What is Falconry?

Falconry is the art and practice of hunting for wild quarry with a trained hawk or falcon.
Falconry was known as the sport of kings and dates back almost four thousand years and it is the oldest field sport known to mankind.

WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A FALCONER

Time, Dedication & Patience needed.
Falconry takes a lot of dedication, patience and time spent with your bird almost everyday. You may need to spend a minimum of 20 minutes a day or sometimes hours working with your bird. Your bird will need to be looked after daily and feed quality food and given fresh water. Weighing your bird daily is a must to make sure your bird stays healthy and is ready for hunting.

HOW TO GET STARTED

If you are interested in becoming a falconer the first thing that you might want to do is to start reading up about this sport by getting one of our introductory books about falconry. A lot of times we get asked what books should I start with and we always ask which of the birds that are available in your state do you think that you would want to train first. In most states you have an option of either the American Kestrel or the Red tail hawk. In some states there may be other options to. So once you know which of these birds you want to start with once you become a licensed falconer we would recommend a good book that helps you learn about how to train that bird. When you have made this decision then you can go our book sections or the links below to view some of the books that you may need to get started on your pursuit to become a falconer. Here is a link to our falconry books page, https://www.mikesfalconry.com/product-category/books-dvd-s/falconry-books/apprentices-books/

FINDING A SPONSOR

Another thing that we get asked a lot is how do I get or find a sponsor to sponsor me so that I can become a falconer. From are experience we have found that many sponsors want and expect you to have some knowledge about the sport of falconry. This means that you will need to get some reading done so that any sponsor that you approach can see right away that you have taken this first step to learn more about the sport of falconry. Doing this will show that you are dedicated to continue to learn more about the everyday aspects of trapping, training and hunting your new bird when the time comes. Once you have found a sponsor and you have studied up you will need to take your falconry exam at your Fish and Wildlife department office.

WHAT TO DO ONCE YOU HAVE PASSED YOUR FALCONRY EXAM

The next step once you have passed your falconry exam is to get your raptor facility built for your bird. You will want get your sponsor to give you guidance with this and you will also want to be sure to get copy of your State regulations on the requirements for how to house your new bird. Once you have this information you can get your facility done, and once this is completed you will need to get it inspected. Before you have this inspection of your facility there are certain falconry equipment items you will need to also have to show the State inspectors that you have all of the required equipment to take care of and train this raptor. Many times your sponsor can go over the items that you will need and may even help you to make some of them. Any items that you will require for your inspection we also have these at Mike’s Falconry and we also have basic and Deluxe apprentice kits that have most all items you will need to pass your inspection. Here is a link to our Apprentice Page to view all of the products that you can choose from. https://www.mikesfalconry.com/product-category/falconry-equipment/apprentice-kits-supplies/
You may also want to take a look at some of our training DVD’S that offer a lot of help showing many things such as Training your bird, health care and much more. https://www.mikesfalconry.com/product-category/books-dvd-s/dvds/apprentice-videos/

READY TO GET YOUR TRAPPING PERMIT NOW

Once you have passed your facility inspection your next step is to apply for your trapping permit. This will be done at your State office normally where you took your falconry exam at. If not your sponsor should be able to help you with this too. Once you get your trapping permit in hand you and your sponsor will then go out and trap your new bird. Once you have your new bird, you will want to keep in close contact with your sponsor so that if you have any questions about how to proceed with your training they can help you along the way. You are now on your way to becoming a Falconer and this will be one of the most exciting times of your life working with and training a bird of prey to hunt along with your bird in the wild outdoors.

We wish all new Apprentice’s our best in their quest to become a Falconer. We are always here to help with questions about your training and equipment needs. So if you need us please contact us anytime.

Best regards, Mike Syring, Owner Mike’s Falconry Supplies

ANOTHER GOOD WAY TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED AND MEET MORE FALCONERS IS TO JOIN YOUR LOCAL STATE FALCONRY CLUB. YOU CAN ALSO JOIN THE NORTH AMERICAN FALCONERS CLUB BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK BELOW. ONCE YOU ARE A MEMBER OF NAFA CLUB YOU WILL RECEIVE FOUR FALCONRY BOOKLET PUBLICATIONS YEARLY FOR BEING A MEMBER THAT OFFERS A WEALTH OF FALCONRY INFORMATION. TO CHECK THIS OUT FOLLOW THIS LINK.
North American Falconers Association

COST TO BECOME A FALCONER

Listed below are some of the costs you will have if you decide to become a falconer.

