I. Introduction and Intent
II. DISCLAIMER
III. Table of Contents
A. Frequently Asked Questions.
1. What is falconry?
2. Who and what is alt.sport.falconry for?
3. Article:
Getting Started (In the USA) In Falconry, by Andrea
Chen
4. Who should I contact?
5. What are the federal and state laws that govern
falconry?
6. What are the laws on falconry in England,the
continent, and Canada?
a. Falconry in Italy.
b. Falconry in The Netherlands.
c. Falconry in South Africa.
7. Falcons vs. hawks. What's the difference?
8. Which birds of prey are used for falconry?
9. As an apprentice which birds are available to me?
10. Is it better to start with a Red-tail or a kestrel?
11. How and why are falconers using endangered species
for falconry?
12. Doesn't the trapping of wild birds damage the
natural populations?
13. Can anyone recommend specs. for a giant hood?
14. What is "Operation Falcon"?
15. Are there any suggested readings for a beginner or
for someone who is interested in falconry?
16. Do I have to be rich?
17. What are good sources for hood patterns?
18. What are good sources for making gloves and glove
patterns?
B. Internet Resources on Falconry.
1. Where can I get the latest version of this FAQ?
2. Are there any newsgroups on falconry?
3. Are there any WWW sites or URLs on falconry?
4. My site doesn't receive much news on
alt.sport.falconry. How come?
C. Appendices.
1. Glossary of terms commonly used in falconry.
2. List of bookstores that carry books on falconry.
3. Listing of falconry clubs and organizations.
a. National and International organizations.
b. Falconry organizations in Canada.
c. Falconry organizations in the United Kingdom.
d. Falconry organizations in the United States.
4. The history of falconry.
I. Introduction and Intent
The intent of this FAQ is to answer the basic questions
about falconry and to inform the reader about the
requirements and sacrifices that must be made to become a
falconer. The FAQ will also act as a pointer to other
sources of information that will further the education of the
reader and bring him/her into to contact with other people
that will be able to direct the person to falconers in
his/her area. This document will also try to cover common
questions that are frequently asked on the alt.sport.falconry
newsgroup. This FAQ is NOT intended to be a falconry manual
NOR will it cover every aspect of falconry. Such information
is better left to books on falconry written by experienced
falconers.
------------------------------
II. DISCLAIMER
This article is provided as is without any express or implied
warranties. While every effort has been taken to ensure the
accuracy of the information contained in this article, the
author/maintainer/contributors (take your pick) assume(s) no
responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages
resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
------------------------------
The Alt.Sport.Falconry FAQ.
I'm looking for suggestions on questions, and people who are
willing to fill in the answers. Everyone will of course be
given credit for submissions.
------------------------------
A. Frequently Asked Questions.
1. What is falconry?
Falconry is the art and sport of training birds of prey,
mainly falcons, hawks, and buzzards, for hunting. The
main objective of the falconer is to train a bird to return
to the fist when called, and then to train the bird to hunt
with the falconer. Falconry is called a sport because it is
a type of hunting and is only successful when the bird,
falconer, and dogs work together as a team to capture
quarry. It is often referred to as an art because some of
the interaction with the bird, and interpretation of the
bird's behavior, is based on intuition.
2. Who and what is alt.sport.falconry for?
Alt.sport.falconry is for falconers and anyone that is
interested in or has questions about falconry and birds of
prey. Alt.sport.falconry is for the discussion of
falconry,the sharing of knowledge among falconers and anyone
interested in falconry, and to promote the sport of falconry
by educating the public.
------------------------------
3. Getting Started (In the USA) In Falconry, by Andrea Chen
THE COMMITMENT
If you think you want to be a falconer, the first thing
you must decide is whether you are committed enough. The
sport means at least an hour every day for 8 or 9 months a
year (and some people fly during the moult). You might not
quite make this, but you should seriously try to come close.
You conform your schedule to the bird's. You must want that
bird to have the best life possible while it's under your
care.
One of the higher compliments among falconers is
"meticulous". There are a million things you need to observe
and remember with the bird, its equipment, and what events
shape its development. If you are an impatient or edgy
person, this is not a good sport for you. If the bird
stresses you, makes you angry, it does (and it will), but you
must never take it out on the bird. Punishment does not work
with a bird of prey. You have to work with it and let it go
at its own pace.
You want to judge your capacity for meticulousness
before you start, because simply going out with falconers and
watching them hunt for a few hours on a weekend gives you NO
preparation for actually living and working with the hawk.
Falconry is not something you play with. It's arriving
home exhausted from a hard day's work with a mild case of the
flu, then trampling through mud and drizzle because you are
the bird's slave, you serve it. It is waiting for your bird
to come off a pole when you have a hot date. The divorce
rate among falconers is very, very high. The sport can pay
you back, but only if you are a certain sort of fanatic. It
is not about putting a bird on your arm to look cool.
ONE MORE THING...
If you get involved in falconry, you get involved in
something that some people find very offensive. I have only
met a few (out of hundreds of people who loved it), but they
can ruin your day, if not the entire week, and be played back
like a horror movie in your head years later. One of a
falconer's nightmares is of the "animal rights activists" who
have been known to "free" a bird with its leash and jesses
attached, and it gets caught up in a tree or phone line and
dies an awful death. Falconry involves a certain degree of
necessary paranoia.
AND DON'T BE STUPID
You may be tempted to avoid the state and go out and
trap your own bird. I would strongly recommend against it.
If you can't go through the trouble of doing it the legal
way, then you probably lack the patience and commitment
necessary for the sport.
The state test is not that difficult and it covers
things you need to know, such as diseases. Finding a sponsor
can be tough, but you really need somebody who knows the
ropes. There are a 101 things that can go wrong and if you
do something wrong it can mean the death of the bird. Having
a person with the real experience and knowledge available is
essential. Again, the books just don't cover a number of
things.
Unlicensed falconers are usually trouble. Some bird
lovers told me of a "falconer" who clipped the bird's wings
and talons. Of course this is not a falconer and most
falconers would recommend the death penalty, but you also
have cases of people flying with traditional jesses (which
can get a bird caught in a branch so it hangs upside down and
dies), or not feeding it correctly. Plus you really need the
connections for simple things like hoods and Sampo swivels
(hard to find in some states).
SO YOU'VE DECIDED YOU CAN HANDLE IT
The next thing is to contact your local Fish and Game
department. There is a test you have to pass. The test
itself is not hard, but there are a couple more steps after
that. Go to Nicholson's or other falconry bookseller (listed
elsewhere on the Web page) and pick up _North American
Falconry and Hunting Hawks_ by Frank Beebe and Harold
Webster. Nicholson's also sells (if I recall correctly) a
manual for the New York State falconry license test, one of
the more difficult tests in the US. These will prepare you
for the test.
When you've passed the test, you have to get a sponsor.
(Note: in some states you must get the sponsor first.) If
youþre lucky your state will have a falconry club and your
F&G will put you in contact with it. The club will usually
try to get you a sponsor, but it is not always easy. I took
my time and went to the meets for a couple years and then hit
up the person I thought was the best falconer. It was a good
strategy because for two years you depend on this person to
get you most of those details you must learn. Taking your
time gives you a chance to meets lots of other falconers who
can fill in gaps in your sponsorþs knowledge or give you
alternative opinions, so it is a policy I can recommend. The
degree of dependence on your sponsor can vary: I trapped my
own bird and did all the work, but was saved by some phone
calls. Other sponsors will hold your hand all the way.
Having a sponsor does not excuse you from thinking,
though. When you come to a new field, or put your bird out
to weather in a new place, you need to look around and assess
all the hazards. When your bird is behaving strangely, you
need to recount everything that could have led up to that
behavior and figure out how to correct it. Always observe
carefully, always ask þWhy,þ and try to think from the hawkþs
point of view. If another falconer tells you you should do
something a particular way, they should be able to give you a
fairly logical reason or at least a solid example.
THE HAWK HOUSE
While (or after) you get a sponsor you must build your
mews and have it inspected by F&G. These are the main
living/ sleeping quarters for your bird. You can use your
living room or a spare bedroom, but most people build
something outdoors. There is a minimum size you must comply
with when building your mews. In California it is 6 x 8 feet
for a kestrel, 8 x 8 for a red-tail.
You also need an outdoor area for the bird to get sun
and fresh air. This is called a weathering area. This needs
to be fully protected from dogs, people, children with
sticks, other hawks, and any other potentially injurious
creatures. The state will give you details on other
requirements.
Older falconers have a lot of horror stories about F&G,
but in California they have become very helpful in recent
years. The officer who inspected my mews mentioned that you
can't hunt in state parks, but you can fly your bird (wink
wink, nudge nudge) and of course if you are flying your bird
and it catches something... well that's the way life goes.
You can't take the game out, but your bird can leave with a
full crop. Now I've never flown my bird in a park, but it
feels good that the authorities want it around. This guy
also pointed out a potential problem in my mews arrangement,
so my impression is positive.
WHAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR
Finally, you get your bird. For beginners this is an
immature passage bird. Immature means full physical size and
able to hunt, typically at least five months old and less
than ten. Apprentices are not allowed eyasses because you
have to teach eyasses to hunt -- if you lose the bird before
that happens, itþs guaranteed death. An immature red-tail
looks similar to a full grown red-tail but has a brown tail.
