Falconry

Falconry

I went to a presentation last Wednesday (July 23, 2014) covering the sport of falconry.  It was extremely interesting.  Information for this article was derived from the website for the North American Falconers Associations.  Falconry is the taking of wild birds, usually birds of prey, from their natural habitat by a trained person.  This ancient activity is a very daunting endeavor involving a serious and dedicated person who is willing to take the time and energy it takes to carry out this task. On November 16, 2010 the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization added falconry to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity.  The following is an overview of what falconry is.

Time:  Falconry is not an overnight accomplishment.  It takes at least seven years to become a master falconer.  The apprenticeship takes up to two years to complete.  Attending to hawks requires a large amount of time, every day, 365 days a years, and a bird in training necessitates considerably more time.  Raptors (tools used by falconers) cannot be hung on the wall and forgotten such as a gun or bow, it is used constantly.

Effort and Ethics:  Falconry is the only sport in America that uses a trained wild creature.  Falcons, hawks, eagles and owls are considered members of the wild life community.  The skilled falconer takes care to follow conservation principles while partaking in the sport.  The federal government states that falconry does not harm the natural balance; however, a careless falconer can seriously impact the wild raptor populations.  This cannot be a passing fancy.  Anyone interested in pursuing this sport must prove they have a serious committed interest in falconry.  The ethics of practicing excellent falconry are an important part of a falconer’s everyday life. 

Permits:  Birds of prey are protected by state, federal, and international law so all potential falconers must obtain the necessary permits and licenses before practicing falconry.  This process can take a long time because it includes taking a written falconry exam and getting the necessary signatures.  Some states require hunter education courses before you can obtain a hunting license. It is necessary to keep all paperwork straight and in triplicate form.

Costs:  The cost involved in falconry includes not only the cost of the bird but additional costs for apprentice falconers will be required by their sponsor to trap at least their first bird from the wild.  You will need an adequate funding base to spend on food, shelter, equipment, veterinary costs, permits and fees, and travel.  To keep your bird healthy, the bird requires only fresh raw meat especially the exact same whole birds and/or mammals they would catch in the wild on their own such as rabbits and smaller birds.  Housing of the birds of prey and equipment requirements are mandated by state and federal law.  Funding will be needed to buy raw materials and you will need to acquire the skill to work with these materials.  An inspection will be held before you are permitted to acquire a hawk by state and possibly by local officials.  Most falconers will purchase books as a source of vital information and enjoyment. 

Access to Land:   Permission to enter locations in which to locate birds of prey must be obtained.  Written permission of the property owner must be obtained.  Falcons require wide open spaces of land and hawks and some other birds can be hunted in smaller fields or farms.  Gun hunting areas, roads, power lines, urban settings and barbed wire fences may be considered undesirable hunting grounds and training areas because of potential threats to the birds and falconer.

Personality:  Can you listen to the advice of others?  Can you hunt?  Are you seriously interested in wildlife and the out-of-doors.  Do you understand that after a large amount of time and effort, your bird may take flight and never return?  How strong is your interest and how much have you already read about falconry and birds of prey? 

During the presentation the presenter gave these three requirements when pursuing the art of falconry: 1.  Pass the falconry test given by the DNR.

2.  Build a hawk house and have the DNR inspect it.

3.  Find a falconer to be your sponsor for two years.

Other tidbits of valuable information include the following privileges when you obtain a permit from the DNR which includes: 1.  Trap a sub-adult hawk or falcon from the wild.  2.  Capture a baby hawk from the next with a permit.  3.  Get a hawk or falcon from a falconer.  In order to catch a bird you need to use a tether at first.  Thousands are tagged each year to track them and their activities. 

The presenter described falconry as the training and then the watching of what they do.  He gave interesting tidbits such as the speed of some of the birds such as some can travel up to 200 miles per hour.  It would be probably next to impossible to get away from these birds if you were they desired prey. Eagles are the greatest birds of prey ever.  Eagles do not seem to forget. They can’t make a mistake.  Osprey only catch fish.  Snow Owls’ talons are so strong that they can cut through a person’s wrist to the bone.  The presenter had a snow owl as a captive.  Snow owls must be caught before they turn eight weeks of age otherwise they will not trust humans.  His snow owl was caught after that critical period so the owl would not trust other people.  The presenter had to stand with his back to the wall and have people line up so they could pet the owl.  The owl could not be approached from behind or from the side. And last but not least, falconry represents a relationship between a bird and the falconer.