We often get inquiries from people who ask:

1. What are the regulations concerning falconry,
2. How do I obtain a bird for falconry, and
3. How do I become a falconer?

Typically these people have read about falconry in a book or magazine, or learned about it through television or the Internet. They may have even seen a trained hawk in action. Very few realize the stringent, on-going demands of time, effort, money and lifestyle that success in this sport demands. Even fewer are willing to make those sacrifices.

Responsible falconers and falconry organizations almost always try to discourage newcomers to the sport, particularly when their interest is kindled in this manner. Articles often sensationalize falconry. Success in taking game may be exaggerated, with little emphasis given to the fact that the falconer's chief reward is the beauty of the flight itself, whether successful or not. Flight demonstrations make falconry look easy, but they can not possibly give any idea of the long hours and hard work a trained raptor represents.

Falcons and hawks are essential elements of our wildlife and falconers have worked hard over many years to protect them and maintain their right to practise the sport. Competent falconers recognize this and take care to follow sound conservation principles. Because of this, their activities represent no threat to wildlife. However the casual, uninformed novice, by attempting to satisfy a passing fancy, may harm raptors in many ways, and cast discredit upon falconry itself.

Therefore, before they will aid anyone newly attracted to falconry, most falconers will require proof of serious, dedicated interest in the sport. They feel that anything less is not worth bothering with. Serious dedication is normally demonstrated by reading anything and everything available on falcons and falconry, by a sincere interest in all aspects of wildlife and the out-of-doors, and by a persistent effort to learn the fundamentals of the sport, all before any attempt to obtain a bird. Most successful falconers began in this manner, and today's newcomer must expect a similar period of apprenticeship. A newcomer unwilling to do this should not try to become a falconer. However, those who are convinced that their interest is more than superficial, and are willing to undertake the necessary study before getting a bird, must also be prepared to fulfill certain additional minimum requirements...

Hunting Licence:

Falconry is the hunting of wild quarry with a trained raptor. Hunting is the difference between being a falconer and being a "pet-keeper". Raptors do not make good pets and falconry regulations where put into place to allow falconry (i.e. hunting), not pet-keeping. In fact one of the worst things you can say about someone in this sport is that they are a "pet-keeper". Therefore, you will need to pass your hunter safety course and obtain your small game licence before you apply for your falconry licence.

Time:

A falconer must have sufficient time and patience to devote to training and flying a bird. A bird cannot be hung up and forgotten like a set of golf clubs. A trained falcon requires an absolute minimum of one hour per day, 365 days a year. Training a young bird requires substantially more time. If this time is not available -- if school, work, business trips, or family interfere -- it is far better never to begin.

Money:

A falconer must have the funds to obtain food and the basic materials for falconry equipment, and the time and skill to make everything he or she needs. It costs between $1.00 and $2.00 per day to feed an average hawk or falcon when some form of natural food is not available. In addition, leather, metal, and lumber and the necessary tools to work with them may be expensive. These are needed for shelters, perches, weathering blocks, leashes, jesses, and hoods. Other items that must be purchased or fabricated are swivels, falconer's glove and bells.

Facilities:

A falconer must be able to provide suitable facilities for keeping a bird in fair weather and foul. Captive hawks and falcons must be protected at all times from cats, dogs, and other predators, including humans, as well as extremes of heat and cold, wind, and dampness. They should be provided with a weathering place where they may be kept outdoors in good weather, winter and summer, and have an opportunity to bathe. They must have a sheltered perch at night and in bad weather, dry and protected from the wind. While most raptors adjust well to cold weather, some do not. They also suffer in heat, and must never be left in the direct rays of the summer sun.

Access to Land:

A falconer must have an adequate and reasonably convenient area for flying. Falcons, or long-winged hawks, need open space, preferably 2 kilometers across. Accipiters, or short-winged hawks, can be flown in more enclosed places. Automobile traffic, overhead wires, curious passers-by, or other interference can cause a bird to stray or be killed, and will make an otherwise satisfactory area unacceptable. The permission of the landowner must always be obtained when flying on private land.

More detail can be found in our Apprenticeship Guide and on the web sites on our links page, but hopefully we have convinced you that the "art and practice of hawking" can not be learned overnight, or in a single lesson, but only after hard and time-consuming work. Whether or not you eventually become a falconer, we hope that you will retain a friendly interest in falcons, falconry, and in the conservation of birds of prey.

Adapted and reprinted by permission: NORTH AMERICAN FALCONER'S ASSOCIATION