In most states you are allowed either a kestrel or a red-
tail. In Mississippi (I think) you can have a red shouldered
and in Alaska goshawks are allowed.
The red-tail is a good bird; in England it is highly
valued. Here it has been disdained (by some) because it is
common and what apprentices use, but theyþre great birds. A
small tiercel (male) red-tail can be very fast. The kestrel
is technically a long wing (falcon), but unlike most falcons
you can hunt it from the glove, like a hawk. A kestrel is
nice in that you can hunt sparrows in your neighborhood.
Being smaller, theyþre more delicate, but they tame well and
the game theyþre willing to take may surprise you. Redtails
are typically flown at rabbits, though a tiercel is often
fast enough to go for birds such as pheasant.
The decision of which bird to have is not completely in
your hands. It also depends on what game you can get to,
because the point of falconry is teaching it to hunt with you
and expanding its skills as a hunter. If the closest
jackrabbit field is an hour away, are you willing to make
that drive several times a week? In winter it's light only
from 7:30am to 5pm, don't forget. If you trap when most
people trap, you'll be training right in the midst of winter.
You may want a red-tail, but if you don't have that time or
don't have that game, you get a kestrel. No arguments.
STAGES OF LICENSING
In California, apprenticeship lasts for 2 years. When
you get to the next stage, a general falconer, you can buy
captive bred birds such as peregrines or Harris hawks, as
well trap as a wider selection of native birds. You may have
two birds. After a minimum of 5 years at the general level,
you become a master. The selection of birds is the same, but
you may own three, at which point you will probably be a very
tired, poor, and divorced masochist.
HELPFUL PLACES FOR THE UNCERTAIN
Although falconers and animal rehabilitators used to
watch each other with jaundiced eyes, this is changing.
Volunteering at a rehab center can show you how much you love
the birds (do you gape in awe?) and you can also learn a lot
of valuable stuff which is not yet mainstream in falconry.
Another place in California you might explore is the
Falconry Academy. My personal experience with one "graduate"
was not very positive, but that may have had more to do with
the person's character than with the actual content taught.
Please get other opinions before making a decision on the
Academy.
-Andrea Chen
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4. Who should I contact?
After reading a good book on falconry and deciding that
falconry is for you, contact your local Fish and Game
department. They will provide you with information about the
falconry license exam and the requirements for keeping a
bird. They should also be able to provide with a list of
falconers in your area and the president of the local
falconry club. If there is or isn't a falconry club local to
your are I recommend that you contact the North American
Falconry Association(NAFA). They will be able to put you in
contact with your regional director. You can contact your
regional director if there is not a falconry club local to
your area. I think that it would also be a good idea to
support the national organization as well.
5. What are the federal and state laws that govern falconry?
The federal laws control the falconry licensing program
and mandate which species of birds are endangered and which
may be taken from the wild for the purposes of falconry. The
Federal law also sets the standards and requirements for
keeping a raptor.
A person wishing to become a falconer must first contact
the local department of Fish and Game or Wildlife and Natural
Resources and obtain the necessary forms that must be filled
out prior to taking the exam.
The candidate will need a sponsor to sign one of these
forms before he/she can take the exam. The department of F&G
or W&NR can provide you with a list of local falconers and
falconry clubs. After all fees have been paid and all forms
have been submitted the candidate may take a falconry license
exam given by the local F&G department or Department of W&NR.
The candidate must answer eighty percent (80%) or more of the
questions on the exam correctly. A date will then be
scheduled for your facilities and equipment to be inspected
to make sure that they meet federal standards. After your
facilities have been certified as being adequate you may get
your apprentice falconry license from your local F&G or W&NR
department.
An apprentice must be 14 years or older. An
apprenticeship lasts for a minimum period of two years. At
the end of the two years the apprentice may apply for a
general falconer's permit if he/she is 18 years of age or
older. The apprentice may only have one bird at a time and
may take no more than one bird per year if a bird is lost.
The apprentice is limited to taking a red-tailed hawk and
American kestrel.
In the state of Alaska an apprentice may also take a
Northern Goshawk. The apprentice can only take passage birds
or birds that are less than one year old and are trapped from
the wild.
A general falconer must be 18 years or older and must
have at least two or more years experience as an apprentice
or in an equivalent class. A general falconer may keep two
birds, but may not take more than two birds a year if his
birds have been lost. A general falconer may take eyasses for
the purpose of training.
A master falconer must have at least five years of
experience as a general falconer or in an equivalent class. A
master falconer may not have more than 3 birds and may not
take more than three birds in a year if birds are lost.
There are some other regulations that pertain to each
class but you can obtain all of these regulations as well as
requirements for facilities from your local F&G or W&NR
department.
6. What are the laws on falconry in England, the continent,
and Canada?
a. Falconry in Italy.
Today in Italy there are about 100 - 120 persons who have
falcons or hawks at home and about 40 - 50 fly them. I think
we would call "falconer" only those who uses his/her hawk for
flying to quarry or lure, not for leaving their birds on
perch at home. So the number of falconers in Italy is very
small and their political weight is not very great.
The laws about the keeping of hawks respect the
Convention of Washington and the CITES. We only can keep
raptors born from parents born in captivity (F2 generation)
and we absolutely cannot capture birds of prey from the wild.
The laws for hunting with falcons or hawks are the same the
laws for hunting with guns. The permit, the imposts, the
times and the quarries are the same for hawking and shooting.
This is sometimes ridiculous, but it is impossible to change
a national law because of 40 - 50 falconers.
So we start hawking on the second sunday of September and
stop normally at the end of January (but for the hares and
partridges at the end of December). In some italian regions
flying falcons is allowed from August, but without quarry,
only to the lure or fist and only in those territories
reserved to the training of hunting dogs.
The permit to hunt is obtained by a test lifetime legal
and its yearly cost is (1995) about 400 dollars. There are no
limitations on the number of falcons you can have. If you
have the money, your first bird could be a white female gyr!
This is not right, but you must know that in Europe it is
very difficult to buy a Harris, a Red-tail, or simply a
Kestrel because most of the breeders breed for the 90%
peregrines, sakers and lanners. You know that goshawk
breeding is very difficult, because of this and after the
gos-trap trap interdict in central Europe,in the past 5 years
the price of goshawks has risen and then fallen down.
So I believe the easiest raptor to have today in Europe
is the peregrine falcon. Our hawking territories are
sometimes wonderful, sometimes very difficult. In Northern
Italy(where I live) there are a lot of towns, roads,
railways, electric lines, fences etc. It is not easy flying
long wings. The Southern Italy could be a heaven for
falconry, but it is not used very much because most italian
falconers live in Northern Italy.
About the breeding I can say that in Italy there are only a
few falconers who have good luck with breeding peregrines and
sakers. One reason could be the legal obstacles that a
breeder meets on his way. He cannot sell the birds, our
government doesn't band the birds, but could make the finger
printing, in short the laws seem to be made intentionally to
be inapplicable.
Try contacting the Yarak, club di Falconeria listed in
the falconry clubs section. Yarak, club di Falconeria is the
largest falconry club in Italy.
17th August 1995 Amedeo Traverso.
b. Falconry in The Netherlands.
- Knowledge and experience.
To become a falconer one has to accompany three different
'mentors' (equivalent to sponsors in the states?) during
three years of falconry practice. After that the apprentice
is supposed to have gained enough knowledge of and experience
with managing and hunting hawks and falcons.
During this period he (or she) will be placed on a
waiting list to apply for a falconry permit. When the
apprentice has succeeded in gaining practical experience and
also has enough hunting area to fly in and is on top of the
waiting list, than he gets the falconry permit.
- Waiting list.
At the moment the number of falconry permits is fixed to
121. You can only become a falconer if someone else quits!
- Number of hawks.
A license entitles you to keep a maximum of two hawks.
They can either be peregrine or goshawk and should belong to
the native Middle European sub-species. Both hawks are
protected by law (as are all birds of prey).
- Captive Breeding.
The birds can be obtained by captive breeding (the only
way for peregrines) or import from a neighboring country (in
some East European countries the goshawk is not a protected
bird). In our country only experienced licensed falconers can
get a license for breeding goshawks or peregrines. At the
moment this number is also fixed and totals 12. They are
allowed to keep two hawks more.
- Hunting area and prey.
If you want to hunt game than an shooting license and at
least 40 hectares(about 99 acres) of private hunting area is
needed too. If you are interested in rabbits, black crows
(rooks are protected by law), magpies, herring and black-
headed gulls, than you only need permission from the land
user (this actually does not need to be the land owner). It
should be clear that almost everyone chooses this option.
Only very few people can afford waiting on. Most flying with
peregrines is done at black crows. The goshawk is used for
hunting rabbits.
- License.
The license is prolonged every three years and does not
mention the birds one possesses. These are registered
centrally by an agency erected by the three falconry clubs.
This 'Centraal Buro Jachtvogelregistratie' provides you with
an registration certificate. All birds are identified by an
enclosed ring. A bird that is not registered is illegal.
October 2nd, 1995 Michiel Buil
c. Falconry in South Africa
In South Africa, falconry was, until recently, illegal in
2 of the then 4 provinces. With our political transformation,
9 provinces resulted, but fortunately falconry was legalized
all-over before this.
