How to train your first falcon

By Jessica Schira

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

A large enough area to fly a falcon
A completed two year apprenticeship with and experienced falconer
You must have passed a written exam
Plenty of meat
A hood
First aid supplies
Gloves
A love and knowledge of the bird you are going to be training
Bath pan
Leashes
A perch
An approved shelter
And in most states a hunting license

Step 1:
The United States will not allow you to catch and train a falcon until you have proven you are competent and knowledgeable. You must pass a written test, your equipment and facilities have to pass inspection, and you have to have spent two years apprenticing under a licensed falconer before you can legally keep any falcons. Once you are approved you are only allowed to keep 2 birds.
Step 2:
Once you are approved to keep a falcon, you have to get a bird. The falconer you are apprenticing under will be an invaluable source of advice about what type of falcon you should acquire and where you can find your first falcon.
Step 3:
Once you have a falcon you need to begin training it. The way you train a falcon is through its appetite. You will need to keep plenty of raw meat on hand as your work to gain your falcon’s trust and then train it.
Step 4:
As you are feeding your bird you will need to make a whistling sound. Over time she will begin to associate this sound with dinner. Eventually she will start to step onto your arm when you whistle. When this happens you should remove the rufter hood from her head and replace it with an ordinary hood, make sure the regular hood fits the bird comfortably. It is best to change your falcon’s hood in a room that is completely dark.
Step 5:
Now that your falcon is perching quietly on your arm, it is time for you to teach her about the lure. This means that you will have to toss a lure with a bit of meat a few feet away from you. Your falcon should hop off your arm and seek the lure. Allow her to eat some of the meat from your hand before coaxing her to drop the lure. Over time you will toss the lure farther and farther away from yourself until your falcon is untethered and flying freely.
Step 6:
After your falcon has become proficient at finding the lure, you will have to start releasing pigeons for her to catch. This process is called, wait on.

Tips & Warnings

If you are not prepared to commit yourself to properly caring for and training you falcon it is better you step aside, and find some other way to fulfill your love of birds of prey.
When working with your young falcon it is important to remember that you are dealing with an animal that is well and truly wild. As such they are unpredictable. Working with them requires a great deal of patience, expertise, and determination.

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