Falconry has been practiced for at least 2,000 years. Originating in Asia, falconry was initially just a means of getting an extra bit of meat for dinner. Later, in Europe and the Middle East, falconry became associated with royalty. Hunting with falcons eventually fell out of favor with the invention of firearms.
Here in the United States, modern falconry is practiced by people of all walks of life though there are fewer than 4,000 licensed falconers in the US.
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What should I do if I find an injured or baby raptor?
Call a local zoo or your state wildlife agency for assistance. They will help you to get care for the bird's or other wildlife.
Never try to pick up an injured bird of prey as it will almost certainly defend itself and hurt you.
Are raptors dangerous?
In the wild, raptors are shy,and fear people, and will avoid them at all costs unless humans intrude upon their nesting territory or attempt to help a wounded bird. You are not likely to ever get close to a wild bird of prey.
Raptors used in falconry are acclimated to having people closer to them and working with at least one person—the falconer that has invested a large amount of time training, hunting, and caring for the bird. Sometimes falconry birds are fine around other people and strangers, too.
Unlike wild raptors, people can potentially get very close to a trained raptor before the bird's fight-or-flight instinct is triggered. If this instinct kicks in when a person is within striking distance, a raptor may try to defend itself.
Worried? Dont be! If you give a falconry bird a respectful distance and dont try to touch it, you wont have any problems at all.
Does your bird like you?
Birds of prey do not really develop an attachment to falconers, certainly nothing like a dog or cat might. Raptors tend to just tolerate falconers.
Falconry birds do often associate falconers with three things: (1) Someone who brings food, (2) someone who helps in hunting in order to get food, and (3) someone how helps to get caught food under control. The way to a raptors heart is through its stomach!
Where can I get more information about falconry?
Contact your states wildlife agency, check out the North American Falconers Association (www.n-a-f-a.org), or contact a local falconer with the information provided below.
How do I become a falconer?
In order to become a falconer, you will need to do the following things:
Be over 14 years old.
Contact your states wildlife division and get in touch with the person in charge of falconry-related activities.
Have them send you an information packet, a copy of the state and federal falconry laws, and contact information for any nearby falconers.
Contact nearby falconers and find someone to take you in as his or her apprentice for at least two years.
Read, study, and cram for a falconry test. You need over 80% to get a falconry license.
Buy and/or make your falconry equipment and construct a housing facility. All items must then pass a state inspection.
Get a hunting permit and any other permits your state requires.
Contact your state wildlifes falconry director to make sure you have all the permits and written authorizations needed prior to trapping a bird. (Each state has different rules on what is required and what is not.)
Build a trap and go trap yourself a bird!
Over the next two years (or more), youll be an apprentice under another falconer, who will help guide you through the trapping, training, hunting, and care of your raptor. After two years, if youre over 18, you can upgrade from an apprentice falconer to a general falconer. After 5 years of flying raptors as a general falconer you can upgrade to a master falconer.
What kinds of birds can I fly?
During your first two years as an apprentice, you can fly a red-tailed hawk or an American kestrel.
A red-tailed hawk is a large and sturdy raptor capable of taking all kinds of game in all kinds of environments, but is particularly suited for ground quarry like squirrels and rabbits. The bird of choice for new falconers is almost always the easy-going, steadfast red-tailed hawk.
The robin-sized kestrel is the smallest North American falcon and is used by falconers to primarily hunt insects and small non-game birds (sparrows and starlings). Kestrels are very challenging first birds and generally avoided as first birds unless circumstances absolutely prohibit the use of a red-tail or the falconer sponsoring the apprentice has a wealth of experience with kestrels..
After your apprenticeship is over, you can fly a much large variety of hawks and falcons.
Is falconry expensive?
It can be incredibly expensive or not too expensive. If you trap your bird, make most of your own equipment, don't have to drive to hunting grounds, and can catch enough game so that you don’t need to buy food for your bird, you could potentially spend less than $500 getting started. On average, most falconers will probably spend $1,000 or more per year on each bird, all things considered (like gas and wear and tear on vehicles getting to and from hunting grounds). However, falconry’s real expense is time.
How much time does falconry take up?
Taking up falconry is like taking on a second part-time job that requires about 10-20 (or more) hours of work each week.
Falconers need to take each bird out hunting usually at least twice a week during the hunting season for at least a few hours each trip though some high-energy birds need to be flown five or more days each week.
There is more to having a raptor than just hunting. Daily care, food preparation, weight management, and cleaning the mews (housing facility) are critical to having a healthy raptor. You have to do this all year round not just the hunting season.
Do you hunt with your bird?
Absolutely! Falconry is defined as hunting with a bird of prey. In fact, in order to possess a raptor for falconry purposes, you are required by law to hunt with it. Hunting helps to keep the bird in shape both physically and mentally, and it is exactly what theyd be doing in the wild. The only difference between a falconry bird and a wild bird's hunting styles is that the falconry bird has learned to accept the presence of a human.
Falconry birds almost universally catch less game than their wild counterparts. That's because a falconry bird can only hunt when the falconer takes it hunting. A wild raptor is effectively hunting from dawn to dusk unless it's an owl!
Contrary to popular belief, raptors do not bring their kills back to the falconer. They generally just hunker down to eat it. Some birds will even try to hide in brush or fly off with their food because they have absolutely no intention of sharing!
It kills other animals?
Yes. Raptors are meat-eaters and cannot survive by eating anything else. In order to stay healthy, a raptor needs the whole animal, fur, bones, and all!
A raptor used in falconry is doing exactly what it would do in the wild, just doing it in the presence of a human.