I am a member of the Cape Falconry Club and had the
pleasure of meeting Christian de Coune, President of the
International Association of Falconry (IAF) during his visit
here, in 1994.
Our Club rules allow for grading of falconers in 4
categories ie.
Apprentice - May not fly a bird, but should accompany
others to gain experience.
Novice - May fly a Kestrel or African Goshawk or as a 2nd
bird a Jackal Buzzard or Pale Chanting Goshawk. I am a novice
and fly an African Goshawk.
General Falconer - May fly Lanners, Black Sparrowhawks,
Red-breasted Sparrowhawk (female only). Must have a loft with
pigeons, a trained dog and radiotelemetry.
Master Falconer - 5 years + experience. May fly
Peregrine, African Hawk Eagle and Red-breasted Sparrowhawk
(male). Latter, a tiny and therefore demanding hawk.
Aylmeris, bells etc. are compulsory with standards set
for mews.
Our club undertakes rehab of all raptors and assists Cape
Nature Conservation (our conservation agency) in this way,
which makes for good cooperation.
Grading of falconers takes place annually, at our AGM
with conservationists present and all equipment and
facilities may be inspected at any time.
Our AGM and Field Meet takes place shortly on 8 - 14 May,
as our season is just starting. I hope to upgrade and fly a
Lanner tiercel. Plenty of doves around
-- Andre Marais
7. Falcons vs. hawks? What's the difference?
Falcons come from the genus Falco, and have pointed
wings, long relative to their size. Their style of flight is
to drop from great heights onto other birds. "Hawk" is a
term covering birds from the genus Buteo or Accipiter.
Buteos tend to hunt ground animals, Accipiters both ground
animals and other birds. Stylistically, falconers train
falcons to fly up to a comfortable height and circle above,
waiting for the falconer to flush the game. Hawks are flown
from the fist, i.e. the bird perches on the falconer's glove
as they flush game by walking (or sometimes driving). Hawks
are also trained to perch on a pole and wait for the falconer
to flush.
--Andrea Chen
8. Which birds of prey are used for falconry?
Your state laws govern which birds are available to you apart
from the federal selection.
California allows the below listed to be taken from the wild:
1. Accipiters: Northern Goshawk, Cooper's hawk, Sharpshinned hawk
2. Buteos: Red Tailed, ferruginous hawk Falcons: Merlin, Kestrel,
Prairie falcon
3. Owls: Great horned.
California allows captive bred raptors to be used in falconry. These
may be purchased in CA or imported, with some paperwork, from another
state or country. Any other species that is legal to own, is legal
for falconry in CA; again, to hunt you must have appropriate hunting
licenses.
Captive bred birds such as peregrines and gyrfalcons may be purchased
from licensed raptor breeders. Some also crossbreed raptors in an
attempt to get the best qualities of each species into one bird. Thus
you have things like merlegrins, pere-prairies, gyr-prairies, etc.
--Andrea Chen
The federal regulations state that only master falconers may take or
possess golden eagles and only then with written permission from the
US. Fish & Wildlife Service department.
Northwoods Limited carries advertisements for captive bred falcons,
hawks, and eagles. You should be able to find every species as well
as hybrids in their catalog.
Exotic (non-native) raptors may be possessed by anyone, falconry
license notwithstanding. However, the rules governing flying and
hunting with them are less clear.
9. As an apprentice which birds are available to me?
Throughout most of the united states apprentices are only
allowed to have Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) or
American Kestrels (Falco sparverius). With the exception of
Alaska where apprentices are allowed to take Northern
Goshawks(Accipiter gentilis). In Florida Red-shouldered
hawks, Red-tailed hawks, and Kestrels are listed as being
available to the apprentice, but in actuality Kestrels are
not allowed to the apprentice. In the southwest of the United
States in areas indigenous to the Harris' Hawk(parabuteo
unicinctus), apprentices might be able to take these birds
also. Check with your Fish & Game department. They will be
able to give a copy of your states' falconry regulations.
10. Is it better to start with a Red-tail or a kestrel?
I would tend to encourage people to start off with a red-
tail for the one reason, their size. One of the first things
most beginning falconers have to learn is how to handle a
raptor. Most are scared of them and pay very close attention
to what those feet are doing. There is usually not much
footing problems with passage birds, but the fear is still
there. The learn to overcome this and in the process learn
what their bird is thinking by what it is doing on the fist.
(how is it standing...is it looking around....how is it
looking around...shifting its weight....etc). The kestrel is
small enough, that this fear...or maybe respect is normally
not there. I think this improves the falconers abilities and
transfers very well to other species upon upgrade.
The other reason is that the large size allows beginners
to make mistakes in weight control without damage to the
hawks. A red-tail that is two oz. low or high is not that
much of a danger, but to weight control a kestrel requires
much more precision. Mistakes will be made, and the red-tail
will cruise right through without any harm...they are very
tough birds.
The size also requires the prospective falconer to
acquire the necessary items for flying other hawks. Gloves,
swivels, leashes, perches, etc. Many of these for kestrels
are not applicable to large hawks. I have found that the
redtails are much harder to lose in the field than the
smaller birds. They are much easier to see when it is
getting dark and the falconer is running out of time. Most
will stay very close to the hunting area unless they get into
a thermal. Redtails will take lots of different kinds of
quarry, including rabbits, ducks, jacks, mice, rats, etc.
Most prey can be taken given the right set up. Learning how
to get a red-tail into a position to take ducks is quite a
process. Not only do you have to learn how to hunt the bird,
you have to learn how to hunt like the bird!
-Tod Herman
11. How and why are falconers using endangered species for
falconry?
This question has a built in perceived untruth. That
being that falconers take endangered species out of the wild
for falconry use. This is not the case. As the regulations
stand, falconers are not allowed to take endangered species
out of the wild. Falconry has been practiced a long time and
world wide. Great strides in the knowledge of raptors has
come about through the practice. One of these includes the
captive breeding of raptors. US falconers were the first
ones to successfully breed peregrine falcons in captivity.
All this was before they were endangered and were in fact
classified by the US government as vermin. Falconers and
their birds were nothing more than pests at best. Right now,
the anatum peregrine falcon is still listed as endangered by
the Federal Government and so is not available to falconers
from the wild. Falconers are still able to fly such birds as
they have had some birds in possession from before listing
and have been breeding them. The peregrine also includes
several subspecies which are not listed as endangered (Peales
and Tundrius). The peales was never listed and for some time
has been available to falconers to take as eyasses if they
were available to them. However due to the location of
nesting grounds, these were limited to Alaskans. The
peregrine is the species usually talked about when asked
about falconers and endangered species.
-Tod Herman
12. Doesn't the trapping of wild birds damage the natural
populations?
The number of wild birds is kept track of by state Fish
and Game. Counts are taken during migration season over the
flyways, as well as counts of resident birds and nests. Just
this year certain counties in California were re-opened to
the take of Northern Goshawks after having been closed for at
least five years. (Those counties had been closed when I
started looking at falconry. For all I know, it has been
closed for ten or more.) Similar counting causes deer
licenses to be limited and bag limits established.
Redtails and kestrels in the lower 48 are apprentices'
birds because there is an ample supply. Goshawks in Alaska
and red-shoulders in Mississippi are selected for the same
reasons. It must be noted that THE MAJORITY OF THE WILD
HAWKS DIE IN THEIR FIRST YEAR. My tiercel would have been
one of them; he had a severe hunger streak that caused five
feathers to break during the season. In the wild he probably
would not have been able to endure the loss, four of them
being primary feathers.
Finally, in addition to voluntary releases, the number of
escaped falconer's birds also adds to the breeding
population. In a 1994 California DFG report, 11 peregrine
falcons, 4 goshawks, and 22 redtails were listed in the
disposition reports as escaped. These numbers were between
30 and 66% of the total acquisitions (eyass + passage) in the
same year. If these are typical numbers, it implies that,
although we take birds from the wild, we return more than one
might expect.
-Andrea Chen
No. Actually the exact opposite is "probably" true. You
have to understand raptor mortality and reproduction rates.
Most raptors raise 3-5 young each year. Since they are at
the very top of the food chain, most of these have to die to
maintain a steady population. In fact, over 70 percent of
the raptors hatched will not survive their first year. Most
of the deaths, especially after fledging are due to
competition for food. In nesting situations, taking one bird
increases the food available to the remaining nestlings,
creating a stronger brood.
Falconry has always been shown...time and time again, to
have absolutely no measurable impact on wild raptor
populations.... Think back......Raptors of all sorts were
literally slaughtered by the thousands each year during
migrations.... This went on and it took DDT to enter the
picture to bring the populations over the edge...(in that
region)...The effects of falconry are almost non-existent in
comparison to what has up until protection, been the NORM.
-Tod Herman
13. Can anyone recommend specs. for a giant hood?
Most giant hoods are built large enough so a) the raptor has
clearance on all sides, head and tail, and b) can turn around on
the perch. This typically means around a 18" footprint and
whatever height is necessary. A giant hood should have airvents
near the base, and a method of securing the leash so that if the
raptor flies out when the door is opened, it will remain under the
falconer's control. Some falconers in warm areas add muffin fans
connected to the 12V in the hawkmobile for better circulation.
