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Falconry

SkyLark

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This isn't a parrot post, but falcons are a bird soooooo..... Ok, is anyone here a falconer? I've been thinking of being one, raptors have always had a special place in my heart. If anyone here is a falconer, can you give me some advice on, well, I'm not sure, anything basically. Thanks!
 

Ali

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I can't think of any members off hand. Maybe there is a falconry forum that could be of benefit to you?

Sorry I can't be much help!
 

Zara

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Ali

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You should read some of her posts. Very interesting :)
My grandparents had two harris hawks and are still thinking about an owl... my nan would love one and I would have to say I would be VERY jealous!
 

Hankmacaw

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@Ali , Zara's advice is good advice. Melissa is a n accomplished falconer, successfully breeds parrots and really truly knows her stuff. One of the best on AA when it comes to behavior.
 

Ali

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@Ali , Zara's advice is good advice. Melissa is a n accomplished falconer, successfully breeds parrots and really truly knows her stuff. One of the best on AA when it comes to behavior.
I will be looking tomorrow. It's nearly ten here and I am in no frame of mind to do anything remotely brain-requiring :rofl:
 

melissasparrots

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Before making any suggestions, I should probably ask what country or state do you live in? Laws are different in the USA vs. UK vs. Canada.
 

Karen

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@Ali , Zara's advice is good advice. Melissa is a n accomplished falconer, successfully breeds parrots and really truly knows her stuff. One of the best on AA when it comes to behavior.
Agreed! All her posts are a priority must read for me and I always come away learning something new!
 

Destiny

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I looked into falconry briefly. We have a raptor rescue and rehabilitation center near where I live and I find these birds to be really amazing. I was curious to know more about the requirements for keeping one as an average citizen.

I don't know that much about the sport of falconry, but I would recommend looking in your area to see if you can find a falconry club or mentor. It is the kind of thing where it would be best to learn as much as you can about it before making the full commitment. And actually knowing someone who you can call if you have a problem can be hugely useful. If you can find other people with raptors, you might be able to see their setup and how they interact with their bird firsthand.

Also, be sure to investigate local laws and regulations. Many places do require permits for captive birds of prey and some places have specific housing requirements.
 

melissasparrots

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The first thing I'd say is that if you are really interested in falconry, you have to have it really in your head that falconry is a HUNTING SPORT. It is not the same as rehab. It is not just calling a bird to the glove. It is not what you see at Renn Fairs. As an apprentice, most states require you to trap a bird from the wild. You will need to buy a trap animal (I have gerbils) and probably make your own trap. BTW, my gerbils live to a long old age and do not die from being bait. You will learn about tying nooses and the falconer's knot. That right off the bat eliminates most of the fantasy land, slightly wimpy people that just like raptors because they are cool. In the USA, most first falconry birds are red tailed hawks or kestrels. Most sponsors in most of our country want you to fly a red tail at some point during your apprenticeship. You will likely be hunting rabbits and squirrels with a red tail. You will have to learn about prey habitat, how to recognize a good hunting spot, and be independent enough to get out there and do it on your own. Even when the weather sucks and its 20 degrees or less outside. You still have to fly your hawk a few times a week and put up game for it to chase. The type of raptor you get is determined by the type of prey you have available. For example, I'd kind of like to fly a large falcon, but I don't live in good falcon country (think wide open land where you can see for miles with few trees, roads or power lines and LOTS of pheasant, duck or grouse to hunt.) So, I currently have a male Harris hawk that I hunt primarily rabbits with. Later this fall, depending on how healthy I am, I may or may not try to trap a wild red tail for a my cold weather hunting bird since Harris's are desert hawks prone to frostbite here in Iowa. Or, I may try to get a little cooper's hawk and hunt sparrows, starlings and quail with it. I could trap a kestrel and hunt sparrow, and starlings as well, except that we have a lot of coopers hawks that want to eat kestrels. So, my choice of falconry bird is also limited by what we have for local predators.

To get started on falconry, I'd recommend finding your state club or organisation. There is likely a Department of Natural Resources or Fish and Wildlife person that will be your falconry contact. They will probably send you a packet with forms and information on regulations. The basics are that you have to pass a test and score at least 80%. This test will cover natural history of most raptor species in North America, the federal and state laws, some veterinary medicine, basic husbandry and equipment. Its not a super easy test so you'll have to study. You will also need a sponsor. This can be hard. You have to have some finesse with regard to finding a sponsor. They will be signing on to help you for a required 2 years and then will have to send in a letter at the end of your apprenticeship that you have met the standards and passed. Falconers tend to be somewhat questionable in the personality department. Under no circumstances should you go to your state club's facebook page and say "I need a sponsor, anyone willing to sponsor me?" A better strategy would be to ask if there is anyone willing to take you out hunting a few times over the course of the next year. Go hunting with a few falconers and try to make nice with them so that after going out a few times you can ask them about apprenticeship. I'd read up on the vocabulary and basic methods before, so that you can ask some intelligent questions. It helps not to sound like an idiot when trying to make friends with people that are already prone to being hyper-judgmental. You will also need to make a mews which is the hawk house. For most falconry birds this will be about an 8 foot square shed with barred windows. Depending on your state regulations you may also need to make a weathering yard or just one or the other. Don't build anything until you get a sponsor because they will give you advice on what they think you should have which will partly be based on what kind of bird you will fly. Which will be up to your sponsor. Pretty much, everything for the first two years is up to your sponsor. If you get an invite to go hunting, inquire on what you'll be hunting. If its rabbits, make sure not to show up in city cloths. Hiking boots, brush chaps if you have them or a thick pair of jeans and a coat that burrs don't stick to. Many sponsors including myself will be prone to picking the most god awful weather day to invite a potential apprentice out for a hunt just to see if you have what it takes to show up. Single digit temps in January are nothing for a falconer with a red tail or goshawk. Otherwise, that late December through January weather where its just gloomy out. You'll be out there hunting.

