1. Costs
The cost of setting yourself up in order to fly a Bird of Prey can be huge. One has to consider the price of aviary’s, basic equipment, the actual cost of the hawk itself, some form of tracking device (Telemetry) , insurance for the hawk to cover veterinary fees, for medication, loss of the bird etc. Just these few items can total well over £3000.00 and that is just for a very basic set up.
2. Courses
Once the novice has got over the initial shock of basic set up prices I would strongly advise that the beginner enroll on an approved falconry course. There are many of these courses based around the country, however not all of them are what they seem to be. Be careful when inquiring, ask plenty of questions, and find out exactly what you will get for your money. Courses can range between 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 days, however be sensible, I can assure you, you will only learn the very basic rudiments by enrolling on courses of this length. Look for a course that is more in depth and ensure you understand what level of competency you will attain at the end of it.
Remember, the most expensive courses are not always the best. Finally, ensure that the course you attend is approved, which in turn is approved by the Hawk Board of Great Britain.
Other Articles
The forgotten Long Wing
3. Mentor
This might seem a touch far fetched. The question a lot of beginners will ask is why should I source a mentor when I am already on a course myself? The answer to that question is very simple. Falconry is not simply learned from a book, or notes given to you by your course teacher. It is very much hands on, and should you already be in a position where you have already purchased your hawk then an experienced hand are worth their weight in gold.
However, I will be honest, finding such a person that will take you under their wing, no pun intended, and help to train you, giving free advise along the way are almost impossible to find. However by sourcing one of these special people you will increase your learning potential ten fold.
4. Not For Everyone
Falconry, whatever level you achieve is a 24/7, three hundred and sixty five days a year commitment. Owning a bird of prey is not like taking possession of a cat or a dog. It is a specialized subject that demands total dedication, time and most importantly infinite amounts of patience. It therefore has to be considered that if these three issues are not part of your own character and make up then falconry is not for you.
Falconry, in the last ten to twelve years has become a victim of its own success. How many times have you been to a local country game show/fair and seen display falconers demonstrating their particular skills with their hawks and falcons. Standing in the middle of an arena they swing their lures to oncoming falcons that hit the ring at tremendous speeds before banking up for a second, third and fourth turn in order to try and catch the falconer out. It is this scenario that I refer to as the Torvill & Dean syndrome.
People in the 1980’s saw this incredible couple stride out onto the ice and perform an absolutely perfect routine. The following day all the sports shops up and down the country were inundated with requests for ice skates. The next few weeks and rising numbers of Accident & Emergency visits, unfortunately tell there own tale.
If you are interested in falconry but unfortunately do not have the time to commit to it then that is fine. Go along to your local country fairs, enjoy and support our most noblest of sports, however please, leave falconry to the dedicated men and women who devote their entire lives to it. Falconry, as a whole would be far better off.
5. Lack of Time
Although I touched briefly on this subject in the paragraph “Not for Everyone”, it is the amounts of time that I wish discuss here. Time to most people, is the time taken to drive to work or go to the shops. Time, when we are discussing falconry is a whole new concept all together.
To have time to fly your hawk/falcon is one thing, however, how much time are we talking about? An hour a day, two hours, even more if you consider that the majority of falconers have to travel to reach their permissioned hunting land. So here we have it, a typical day out with your hawk. An hour to reach your land, and an hour to return. Add to that a possible two maybe three hours out with your hawk and all of a sudden a full day has disappeared.
If that wasn’t enough we now have to consider how many of these types of days you can justify through the working week. A lot of falconers of course utilize the weekends to their advantage, however a bird that is flown Saturday and Sunday and then technically put up for rest until the next weekend is never going to be as good as a hawk that is flown both at the weekends as well as partially through the week.
When we take time to add up the potential hours throughout the course of the week in order to keep our hawk at its best, we suddenly realize that there is not an awful lot of time left. Time that is so different to what you first thought it was.
6. Other Commitments
As the title suggests everybody is entitled to pursue and enjoy other commitments besides falconry. However, again we come back to that most important issue of all, time itself. If you are the type of person who enjoys foreign holidays or long weekends away in the country then one has to consider who will look after your hawk whilst you are away, and furthermore is that person competant enough to do so. Due to the amounts of time falconers spend with their respected hawks, commitments to family and friends can also suffer, and unless you have a very understanding partner, divorce and separation can follow very quickly indeed.