Handles help as well. Kimsey and Hodge's _Falconry Equipment_ has
several good descriptions of giant hoods.
Giant hoods can be made of wood, cardboard boxes, or even upended
plastic trash cans. If painted, it should be a light color to
deflect heat.
Most recently the Coulsens have designed a very narrow box to
accommodate their cast of six Harris hawks. They are only about 10
inches wide, yet their raptors don't seem to mind. There is a plan
on the web of how to build one from a single 4x8' sheet of Coroplast,
a very light but sturdy plastic that is usually seen as political
campaign signs and USPS mail bins. Coroplast is easily hosed clean
and difficult to break.
-- Andrea Chen
14. What is "Operation Falcon"?
Articles about Op Falcon were compiled by Rick Holderman and
published in the CHC Journal of 1999. Another reference is _The
Pilgrim and the Cowboy_, by Paul McKay, ISBN: 0-07-045317-9, which
focuses more on the Canadian side of things.
In brief, it was an attempt by USFWS to find Americans illegally
selling gyrfalcons and peregrines to people outside the US,
primarily to citizens of Arabic countries, who were rumored to be
willing to pay $10,000 for a white gyr. At the same time Canada
(home of many wild gyrs) was advancing its own operation to discover
the same. Illegal purchases were set up and stung. The main outcomes
were that innocent falconers were accused, raptors were confiscated
and never returned, and USFWS found no illegal sales by anyone other
than their own agents, who offered birds at enticingly low prices.
The other outcome was a deep level of paranoia and distrust of USFWS
by falconers. Fortunately many of both the USFWS and falconers have
changed their attitudes about each other over the years.
15. Are there any suggested readings for a beginner or for
someone who is interested in falconry?
"A Falconry Manual, Beebe", Frank L. Hancock House, 1984. 197
pages, paperback, $16.95.
A good book on the different types of birds used in
falconry and falconry equipment, care and attention,
training, and hunting.
"The Falconer's Apprentice: A Guide to Training the Passage
Red-Tailed Hawk", William C. Oakes. 120 pages, $11.95.
An excellent book to prepare the novice for the training
and hunting with their red-tailed hawk.
"A Rage For Falcons", Bodio, Stephen. Pruett Publishing.
Boulder, Colorado. 135 pages. paperback, $12.95.
An excellent book describing the joys and sorrows of
being a falconer.
A more expensive and more thorough book which is what the
falconry examination is based upon is:
"North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks", Beebe, Frank L.,
Harold M. Webster, seventh edition 1994, 465 pages,
$65.00
For people in the UK I would reccomend the following book. As
I have been told that this is the bible for UK falconers.
"Falconry and Hawking", Phillip Glasier, 350 pages, $46.50.
All of these books can be obtained from the bookstores
listed in the appendices.
16. Do I have to be rich?
Yes and no. If falconry is really in your blood you will
make do. You will have an initial investment of at least
$600-$1000 in equipment, books, housing facilities,
licensing, and travel. After that, you will have your yearly
license fees and count on minimally $200 per year for food
and equipment replacement. Prices in California start around
$400 for a Harris hawk and can go up to a couple thousand for
a good falcon.
--Andrea Chen
17. What are good sources for hood patterns?
This summer I found three different books that had a
great amount of info. on hood making and hood patterns.
"Falconry and Hawking" by Phillip Glasier had a very
thorough and illustrated chapter on hood making. $47.50 from
Nicholson's bookstore.
His book contains the following patterns:
Falconry Centre hood pattern
Anglo-indian hood pattern
Arab hood pattern
Afghanistan hood pattern
Dutch Hood pattern
"Falconry: Principles and Practice" by Roger Upton also
had a good selection of hood patterns. Can be purchased from
Buteo Books or Nicholson's.
His book contains the following patterns:
Indian hood pattern from the Punjab
" " " Kapurthala state
Anglo-Indian hood pattern.
Arab hood pattern.
Damascus Arab hood pattern.
Syrian Arab hood pattern.
Syrio-Dutch hood pattern.
Dutch hood pattern.
Old metal pattern from Valkenswaard
Dutch Rufter hood pattern.
Turkistan golden eagle hood pattern.
North Afghanistan eagle hood pattern.
"Falconry Equipment" by Kimsey and Hodge. Available from
Buteo Books or Nicholson's or Northwood's limited.
Anglo-indian hood pattern.
Dutch hood pattern. (2 styles)
Syrian and Arab hoods are depicted but patterns are not
given for these.
18. What are good sources for making gloves and glove patterns?
I have found two books that have a great amount of
information on glove and hood making.
"Falconry and Hawking" by Phillip Glasier has written a
great chapter on glove making. He has written a step-by-step
procedure to making a falconry glove. There is one pattern
for a standard long cuff glove with information on how to add
a second reinforcement for handling eagles/large hawks. This
book is available from Nicholson's bookstore.
"Falconry: Principles and Practice" by Roger Upton has a
chapter on glove and hood making. I haven't read the book yet
so I can't say how good the instructions are. His book
contains 5 different glove patterns.
The first glove is a standard falconry glove with 2
variations.
The second glove is an arab hawking glove pattern.
The third glove is a sparrowhawk or merlin "two-finger"
glove.
The last two glove patterns are Indian hawking glove
patterns.
"Falconry:Principles and Practice" can be purchased from
Buteo Books or Nicholson's bookstore.
------------------------------
B. Internet Resources on Falconry.
1. Where can I get the latest version of this FAQ?
Until this FAQ is authorized by the maintainers of news.answers
you may obtain the FAQ from this URL.
http://users.rcn.com/fallinghawks/achen.htm
This FAQ is also archived at the Falconry Usenet Post Archive.
http://www.eskimo.com/~wings/usenet_menu.html
When this FAQ is authorized by the news.answers maintainers it
will be posted to news.answers once a month or when a major change
to the FAQ has been made.
2. Are there any newsgroups on falconry?
Yes, there are newsgroups on falconry. Alt.sport.falconry
was first created for the discussion for falconry. Before the
newsgroup had propagated all over the net, someone created
alt.falconry and then later on someone created
alt.sports.falconry. It has been decided by the USENET
community that the proper name for a falconry group should be
"alt.sport.falconry". This is the proper name and the group
that is most widely carried and used by falconers.
Do not post to or discuss falconry on rec.birds.
Rec.birds is for bird watchers and the discussion of bird
watching. You will severely flamed by bird watchers for
discussing falconry on rec.birds.
Rec.hunting is a group dedicated to hunting in general.
You may discuss the hunting aspect of falconry on this group.
3. Are there any URLs or WWW pages on falconry?
The following URLs deal with falconry. There has recently
been a huge increase in falconry web pages within that last
couple of years. Which is great because there is now a vast
amount of material available on the net.
Falconry Webring
http://w.webring.com/hub?ring=falconry
Falconry:Page by Wesley R. Elsberry:
http://www.rtis.com/nat/user/elsberry/raptbio/falc.html
Emma and Steven Ford's British School of Falconry:
http://www.highlandtrail.co.uk/highlandtrail/life2.html
The Falconer: A Monthly WWW publication.
http://www.fwcds.org/alumni/Falconer/
The Falconry and Raptor Education Foundation
http://www.falconryacademy.com/
The Falcon Mute
http://www.dgwake.com/
Falconry Usenet Post Archive
http://www.eskimo.com/~wings/usenet_menu.html
Eagle Eyes Legislation Effort
http://www.eskimo.com/~wings/legislation.html
Harrie Knol's Falconry Homepage
http://www.hawkingdirect.com
The Net Maker Homepage
http://cc.usu.edu/~marlow/
Eaglewing Publishing Homepage
http://home.earthlink.net/~eaglewing/
Northwood's Limited
http://www.northwoodsfalconry.com
Borch's Falkonerei
http://users.cybercity.dk/~ccc12787/
FALCONCREST Homepage
http://www.falconry-equipment.com/
4. My site doesn't receive much news on alt.sport.falconry.
How come?
Some news sites do not receive all of the news that is
posted on alt.sport.falconry. If you are receiving responses
without the original posts then you are probably not
receiving everything that gets posted. Some news sites are
out of the loop and don't receive everything.
Google Groups (formerly DejaNews) seems to receive all
posts.
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=alt.sport.falconry
Zippo Dot Com - alt.sport.falconry
http://drn.zippo.com/news-bin/wwwnews?alt.sport.falconry
As of 2000 many non-Usenet discussion groups as well as
list servers have been created by and for falconers. These
are more user-friendly than Usenet and have become more widely
used.
