Jess (falconry) Jess (falconry) A jess (plural "jesses") is a thin strap, traditionally made from leather, used to tether a hawk or falcon in falconry. Jesses allow a falconer to keep control of a bird while it is on the glove or in training, and allow a bird to be secured on a perch outside its aviary. Jesses come in various types: Jesses are generally made from strips of leather as thin as possible, for which purpose kangaroo leather has become increasingly popular over the years, as it is thin, light-weight and extremely durable with proper care. Jess size varies depending on
Falconry in size. Evidence suggests that the art of falconry may have begun in Mesopotamia, with the earliest accounts dating to approximately 2,000 BC. There are also some raptor representations in the northern Altai, western Mongolia. The falcon was a symbolic bird of ancient Mongol tribes. There is some disagreement about whether such early accounts document the practice of falconry (from The Epic of Gilgamesh and others) or are misinterpreted depictions of humans with birds of prey. During the Turkic Period of Central Asia (7th century AD), concrete figures of falconer on horseback were described on the rocks in Kyrgyz. Falconry