Reddit reviews Falconer on the Edge: A Man, His Birds, and the Vanishing Landscape of the American West

1.
How did you become interested in birds? What drew you to raptors?

I was always mad about wild life as well as hunting and fishing right from childhood. It was always the predators that got me really interested, big cats and birds of prey especially.
2.
How did you find out about falconry?

Through books. I found a book in a book store in my mid 20's that opened my eyes to the fact that you could experience the life and the hunt of a bird of prey on a close one on one basis. That book changed my life fundamentally and forever.

3.
What made you decide to pursue falconry/working with raptors as a career?

When I started to delve into falconry I realised that it was in my blood, part of who I was and to be true to myself I knew that I would fly hawks and falcons for the rest of my life.

4.
How does one begin the process of becoming a falconer?
I live in the UK where there is a lot less regulation than in the US, which is not always a good thing as it means that pretty much anyone can by a hawk. However just keeping a hawk fit and healthy, let alone training it and hunting it, requires a lot of knowledge to do it properly and this is best learned by getting an experienced mentor. In my case I went on a course a reputable falconry centre which gave me a lot of much needed hands on explanation and the rest came from reading everything on falconry that I could get my hands on.


5.
Do you find that raptors display distinct personality traits?
Yes, all hawks are individuals. A falconer gets to know his hawk/s intimately and each one is very much an individual.

6.
What is your favourite bird to work with and why?
Peregrine falcons. I prefer falcons to hawks as they are more dynamic and aerial hunters and my favourite flight is the stoop of a falcon from great height down onto its quarry. Peregrines use this hunting strategy naturally and are the falcon best suited to the wet British weather and the quarry that we hunt, partridge and pheasant.

7.
What was the first bird you worked with?
Harris hawk. These hawks are naturally much tamer than most other species and as the only raptor that hunt collectively in family groups in the wild they form a very close bond with their falconer. This makes them more forgiving of a beginners attempts at training whilst still be great hunting hawks capable of taking a wide range of quarry in all sorts of terrain.

8.
What kind of relationship exists between predator and handler?
The relationship depends on the way that the hawk was reared. If it was hand reared (such a hawk is said to be 'imprinted') will not have any fear of humans and will even see humans as their sexual partner.

Hawks reared by their parents have a natural fear of humans and so the relationship is developed through trust and the beneficial reward of food when in the human's company or in return for displaying desired behaviour, eg coming back to the glove etc.

Over time the hawk learns to trust its falconer and will recognise the indvidual both by sight and sound and look forward to training and feeding time. The falconer is very much the servant of the hawk, going to whatever extreme is required to provide the hawk with the conditions it needs, both at home and in the field, in return for watching natures most amazing creatures up close and personal doing what they do best, hunt.

9.
How has your view of falconry/handling changed from when you first began to now?
Most falconers go through a gradual process that starts with just wanting to own a hawk, to wanting to see it fly free, then wanting to catch something. Then wanting to catch lots, and finally wanting to pursue a particular style of hunting. This latter stage usually means concentrating on one particular type of hawk, be it falcons, true hawks (the accipiters such as goshawks, coopers hawks and sharp shins/sparrowhawks), or the broadwings (red tails and harris hawks), or even eagles.

10.
Any advice for people interested in working with raptors or pursuing falconry?
It is not something that is a passing fad sort of thing. It is a huge commitment in time, money, passion and energy. All your relationships you have will be affected by falconry (mostly negatively). If you are not completely bonkers about falconry don't do it. Addicts only!

Can I suggest you read Falconer on the Edge by Rachel Dickinson http://www.amazon.com/Falconer-Edge-Vanishing-Landscape-American/dp/0618806237 for a really good outsider's view of falconers, focussing on one of the most addicted addicts of them all!