C. Appendices.
1. Glossary of terms commonly used in falconry.
Words notated with (n,v) are often used (with appropriate modifications)
as both nouns and verbs. Some words take odd forms, which I have tried to use
as the entry; e.g. intermew or intermewing are not used, only intermewed.
aspergillosis A fungal disease in the respiratory system; asper for short.
austringer A falconer who hunts with accipiters (orig.); now includes both
shortwings and broadwings, but an anachronistic term in any definition.
bate To flutter off the fist or perch for a negative reason (fear, temper)
when the raptor is restrained.
bell A small round bell tied to the tail or legs of a hawk. The ringing of
the bell gives away the location of a hawk that is down on its prey, or
a falcon waiting-on. This makes it easier for a falconer to locate a hawk
that is hidden by dense cover or long grass.
bewits Small leather strips that fasten the bell to the legs.
bind (v) To seize and hold onto quarry.
brail A long strip of leather used to restrain one wing of a newly captured
raptor, to prevent it from bating. Not usually used in modern falconry.
broadwings Term that describes inclusively the class of Buteo and Parabuteo.
cadge A portable perch used to carry several raptors into the field.
carrying A habit where the raptor flies, holding onto quarry just caught,
either from the ground or as a continuation of a stoop. Most falconers
prefer to discourage this.
cast (n) Two hawks (or more) flown in cooperative hunting. Wild mated pairs
will often work this way. Harris' hawks are well known for working
together in groups. Nestlings that are raised together will sometimes be
flown in a cast.
cast (v) To wrap a raptor in a cloth to restrain its wings (see sock). This
is done for many reasons: jessing a new capture, imping feathers, etc.
Alternate to anesthetizing.
casting (n,v) The indigestible portion of a raptor's meal (bones, fur,
feathers) is formed into a compact ball (casting, pellet) and is disgorged
through the mouth.
cast off A raptor's launch from the glove
check When a hawk waiting on over a falconer, stoops at or chases wild game
which the falconer has not intended the hawk to fly at. This happens when
wild birds fly into or across the area where the falconer is hunting. The
hawk is much more interested in stooping at the wild birds than waiting
for the falconer to flush something for her.
cope To trim the beak and/or talons of a raptor when they grow too long. This
is necessary because they do not get as worn down in captivity as they do
in nature.
crab (v) Two raptors grappling in the air, whether over quarry, territory,
or part of the mating ritual.
creance A long line used to train the raptor to come to the falconer over a
distance. About 50 - 150 ft. long.
enseaming The process of feeding small stones (rangle) to a raptor in order
to provide it with something to cast. A medieval method, but some still
defend its value.
enter (v) To train a raptor to a particular quarry or a new quarry. "I
entered her on jacks..."
eyess/eyas/eyeass Refers to a raptor still in the nest, or a raptor of any
age that was obtained as a nestling.
falcon (n) Any bird of the genus Falconidae.
falcon (adj,n) This term has also been reserved for female falcons only. Male
falcons are called tiercels. See tiercel.
feak (v) Scrubbing the beak against the perch or branch to clean it of excess
food/saliva. Songbirds do this constantly; birds of prey, only after feeding.
ferret A small animal resembling and related to the weasel family. Ferrets are
sometimes used to scare or bolt rabbits from their hole so that they may be
flown at by hawks.
flush To chase or scare quarry out into the open or into the air where it can
be hunted by a hawk. It is important for the falconer to do this at a time
when his/her hawk is in the best possible position and has the best
advantage to overtake its quarry. See also serve.
frounce A disease in the throat and mouth of raptors. Pigeons are often
attributed as being carriers of this disease but frounce is not limited to
pigeons.
gerkin A name specifically for male gyrfalcons also called a tiercel gyrfalcon.
See also tiercel and jerkin.
gorge (n,v) To give a raptor as much as it can eat. "Has been gorged" or "Has
a full gorge".
hack (n) A state of liberty in which young raptors are allowed to run free
and learn early hunting skills. It is provided with food and watched
carefully for the day it doesn't eat it - indicating that it has caught
something on its own.
haggard (n) A wild adult raptor in its second year or more. A hawk used for
falconry is a haggard if it was trapped from the wild in its second year
or later, otherwise it is an intermewed passager or intermewed eyass.
halsband A piece of light silk rope or cord about eighteen inches long that
has a loop made at the top. The loop is put round the neck of an accipiter.
The falconer then pulls down on the cord to bring the hawk into a horizontal
position. The falconer then swings his arm forward hurling the hawk into
the air at flushed quarry. This gives the hawk a boost in speed so that it
doesn't need to accelerate as much to overtake its quarry.
hawk Used liberally to encompass all falcons, accipiters, and buteos.
Originally used for birds belonging to the genus Accipiter.
hob A name specifically used for male ferrets. See also ferret.
hood A leather cap that covers a raptor's head, blinding it; used to keep it
calm in strange situations, such as traveling by car. There are several
styles of hood; the most popular are Dutch and Indian.
imp (v) To repair a raptor's damaged feather by splicing on a part of a moulted
feather at the point where the feather has been broken.
intermewed (adj) A raptor that has molted while in captivity. Can be used to
describe the age of the raptor, e.g. "3x intermewed passager" indicates the
raptor was trapped during migration and has molted three times, and is thus
in its fourth year.
jack 1. A name specifically for male merlins(Falco. Columbarius, or one of the
merlin variants). Male merlins can also be referred to as tiercel merlins.
See also tiercel.
2. Jack is also short for jack-rabbit.
jangoli An Arabic or Indian name for the piece of equipment known to European
and American falconers as a halsband. See halsband.
jerkin see gerkin.
jess, jesses,jessi Leather straps attaching the legs of a raptor. The jesses
are then attached to a swivel and leash, or are held by the falconer while
the hawk is on the fist.
jess, Aylmeri A two-piece jess consisting of an anklet held in place by a g
rommet, and a jess that passes through the grommet. The traditional jess was
a single piece: because they were only changed if broken, escaped raptors
could get caught up in branches and die. The Aylmeri jess allows the raptor
to pull out the jess portion, reducing the risk.
jess, slitless Jess that has no hole, or a very small hole, used when the
raptor is free-flying.
jess, mews Jesses that have a slit large enough to pass a swivel through.
jill A name specifically for female ferrets. See also ferret.
leash Leather, nylon or bungee cord, around 3 ft. long, used to fasten the
raptor to its perch.
longwings Generic term for any bird of genus Falconidae.
lure (n) A simulated quarry on a string used to train raptors, control their
flight, or call the raptor in to the falconer.
lure (v) To call the raptor in, using a lure.
make in to To approach a raptor on game. This is done so as to not frighten
the raptor into flight.
manning, manned The process of getting the raptor used to seeing people and
not be afraid of them.
mantle (v) To spread the wings and tail over food to protect it from being
viewed by rivals (bird or human). NAFHH, however, defines mantling as the
one-leg-same-wing stretch (see also warble), and names the above definition
as "mantling over".
mews (n singular) The main sleeping/living quarters for a raptor.
mutes (n) mute (v) The excrement of a raptor.
passage hawk A raptor captured during its first southern migration.
pitch (n) The height a falcon seeks to maintain while waiting for the falconer
to serve it or flush quarry for it. (see waiting on).
put in To hide in cover. ("The pheasant put in to that bush")
put over To digest food.
rake away When a hawk, waiting on over a falconer, leaves its position directly
over the falconer by veering off in another direction in search of something
else to do. The hawk may be bored with waiting for the falconer to flush
something or may just enjoy soaring. Either way this puts the hawk out of
position to stoop at flushed quarry.
rangle/rankle Small stones fed to a raptor (see enseaming)
ring, ring up The process taken by a falcon to attain its pitch. A falcon will
gain height by flying in circles around the falconer.
rouse (v) An action that all birds do, which involves raising all the feathers
until erect, then shaking itself vigorously to allow the feathers to settle
back into place.
row A falcon's practice of gripping the perch with both feet and flapping its
wings in place. Also used to describe flying in general.
running cunning Is when a hawk that is flown in a cast lets the other members
work hard at stooping or tiring out the prey and then the hawk takes the
quarry just before it puts in or makes it to cover. This is a vice where the
hawk has learned that he/she has does not have to work hard to obtain the
reward.
seel, seeling A medieval practice of aiding or speeding up the process of
manning a newly caught raptor by stitching the eyes closed with a single
thread. This method has fallen out of use by modern American and European
falconers, but it is used all the time by modern Arab and Indian falconers.
When done properly it does not hurt the hawk and does speed the manning
process.
serve, serve up To provide a falcon with quarry, particularly a easy catch.
sharp-set When a hawk is hungry or at flying weight having very little body
fat; displaying qualities of eagerness to hunt.
shortwings Birds of the Genus accipiter.
slip (n, v) To provide a hawk with an opportunity to fly at game.
sock (n,v) A slightly snug bag of lightweight material with an opening for
the head, used to keep the wings of a freshly caught raptor restrained.
stoop (n,v) The head first dive of a falcon from a height.
strike the hood To loosen the traces but not remove the hood.
throw up See toss-up.
tiercel Any male raptor. The term came from the size of the male raptor, which
is typically one-third smaller than the female.
tirings (n) Meat given to a hawk that is tough and tendony; its goal is to
use a raptor's excess energy by making it work for its food.
toss-up (n,v) The arc upward that a falcon uses to brake after striking the
prey from a stoop or to use its momentum to take pitch over its quarry and
make another stoop at her prey.
waiting on The circling above that a falcon does as it waits for the falconer
to flush game.
warble The stretching motion that lifts both bent wings over the head until
they nearly touch, and sometimes spreading the tail as well.
weather (v) Letting the bird sit outdoors to take in sun and fresh air.
yarak (n) An Indian word indicating a readiness to hunt, often showing itself
in certain postures. Generally only Accipiters, Buteos, and Eagles exhibit
yarak.
