am very hard core in my hawking and therefore I require the best equipment to keep me in the field. The most essential piece of eagle equipment I use is a quality, well fitting hood. When it comes to eagle hoods I personally use and highly recommend Larry Ray hoods. The accordion back design has been a favorite of mine for a long time. Larry has incorporated the Arabian accordion back design with extra wide eye panels providing my birds with great fitting hoods they are happy to wear. I have been using the same eagle hood for the last 5 seasons and it is holding up great to daily wear and tear use. I would not hesitate to outfit any one of my hunting partners with a Larry Ray hood. I would recommend a Larry Ray hood to anyone looking for a great fitting comfortable hood for their hunting partner.

Ron Kearney
Red-Tailed Hawks, Harris's Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and various Falcons
I just wanted to write to express appreciation for Larry Ray and his outstanding Darian Hood. I have had occasion to use it on many different raptors including Red-Tailed Hawks, Harris's Hawks, and various large and small long-wings. The hood's fit was exceptional, allowing for clearance of the soft parts of the mouth and gape. My highest praise for the hood, however, involves the fitting of Bridget Rocheford-Kearney's female Sharp-Shinned Hawk last year. We tried several other widely sold hood types and spent considerable time trying to properly form the beak-hole opening but the fit was frequently unsatisfactory. The Darian Hood was a "shoe-in" fit. The little accipiter even cast through the hood without incident! I highly recommend Larry Ray's Darian Hood and intend to switch over to this hood for all of my sporting and working raptors.

Steve Layman
Goshawks, Red-Tailed Hawks, Harris's Hawks, and various Falcons
I make my own, slap them together, field hoods for my goshawks. But, when I need a gos to wear a hood for a long time, like when I travel, I select one from my collection of Larry’s hoods because they have great eye clearance and will not come off. I trust his hoods.

Lee Mann
Golden Eagles
I first started using Larry's eagle hoods in 1999, the first year that I was able to trap in Wyoming. While trapping I stayed with Dan McCarron, who was helping me trap and loaned me his trapping equipment. Dan at the time lived in Rock Springs and when he saw how well my hood fit he immediately wanted one. I have not used any other hoods on a golden since then.

Dan McCarron
Goshawks and Golden Eagles
I've been using Larry's hoods on passage Goshawks and Golden Eagles for over 20 years. The first time I saw one of Larry's hoods on a bird I knew they would be the perfect style of hood and fit for an eagle. Larry has experimented with and refined his own personal hood block design and hood patterns that have, in my opinion, resulted in the best fitting hood I have ever used or seen.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I'll let my birds do the talking when it comes to Larry Ray's hoods. Here are a a few photos of his hoods I've used on my birds over the many years.

After hawking

Lauren McGough
Golden Eagles
Larry's eagle hoods fit like a dream. With the accordion back, wide eye panels, precise beak opening, and gortex braces, I never have to worry about pinching feathers or any sort of irritation, while it still has the perfect, snug fit. My eagle sits like a statue with this hood, for several hours straight if need be. It is so easy on and off I can even fly out of the hood with it - not many eagle hoods will fit this bill. I can't recommend Larry's hoods highly enough!
Lauren and eagle

Lauren McGough
Crowned Eagles
I'm currently in South Africa and went to pick up the male crowned eagle I'll be flying for the season. I brought lots of hoods with me, and yours fit the best. It fit perfect! I'm so happy about that. He's only 5.7 pounds and I'm really excited to start hunting with him.
A male Crowned Eagle in a Larry Ray hood

A male Crowned Eagle in a Larry Ray hood

Elena Murzyn
Cooper's Hawks
Larry Ray hoods and customer service are absolutely top notch. I ordered a male Cooper's hood from him, and Larry personally drove out to ensure that the fit was spot on. The hood was professionally made and aesthetically gorgeous. My bird went straight to sleep with his head tucked right after being hooded for the first time in his life! He has not scratched at the fit one single time or had any issues with seeing out the gape. No light gets in through the edges, and yet the hood stays comfortably clear of the beak and cere, as well as leaving a spacious area around the eyes. Any hoods I buy in the future will be certain to come from Larry Ray, and I highly recommend his work!

Daryl Peterson
Golden Eagles
Your hoods have always proven most comfortable and superb craftsmanship. My eagle and I are a might particular about her hoods…yours have proven to be the best.

Jeff Redig
Accipiters
Larry's hood design is one of the best I have used. It is a great pattern that works exceptionally well with accipiters and his attention to detail on the fit and finish are second to none. He'll work with you to get a great fit that your bird will love.

Patrick Rummans
Cooper's Hawks
The very first time I slipped Larry's beautifully made hood on my just captured Cooper's, I smiled as I saw how lightly it sat her head, and how perfectly it fit her. Larry had been recommended to me by a close friend who said that he was the man for making accipiter hoods. No doubts here.

Elizabeth Schoultz
Golden Eagles
Larry went out of his way to accommodate every detail of making a well-fitted hood for my bird. He took each piece of feedback from my words and my photos, and then carefully responded, crafting a custom fit that really works. Larry knows when to stand strong and when he needs to make adaptations. I like his hoods' substantial quality, their style, fit and choices of colors, along with the service that Larry offers. I highly recommend owning a hood by Larry Ray.

Steve Souza
Gyrfalcons and Gyr-hybrids
I love the way these hoods fit the bird right out of the box! Great fit around the cere and corners of the mouth. We all have seen hoods that leave a mark worn into the bird from ill fitting beak openings. Nice to see someone address these hard to fit problem areas. Also great "pop" in the eye location. No tearing due to not enough room around the eye. Keep up the great work Larry.

Jack Stoddart
Golden Eagles, Hawk-Eagles, Goshawks and Red-tailed Hawks
Larry Ray's innovative hoods are a combination of Indian, Arab and Dutch Hoods. Many American hoodmakers made their own patterns and hood blocks, the end result was still an American Dutch Hood. Others modified one of the Indian, Anglo-Indian or Slijper hood patterns to produce a better fit and they too are still categorized as an Anglo-Indian hood. Larry's innovative hoods cannot be neatly placed in the several falconry hood categories.
Traditional Indian and Asian hoods, that have no braces, are easily removed by the hawk or eagle when they are left alone.
When it comes to fit, Larry's hoods are top notch and his hoods do not pull feathers on the longer hackled Eagles, Hawk-Eagles, Gos Hawks and Red-tails. While traditional Dutch hoods do not pull feathers on falcons, using a Dutch hood or Anglo Indian hood on a Golden Eagle is a bad choice.
To prove my point, ask anyone who had or is using Larry's hoods on their Golden Eagle what they think.

If you have purchased a Larry Ray custom hood and would like to share your testimonial, please mail Larry at hoodnfly@aol.com

Larry Ray hunting with his Goshawk Maggie