Hawk food for daily feeding can run from $3.00 a day to $6.00 a day, less if you raise your own food.
Your mews (or hawk house) will be your most expensive item, cost can run from $250.00 to $1500.00! If you can do some of your own building and use used lumber you can keep this cost way down.
You will need to get your basic falconry equipment items to pass your state inspection. These cost range from $100.00 to $500.00 depending on if you can make some of your own equipment yourself.
Permit fees, such as trapping permit, your state & Federal falconry permit fees are different in all states. You will need to contact your local wildlife departments for these costs.

THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF FALCONRY

Falconry is highly regulated and there are state and federal falconry regulations. A state and federal falconry permit is also required to practice falconry. You will also be required to pass a falconry test and there are also age requirements for becoming a falconer. Learning about falconry will take many hours of studying and you will need to find a falconer is your area that is willing to be your sponsor for the next two years of your apprentice training.

TYPES OF FALCONRY PERMITS

There are three classes of falconry permits and we have listed these below so you can see what is required of each type of falconry permit. We will only list the basic information about each type of permit here, and if you want to look further you can follow one of our links to find more information.

Apprentice falconer: To become a new falconer this is the level you will start at. In most states you must be at least 14 years old to become a falconer. You will be required to have a sponsor to help train you for the two year apprentice program. You must also pass a state falconry exam which usually consists of a 100 question test. In most states the apprentice falconry will be allowed to train only a passage Red-tailed Hawk or an American Kestrel. Some states may allow other raptors and you will need to check with your game departments to see your own states regulations on this. A novice falconer can have only one bird for training at any one time.
General Falconer: After you have two years of training as an apprentice falconer you can become a general falconer. Some states require that you must be at least 18 years old before moving to this level. You will be allowed to have two raptors at any one time and you will also be allowed as a general to use other types of raptors besides the Red-tailed Hawk and the American Kestrel.
Master Falconer: To become a master falconer usually take a minimum of five years and in some states even longer. The master falconer permit level is the highest you can obtain. You can have a maximum of three birds for falconry training at any one time. You will also be allowed to pick from a wider range of birds and the types that you can have will be different from state to state.

ARE YOU READY TO BECOME A FALCONER NOW?

If you want more information and think that falconry is for you, we have made a list below of things that will help you on your way to becoming a falconer.

Links or phone # to State Wildlife Departments and falconry related Websites.

A listing of all State Wildlife Departments= https://www.fws.gov/offices/index.html

The Oregon Falconers Association= http://oregonfalconers.com/

Oregon Falconry exam, call 503-229-5403.
Info on Oregon falconry; Contact The Dept of Fish & Wildlife, at P O Box 59 Portland, OR 97207 or call 503-229-5403.

BOOK SUGGESTIONS FOR NEW NOVICE FALCONERS

Apprentice Study Guide: Illustrated by Bradley Holderman and Johnny Meitz.

Apprentice Manual: Explains the basic aspects of falconry.

Apprentice Study guide and Manual set, lower cost.

A FALCONRY MANUAL: By Frank Beebe.

The Red-tailed Hawk by Liam McGranaghan, A great newly update book on training the Red tail hawk. Updated edition 2015.

The Kestrel Primer – A great book about training the American Kestrel.

The Falconers Apprentice, training the Red tail hawk.

Understanding the Bird of Prey: excellent book to learn more about raptor training, breeding and captive management.

Falconry Equipment: by Brian Kimsey.

The compleat Falconer, by Frank Beebe, a superb book for all falconers and Apprentices.

A Journey With the Red Tail hawk by , Bob Glass.

HELPFUL DVD’S FOR NEW TO FALCONRY

Basic Training: by Nick Fox.

Health Care of your Raptor: By Nick Fox.

Nutrition: By Nick Fox

All of these books listed above and more including videos can be seen at our website listed below.

To see all of our falconry books follow this link: Click Here

To see all of our DVD’s follow this link: Click Here

We hope that the information listed above will help you in your pursuit of becoming a falconer. If you find you need more information we are always here and willing to help. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you with any of your falconry needs.

MikeSyring, Owner e-mail: mikes@mikesfalconry.com
Mike’s Falconry Supplies
Website: mikesfalconry.com
Toll-Free Telephone Orders: 1-888-663-5601
Information: 503-663-5601

20185 SE Seibert Ln Sandy, OR 97080

FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW TO JOIN NAFA FALCONRY CLUB IN THE USA.

North American Falconers Association