2. List of bookstores that carry books on falconry.
# Barrie Watson
8760 Grand Avenue
Beulah, CO 81023
Phone: (719) 485-3136
I just got a letter from Barrie on August 30, 1995. He said that he is in
the process of putting together another falconry catalog that will contain
about 600 different annotated items. The smaller catalog that was sent to
me listed about 37 different book titles and a large list of back issues
of NAFA Journals and Hawk Chalks. Some of these back issues dated back to
1965. Others were dated all the way up to 1994.
# Buteo Books
Route 1, Box 242
Shipman, VA 22971
Phone: (804) 263-8671
Small selection of falconry books:about 20 titles. A catalog is also
available. There also carry general books and Ornithological papers on
birds and birds of prey.
# William C. Oakes
EagleWing Publishing
Post Office Box 1570
Dept. I
Elizabeth, CO 80107
EagleWing Publishing is run and owned by William Oakes. William Oakes is
the author of "A Falconer's Apprentice," an excellent book that offers a
step by step guide to the new apprentice training his/her first Red-
tailed hawk. He has also written "The Falconer's Log Book," which is a
companion to "A Falconer's Apprentice." The Falconer's Log Book gives you
a place to record your bird's weight, performance, and climate conditions
etc. so that you can better monitor your bird through out the season, and
it makes it easier to find your bird's flying weight. William also
publishes a topical index of all articles published by national falconry
organizations since 1941. The book is organized by subject.
For pricing information contact Bill through email at:
eaglewing@earthlink.net
# Falconry Art & Equipment
P.O. Box 5363
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549
Phone: (904) 651-4084
Art, equipment, and books.
# Hancock House Publishing
1431 Harrison Avenue
Blaine, Washington, USA 98230-5005
Phone: (206) 354-6953
Phone: (604) 538-1114
Phone: (800) 938-1114
Fax: (604) 538-2262
Hancock House carries several titles on falconry. Hancock house just came
out with a new flyer advertising new books for fall 95. You can get a copy
of this by calling one of the above numbers.
# Harrell Books
P.O.Box 425
Friday Harbor, WA 98205
# Hereward Books
32 High Street
Haddenham
near Ely, Cambs
England CB6 3XA
# William R. Hecht
Box 67
Scottsdale, AZ 85252
Phone: (602)948-2536
When I received his catalog around July 95 he had about 70 titles on
falconry. He carries both new, used, and out of print books on falconry
and birds of prey.
# Paul Morgan
Coch-y Bonddu Books
Penegoes
Machynlleth, Powys
England SY20 8NN
# Nicholson's Books
6935 Shorecrest Dr.
Anaheim, CA 92807
Phone: (714) 281-8497
This is a bookstore that carries many books on falconry. They carry new
and used books ranging in price from $15 to $2000. I'd like to say thanks
to Rob Ratkowski who gave me the address for this great store, and Brad
Halleck for their new phone number.
As of November 95, Nicholson's has just printed a new catalogue which
lists new books that are being released this fall and new books that
they have acquired since their last catalog. I would recommend getting a
copy.
# Northwoods Limited
P.O. Box 874
Rainier, WA 98576
Phone: (206) 446-3212
Phone: (800) 446-5080
Northwoods carries all sorts of falconry equipment as well, as books,
tapes. Their catalog also lists sources for captive raised falcons and
hawks. Their latest catalog costs $7 and has about 60-70 pages in it.
# Peacock Books
P.O. Box 2024
Littleton, MA 01460
Phone: (508) 456-8404
Carries secondhand ornithological books. W. H. Parkinson recommended
this bookstore and said that Peacock books has four catalogs per year
and usually lists six to seven falconry titles.
I just contacted Peacock books today(8/30/95). The person I spoke to
said that the catalogs do not list everything that is currently in
stock. Only six or seven titles are listed in the catalog, but at the
time they had about twenty or so books in stock.
# The Peregrine Fund, Inc.
World Center For Birds of Prey
5666 West Flying Hawk Lane
Boise, Idaho 83709
Phone: (208) 362 3716
Carries books on the breeding, current status, and rehabilitation of
birds of prey. They also carry a few titles on falconry.
# Quill & Ink Books
8610 Glencrest Dr.
Sun Valley, CA 91352
A good selection of used and out of print books and periodicals. Their
catalog listed some very hard to find titles. You must contact Quill &
Ink Books through mail.
# St. Ann's Books
Rectory House
26 Priory Road
Great Malvern, Worcestershire
England WR14 3DR
# Weatherford & Woodsman, Ltd.
Peter B. Devers
P.O. Box 1424
Millbrook, NY 12545
----------------NOTE: I have not verified the following phone numbers
and addresses but I will try to at some point in the future.
# Robin Haigh
Abbey Bridge Farmhouse
Colonels Lane, Chertsey
Surrey, KT16 8RJ England
Phone: (0932) 560236
Fax: (0932) 561144
New, used, out of print, and antiquarian books. Also carries falconry
equipment.
# Falconry Originals from Ben Long
Bryn Hyfryd, Rhyd-y-meudwy
Ruthin, Clwyd, UK LL15 2RA
Phone: 44-8245-742
Fax: 44-8245-452
Don't forget the country number when calling. I think it's (011) from
the US. Carries books, videos, and falconry equipment.
3. Listing of falconry clubs and organizations.
a. National and International organizations.
National Falconry Organizations
GERMANY
Homepage: Der Deutsche Falkenorden - DFO
http://www.falkenorden.de
GREAT BRITAIN
The British Falconers Club
J.R. Fairclough,
Home Farm,
Hints,
Nr. Tamworth,
Staffordshire B78 3DW
Homepage: The British Falconers Club
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/bfc/
UNITED STATES and CANADA
North American Falconers Association (NAFA)
US and Canada
Homepage: North America Falconers Association
http://www.n-a-f-a.org/
CZECH REPUBLIC
CSR KLUB SOKOLNIKU
PRI UV CESKEHO
MYSLIVECKEHO SVAZU
HUSOVA 7
PRAHA 1
CZECK REPUBLIC
Secretary:
PETR KOLOMAZNIK
PLATONOVA 3276
143 00 PRAHA 4
CZECK REP.
tel ++ (CR)2 4019303
Thanks to Attilio Roncallo for getting this address for me.
IRELAND
The Irish Hawking Club (North)
D. Watson,
81 Moyallan Road,
Portadown,
Co. Armagh BT63 5JY
The Irish Hawking Club (South)
P Fogarty,
89 Foxfield Road,
Raheny,
Dublin 5
ITALY
Yarak, Club di Falconeria
Mr. Attilio Roncallo, Secretary.
Via Poligonia, 82
15100 Alessandria
ITALY
Phone/Fax +39 10 215471
Email: roncatt@village.it
Homepage: La Falconeria in Italia
http://www.global.village.it/~roncatt/
SCOTLAND
The Scottish Hawking Club
Crookedstane Elvanfoot
by Biggar
Lanarkshire
Scotland
ML12 6RL
Mr A Knowles-Brown
Phone: 01864 505245
E-mail: AKB000@aol.com
(Affiliated to the British Field Sports Soc. & the North American Falconers Assn.)
SOUTH AFRICA, UNION OF
Dr Adrian Lombard, Secretary
40 Forrest Way
Glencairn 7995
South Africa
This is an address for one of the clubs in South Africa. This was sent
to me by Andre Marais.
SPAIN
UEDECA(Unisn Espaqola para la Defensa de la Cetrerma y las Aves de presa)
Lorenzo Machmn Acosta, President
Apdo. de correos 150101
C.P 28080 Madrid
Spain
PORTUGAL
Antonio Carapuco
Pateo Maria Amelia 7
Ribera Destintra 2710
Portugal
WALES
The Welsh Hawking Club
Mike Clowes, Secretary
10 Birthorpe Road
Billingborough
Nr. Sleaford
Lincs NG34 OQS
Phone: Mike Clowes on 01529 240443
Phone: David Jones on 01934 811300
Email: Mike Clowes
Email: David Jones
Website: http://www.WelshHawkingClub.com
(Est 1962) Contact Mike Clowes or David Jones at one of the above phone numbers.
The largest hawking club in Wales with over 300 members. The WHC meets on the
second Monday of every month at The Newbridge Inn, Tredunnock, Usk, South
Wales. Also monthly meetings at North Devon, North Wales and Northhampton
International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF)
Le Cochetay
B-4140 Gomze-Andoumont, Belgium
Christian de Coune, President
Phone#: 41 687369
I also found this listed an encyclopedia of international organizations.
b. Falconry organizations in Canada.
Canadian Falconry Links
* Roy Priest's Falconry Page:
http://www.falconry.ca/index.htm
* The West Coast Falconers:
http://members.tripod.com/~Austringer_2/index.html
ALBERTA
Alberta Falconery Association
4218 - 63 Street,
Camrose, Alberta
T4V 2W2
Thanks goes to John Campbell who sent me this address.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
B.C. Hawking Club
P.O. BOX 30042
SAANICH CENTRE PO
VICTORIA. B.C. V8X 5E1
Email: Amanda Neville: aneville (at) pop.uvic.ca
Thanks to Bren Tedder for sending this address to me.