The less noble portions of falconry involve blood(both yours and the prey), the smell of intestines, getting mouse intestines flicked into your face while the bird eats off your fist, and the smell of hawk poop which is not that great. Also, at some point, you will have your hawk die. I have not had this happen yet but have had some close calls. Many peregrines are killed by wild eagles because they caught a duck too far away for their falconer to run in and deter the wild predators in time. The birds can get sick from a plethora of wild diseases. At some point, your bird will poop out or cast up a worm or clump of them. Gross stuff like that will have to be just a thing that happens and not cause for a lot of gagging or drama. You see it, you make a vet appointment, you move on. Falconers are in one sense extreme non-drama people. In another sense, there are many of us that like to gossip and pick fights with each other. Falconry forums will tend to have things escalate quickly. At the end of the day, most of us just want to be left alone with our hawk and our hunting dog(s). Another thing you will find with falconry is that many people are just as into their working dogs as they are their birds of prey. Falconry becomes something that is always somewhat on your mind. If you are busy with work, you feel guilty about not being able to fly your hawk. During the off season, you make plans for next hunting season when you can fly. Anywhere you go, you are on the look out for a nice abandoned farmstead that you can get permission to hunt on.
 
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melissasparrots

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Here is a quote that most falconers can relate to and you see quite often.

"Falconry is not a hobby or an amusement; it is a rage. You eat and drink it, sleep it and think it. You tremble to write of it, even in recollection. It is a King James the First remarked, an extreme stirrer up of passions"

-T.H. White

Later today, I'll try to post a few pictures. Some of which might be a little gory.
 

SkyLark

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is a HUNTING SPORT.
That's a main reason I wanna be a falconer, actually! I'm getting more an more excited reading this post tbh. I love bad weather, in fact, I make a point to walk around in the rain, and blood and guts does not bother me in the least. I have zero problem with getting messy, (I find it easier to be messy than clean anyways-) Anything else I should know? Again, thank you for taking the time to respond to me!
 

melissasparrots

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It may take a few years to study, find a sponsor, build a mews and take a test. I'm building my second mews now and its a pain in the butt. Currently trying to do the roof and determined to do it myself with questionable carpentry skills. Depending on what state you are in, potential sponsors can be few and far between. If you have a few within a couple hours drive of you, you are blessed. If you have a choice, choose the sponsor that you feel will mesh with your personality best. The best time to ask a ton of questions to a lot of people is before you even get a sponsor. After you get a sponsor, it gets hard to get information without that back channel gossip somehow getting back to your sponsor which can sour your relationship. Again, with that rough personality and penchant for questionable character that a lot of falconers have. Once you get a sponsor, shut up and listen, lurk online but DO NOT PARTICIPATE in online falconry boards unless your sponsor specifically gives you permission. Do not talk to other falconers unless your sponsor specifically gives you permission. Again with the back channel gossip. Before you get a sponsor, you can capitalize on being a free agent and asking lots of people questions and nobody can judge your sponsor regarding the quality of your questions because you don't have a sponsor yet.
Below are a few very good links:
PODCAST — Falconry Told The podcasts with Steve Chingren are really good, but all the others are great too. I listen while walking my dog at night.

Beyond that, look up your state club and get into contact with a few people. Depending on your state, some falconers may be starting to trap new birds already. But a lot of the hunting won't start until at least September 1st legally. A lot of falconers wait until October due to the bugs and weeds being hard to hack through in the early season. Its a great sport for getting you outdoors, really understanding wild things and you will at some point have a shift in the way you think unless you already are into a lot of back country hunting type stuff. You can do urban falconry after invasive sparrows and starlings if you live in the city, or after your apprenticeship, you can get a goshawk or gyrfalcon and hit that back country after pheasant and grouse hard core. I tend to be somewhat in between since I have a day job that I actually have to show up to.
 

Hankmacaw

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My goodness your bird is beautiful - perfect condition. Your dog doesn't seem to be too interested - LOL
 
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