If you are interested in getting more information on falconry in British
Columbia check out Roy Priest's Falconry Page. He has put together a list
of the current falconry regulations in BC.
ONTARIO
Ontario Hawking Club
Dave Pfeffer, Secretary/Treasurer
Email: raginkestrel (at) yahoo.ca
NOVA SCOTIA
Nova Scotia Falconry Association
38 Overdale Lane
Dartmouth, N.S.
Canada
B3A 3V3
Thanks to Chris Dean, who sent me this address.
QUEBEC
Association Quebecoise des Fauconniers et Autoursiers (A.Q.F.A.)
11 675 boul. Becancourt
Ste-Angele de Laval
Quebec,
Canada
G0X 2H0
Email: aqfa (at) geocities.com
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/5343/(In French)
I just received this information from Genevieve Roy. She says that a
translation for A.Q.F.A. could be: "Quebecers Association of Falconers
and Hawkers", but we prefer A.Q.F.A. Falconry has not yet been legalized
in the province of Quebec, but the A.Q.F.A. is working hard to get
falconry recognized as a legal field sport.
SASKATCHEWAN
Saskatchewan Falconers Association
Secretary : Geoff Alderman
Box 546 Delisle, Sask. S0L 0P0
Added to the page on 1/20/97.
c. Falconry organizations in the United Kingdom.
Here are some of the national clubs in the UK. For contact information
please refer to the section on National and International Organizations.
* British Falconers Club
* The Irish Hawking Club(North)
* The Irish Hawking Club(South)
* The Scottish Hawking Club
* The Welsh Hawking Club
Local Falconry Clubs in the UK
I don't have addresses for all of the following organizations. If you
have any more info. or additions or corrections, please send them to
Andrea Chen (fallinghawks (at) rcn.com).
Please visit The Hawk Board and the Campaign for Falconry Supporting
Clubs for more complete information on local clubs in England and Scotland.
* Northern England Falconry Club
* The British Hawking Association
* The London Hawking & Owl Club
* The South East Falconry Group
* The Home Counties Hawking Club
* The Cheshire Hawking Club
* The Cumbrian Falconry Club
* The New Forest Falconry Club
* The South Glos & West Wilts Raptor Club
* The Raptor Breeders Association
* The Bedfordshire Falconry & Raptor Club
* The Bedfordshire Hawking Club
* The Welsh Hawk Owl and Falcon Association
* Southern Counties Raptor Club
* Central Falconry & Raptor Club
* The Yorkshire Falconry Club
* The Hawking Club
The Northern England Falconry Club
Meets 1st Wednesday each month, The Stickler P.H., Bradford, W. Yorks.
Phone number: 01274 780800
Mr G. Berry
Phone number: 01423 526056
The British Hawking Association
Paul Beercroft, Chairman
Phone: 0118 901 6990
Email: Raptorlife@aol.com
Meets are held on the 1st Thursday every month at the Hoggs Head Hotel,
Awsworth, Notts.
The London Hawking & Owl Club
Contact Paul Barham 0171 515 7754
or Bill Fiveash 0171 639 9087
The South East Falconry Group
Gary Biddiss on 01245 226057 or gary.biddis (at) interbrew.co.uk
or Dean White on 01489 896504
or write c/o
The Tilbury Community Ass.
The Civic Square
Tibury
Essex
Homepage: The South East Falconry Group
http://www.sefg.org
The Home Counties Hawking Club
(Sandhurst - Surrey/Berks borders)
Phone:01784 250577 Chairman Alan Greenhalgh
Phone:01276.503891 John and Laila Green
Email:Pauline Hooley: pauline_hooley (at) hotmail.com
Meet on the last Wednesday of the month at The Queen P.H., Blackwater,
Surrey.
The Cheshire Hawking Club
Railway Hotel,
Mill Lane,
Heatley
Nr Lymm
Cheshire
Hotel Phone Number: 01925 752742
Contact Jeff Cockle,Chairman on 01942 201995
Email: jeff4 (at) tinyworld.co.uk
Meets are held on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, Railway Hotel, Heatley
The Cumbrian Falconry Club
Steve Harley, club contact.
Phone: 01900 63768
The New Forest Falconry Club
Mr. Cuthbert
10 Barnes Crescent
Ensbury Park,
Bournemouth,
Dorset
Email: Keith, 101477.3047 (at) compuserve.com
Meets are held on the 1st Wednesday of every month.
The South Glos & West Wilts Raptor Club
Contact Martin on 0117 9710019
or Keith on 01454 315810
Email: Gareth (at) gsjones.demon.co.uk
Meetings are held on the 1st Monday of every month at the Compass Inn,
Tormarton (Just outside Bristol).
The Raptor Breeders Association
Keith Channing, Membership Secretary
2, Amesbury Road,
Cholderton,
Salisbury,
Wiltshire SP4 0EP
Phone: 01980 629221
Email: RaptorBreeders (at) hotmail.com
Homepage: Raptor Breeders Association
http://homepages.tesco.net/~keith.channing/rba/index.htm
Contact Keith Channing at the above email address.
The Bedfordshire Falconry & Raptor Club
For further information contact.
The Bedfordshire Hawking Club For further information contact.
Malcolm Forrest-Hazell
Phone: 01582 619883
Mobile: 0956 625322
Email:Malcolm Forrest-Hazell, mf_h (at) net.ntl.com
Email:BedsHawk (at) yahoo.com
Homepage: http://www.faZe.com/park/bhc/
Meetings are held regularly on the second Wednesday of each month
starting at (7:30pm for 8 pm start).
We are a small, but friendly club, whose main objectives are to maintain
the traditional practises of Falconry, i.e. flying diurnal Birds of Prey
at their natural quarry, and to maintain and promote Falconry by good
practises and active participation. We hold regular field meets during
the season. Prospective new members and guests are welcomed.
For further information please contact Malcolm Forres-Hazell as above.
For direct correspondence with the club use the club address:
BedsHawk (at) yahoo.com
The Welsh Hawk Owl and Falcon Association
Contact: Tom Llewelyn
Phone :- 01495 246004
Fax :-01495 248500
Email: Dave Denner, djdenner (at) aol.com
Meetings are held on the 1st monday of the month at the Penllwyn Inn,
Penllwyn Blackwood, All are welcome.
Southern Counties Raptor Club
Secretary and Treasurer: Mrs. Terry Pearce
Phone: 01273 542971
Email: Mrs. Terry Pearce, Secretary. and Treasurer
TerryPearce (at) duff9935.freeserve.co.uk
Meetings Held every 2nd Tues. of the month at:
The Old Boat Corner Community Centre
Carden Hill
Hollingbury
Brighton
Central Falconry & Raptor Club
Mrs D Page,
Phone: 01933 665800
Email: cen.falc (at) ic24.net
The CFRC meets at Tewkesbury (first Sunday of month) & Coventry (second
Sunday). Information just updated 10/97.
The Yorkshire Falconry Club
Email: R. Hill, yorkshirefalconry (at) longwing.demon.co.uk
Phone: 01226 360353
Homepage: Yorkshire Falconry
http://www.longwing.demon.co.uk/
Visit the Yorkshire Falconry homepage for membership information and
meeting times.
The Hawking Club (Wales)
Maendy Farmhouse
Church Village
S.Wales CF38 1SY UK
Phone: 01327 261485
Phone: (0044) 1443 206333
Email: Adrian Williams, Secretary
adewilliams (at) saqnet.co.uk
Contact Adrian Williams for more info. The Hawking Club is mainly UK
based, but also has members abroad.
d. Falconry organizations in the United States.
UNITED STATES- State Falconry Organizations
Please send any corrections to Andrea Chen, fallinghawks (at) rcn.com
Note: If you don't see a listing for a club in your state contact your
NAFA regional director he/she will be able to put you in contact with
someone in your area.
ALABAMA
Homepage: Falconers and Austringers of Alabama
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Park/2877/
ARIZONA
Arizona Falconer's Association
HC 50, Box 726
Prescott, AZ 86301
Email: Jamaica Smith, Vice President , ladyhawk (at) ctaz.com
Homepage: http://www.azfalconersassoc.org/
The AFA has two newletters a year, called the Unicinctus. They
usually have a fall and a spring meet, in addition to the Desert
Hawking Classic held every January in Tucson, at a nice hotel/resort
owned by a member. For more information on the AFA contact Jamaica
Smith at the email address above.
CALIFORNIA
The California Hawking Club (CHC)
Membership Contact:
David Peterson
15784 Washington St.
Riverside, CA 92504
Email: membership@calhawkingclub.org
Homepage: California Hawking Club Homepage
http://www.calhawkingclub.org/
The CHC has a statewide meet once a year after Christmas, and
typically 1 to 2 mini-meets per year. The newsletter is published
3 times a year along with a yearly Journal.
Davis Austringers and Falconers
Email: karl (at) kersters.com
Davis Austringers and Falconers is a loose group that has several meets
per year (as frequently as monthly during the hunting season) in the Davis,
California area. Meet announcements are made in the Yahoo groups
Huntinghawks and On-wing.
COLORADO
Colorado Hawking Club
Anne Price, Central Director
Email: Anne Price, Raptoress (at) aol.com
GEORGIA
Georgia Falconry Association
Joel Volpi -- President
2680 Sandstone Drive
Lawrenceville, Georgia 30245
Phone: (770)963-9283
Homepage: http://www.georgiafalconryassociation.com/
IDAHO
Idaho Falconers Association
Scott Nichols
12009 W. Camas
Boise, ID 83709
Homepage: http://www.widaho.com/~ifa/
I thank Brian Kimsey for sending me this address.
ILLINOIS and Great Lakes Area
Great Lakes Falconer's Association
P.O. Box 377
Deerfield, IL 60015
Homepage: http://www.onlinefalconry.com/GLFA.htm
I just received the new address from Rob Sulski(4/2/98). The new
president is Bob Tintinger.
INDIANA
Indiana Falconer's Association
26458 Rollong Drive
West Harrison, IN 47060
Homepage: http://members.aol.com/Indianafalconers/
IOWA
Iowa Falconer's Association
519 Walnut St.
Wilton, IA 52778
Email: Mark Washburn, shank (at) netins.net
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/5487/FALTITLE.HTM
KANSAS
Kansas Hawking Club
Randy Carr, Secretary/Treasurer
546 Broadview,
Andover, KS 67002
Contact: DAPConsult (at) cs.com
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/kansashawking
The Massachusetts Falconry & Hawk Trust has quarterly NewsLetters plus an
annual journal, The Talon Tales. Regular membership is open to licensed
falconers living in Massachusetts and Associate membership is open to
nonresident licensed falconers. The Talon Tales may be purchased by
writing or e-mailing Darryl at the above address.
This info was just updated on 4/99.
MICHIGAN
Michigan Hawking Club
411 Argentine Rd.
Howell, MI 48843
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/michhawkingclub/
MINNESOTA
Minnesota Falconer's Association
Vic Peppe
Corcoran, Minnesota
Phone: (763) 498 8294
Email: vpeppe (at) isd.net
Last updated 4/1/2004.
MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Falconer's Association
President Rhonda Williams
Secretary/Treasurer David Williams
454 Jim Stanford Rd
Poplarville,MS 39470
Phone (601) 795-8556
Email: artshot (at) netdoor.com
Homepage: http://www.datastar.net/users/southwoods/club.html
MISSOURI
Missouri Falconer's Association
Bob Payne
Liberty, Missouri
(816) 792 3998
Email: afurnituredoctor (at) juno.com
The MFA puts out four newsletters per year, sponsors a summer/eyass
picnic, and also sponsors three or four assn. wide field meets. You
can contact Bob Payne at the above email address.
Homepage: http://www.angelfire.com/mo3/falconry/
MONTANA
Montana Falconer's Association
c/o Mr. Gerald Geiger
8018 First Street West
Havre, Montana 59501
NEBRASKA
Nebraska Falconer's Association
155 Mormon Trail
Lincoln, NE 69521
NEVADA
Southern Nevada Gamehawkers' Association
Oscar Ruiz - Apprentice Coordinator
cfalconer (at) earthlink.net
Nevada Falconry Apprentice Program
NEW JERSEY
Jersey Falconry Club
149 Carter Rd.
Princeton NJ 08540
NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina Falconer's Guild
c/o Bob Pendergrass
6620 Bringle Ferry Rd.
Salisbury, NC 28146
Email: Matt Holtz, gyrfalcon@mindspring.com
Homepage: NCFG Homepage
http://www.mindspring.com/~gyrfalcon/ncfg.htm
I'd like to thank Mike Guzy for sending me the updated address for this club.
OHIO
Ohio Falconry Association
John A. Blakeman, Sec./Treas.
2412 Scheid Rd.
Huron, Ohio 44839
Email: jablakeman (at) aol.com
Homepage: http://www.ohiofalconry.org/ This information was last updated
12/15/97.
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma Falconers Association
M. Alan Jenkins, Treasurer
P. O. Box 2007
Bartlesville, OK 74005
Email: Peregringo (at) aol.com
Just added this on 3/23/97.
OREGON
Oregon Falconer's Association
10440 Simpson Canyon Rd.
Klamath Falls, OR 97601
Club Officers are:
Phone: (503) 263-2648 Todd Sherer
Phone: (541) 883-1294, Karen Cottrell
Email: Todd Sherer, sherert (at) oregon.uoregon.edu
Email: Karen Cottrell, lcottrel (at) kfalls.net
Homepage: http://www.oregonfalconers.org/
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania Hawk Trust
RR 12, Box 472, Elham Dr.
York, PA 17406
Homepage: http://www.pfht.org/
TEXAS
Texas Hawking Association
Homepage:http://www.geocities.com/texashawking/tha.html
James D. Guy Jr.
1400 Theodora Cove
Austin, TX 78753
Phone: (512) 836-5207
Email: jguy (at) ccsi.com
Updated 11/28/98. Contact James at the above address for more info. on the
THA.
UTAH
Utah Falconer and Raptor Breeder's Association
Secretary: Brad Townsend
Email: NLA9 (at) aol.com
Homepage: UFRBA Homepage, http://www.raptorsnest.com/ufrba/
Contact Brad Townsend for more information on the UFRBA.
VIRGINIA
Virginia Falconer's Association
Vice President: Kent Knowles, KentK3 (at) aol.com
3512 Duff Drive
Falls Church VA 22041
(703) 578-4729
(703) 578-1673
Homepage: www.erols.com/afuente/
Bill Harry Sec./ Treas.
9707 Bunchberry Place
Vienna, Virginia 22181
Phone: (703) 281-3564
Email: afalconer (at) juno.com
I was told that the VFA is alive and well with over a hundred members
and that they produce an impressive journal every year. The contact
information was updated on 1/26/99.
WASHINGTON
Washington Falconer's Association
PO Box 874
Rainier, WA 98576
Phone: (360) 446-3212
Homepage: http://www.wafalconry.org/ I'd like to say thanks to Dan Pike
for the update on the new address for the WFA and their phone number.
WEST VIRGINIA
Homepage: West Virginia Falconry
http://www.geocities.com/guruhawk/wvfalconry
Falconry was just recently legalized in West Virginia. The above web page
has more information on the state of falconry in WV.
WISCONSIN
Wisconsin Falconer's Association
515 Gold Street
Green Lake, WI 54941
WYOMING
Wyoming Falconer's Association
240 Nichols
Casper, WY 82601
Homepage: http://www.wyomingfalconers.org/
4. The history of falconry.
A brief history of falconry.
There is no clear path showing where exactly falconry began. The oldest
recordings come from China, Japan, and the Arabic countries, but those
places do not necessarily indicate the beginning, only where writing and
painting were made. Aelian's _De Natura Animalium_ states that falconry
was practiced in central Asia as early as 400 B.C. [1] I would guess from
there it spread outward to Japan and India, came west to Turkey and then
into southern Europe and northward to the British Isles.
Naturally, it began as a method of putting meat on the table when bows and
arrows were not so reliable as a raptor for taking birds, and before the
accuracy and power of guns made everything easy. The Mongols hunted (and
still do) wolves for fur and self-protection, but just about everyone else
went after mostly birds and rabbits. One of the old French names for
'goshawk' is "cuisinier."
The Middle Ages is the era, and western Europe and England the places, that
popularly come to mind when thinking of falconry, with its rules about the
eagle for the emperor, the merlin for the lady and the kestrel for the
holy-water clerk and whatnot. Falcon trapping was an industry, a seasonal
employment for northern Europeans, from the middle ages onward. After
firepower turned falconry into a hobby, it became fashionable; revolution
abolished the old rules and everyone could have a raptor, so much so that
churches were forced to make rules about leaving the hawks at home if you
wanted to attend services. A great wealth of books were written (and
survive, thanks to the printing press) in the 16th and early 17th century.
Falconry began to lag in popularity and probably reached its low point in
the early 20th century, where it was practiced by a relative handful in
each country. Other developments -- cars, World War I and the Great
Depression -- were more interesting, or at least more involving. It began
to revive somewhere between England's thirties with a dedicated set of
longwingers, and America's sixties, where odd lots looked into the past for
a symbol of the nobility Americans could never possess.
This revival has brought to falconers giant hoods, bungee leashes, Dremel
tools, Alymeri jesses, Coroplast Coulsen boxes, ferrets, nearly real lures,
Layman exercises, radio telemetry and GPSs, balloons and kites, Gore-Tex
hood braces, and squirrel chaps. The era brought DDT and falconers invented
captive breeding to answer it. The Vietnam war unwittingly created one of
the most remarkable inventions so well-loved by, and so essential to, modern
falconers: the ziplock bag. But the greatest advance of all is in medicine
and all it offers to raptors, whether it be setting a broken leg, artificial
insemination, or inoculating against West Nile Virus.
Yet all the basics -- jesses and leashes, hoods, bath pans, block perches
and bow perches, lures and whistles -- are essentially still the same. The
methods of training are by and large the same. This is predictable, for
raptors are still the same. I think, however, that on the whole falconers
understand the psychology of raptors better than ever, and some talented
people have been able to take advantage of that understanding and develop
new methods of training.
[1] Wood, C. and Fyfe, F.M. _The Art of Falconry by Frederick II of
Hohenstaufen_, Stanford University Press 1961, p. 561.