How To Get Into Falconry For Beginners: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

Falconry is an ancient, highly regulated blood sport that requires a multi-year commitment, deep biological understanding, and strict adherence to wildlife conservation laws. Aspiring practitioners must navigate a rigorous legal apprenticeship, construct specialized facilities, and commit to daily avian husbandry before ever handling a hunting bird of prey.

Foundational Requirements and Legal Pre-requisites for New Apprentices

Entering the world of falconry demands extensive preparation, substantial financial investment, and absolute legal compliance. Unlike keeping standard domestic pets, raptors are protected by strict federal, state, and international laws, most notably the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the United States. Before sourcing any equipment or handling a bird, you must understand the exact scope, timeline, and financial obligations required to operate within the legal framework of modern raptor management.

• Essential Gear & Facilities: A fully compliant weathering yard, a secure indoor mews protecting the raptor from predators and weather extremes, a precision digital gram scale, heavy leather falconry gauntlets, customized jesses, swivels, leashes, a telemetry tracking system, and a dependable block or ring perch.
• Mandatory Prerequisite Knowledge & Standards: Mastery of raptor biology, avian nutrition, weight management calculations, first aid for injuries like bumblefoot, and successful passing of the state or national falconry examination with a minimum score of 80 percent.
• Estimated Budget & Duration Benchmarks: Initial setup costs range from two thousand to five thousand dollars for proper facility construction and equipment. The mandatory apprenticeship phase lasts a minimum of two full years under the direct supervision of a licensed General or Master falconer.

Step-by-Step Pathway to Becoming a Licensed Falconer

Step 1: Master the Literature and Pass the Legal Examination

Begin your journey by thoroughly studying standard reference texts, including Falconry: Management and Training by Nick Fox, North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks, and state-specific wildlife agency regulations. Contact your state or provincial department of natural resources to schedule your official falconry written examination. This comprehensive test evaluates your knowledge of raptor identification, anatomy, disease pathology, federal laws, and basic husbandry techniques.

Pro-Tip: Do not attempt the state exam without taking multiple practice tests covering raptor taxonomy and federal migratory bird laws, as questions often focus on obscure legal definitions and specific molting timelines.

Step 2: Secure a Qualified Sponsor

Federal and regional wildlife agencies require every beginner apprentice to secure a licensed General or Master falconer willing to supervise them for a minimum of two years. Attend local club meetings hosted by organizations like the North American Falconry Association to network with experienced practitioners. Your sponsor will review your facility plans, guide you through trapping or acquiring your first bird, and teach you the daily nuances of handling, training, and hunting.

Step 3: Build Compliant Housing Facilities (The Mews and Weathering Area)

Construct your mews and weathering yard before applying for your official permits, as state game wardens must inspect and approve your facilities prior to license issuance. The mews must feature a secure door, adequate ventilation, a smooth and easily cleanable floor, vertical bars or windows protected against window strikes, and dimensions large enough to prevent tail and feather damage. The outdoor weathering area must be entirely enclosed by predator-proof wire mesh and overhead netting to shield the bird from great horned owls, domestic cats, and other native predators.

Warning: Never use galvanized hardware cloth with toxic zinc coatings inside the mews, as ingestion of zinc flakes can cause fatal heavy metal poisoning in raptors.

Step 4: Apply for State and Federal Permits

Submit your completed facility inspection report, proof of passing examination scores, and signed sponsorship agreement to your state wildlife agency and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Pay the required application fees and wait for processing, which typically takes between thirty to ninety days. Once your permits arrive, you are legally authorized to possess your first apprentice-level raptor, which is restricted to a passage Red-tailed Hawk or American Kestrel in most jurisdictions.

Step 5: Acquire, Man, and Train Your First Raptor

Capture or purchase your permitted raptor under the direct oversight of your sponsor, then begin the delicate process of manning, which involves getting the wild bird accustomed to human presence, the environment, and your voice. Weigh the bird daily on a gram scale to establish its baseline hunting weight, adjusting its intake of whole quail, mice, or chicks to maintain optimal flying fitness. Progress steadily from feeding on the fist indoors to short jumps to the glove, followed by free-flying to the lure in safe, open fields before introducing live quarry.

Falconry Equipment and Technical Specifications Comparison

Troubleshooting Common Apprentice Failures and Field Complications

• Root Cause: Rapid weight loss and lethargy due to miscalculated food intake or undetected parasites.
  
  
  • Actionable Fix: Immediately increase high-protein whole-animal diets, consult a specialized avian veterinarian for fecal parasite analysis, and adjust daily gram scale record-keeping to prevent emaciation.
• Root Cause: The bird refuses to return to the glove during free flight, known as flying off or staying up in a tree.
  
  
  • Actionable Fix: Do not panic or chase the bird aggressively; rely on telemetry tracking equipment, display a trusted lure containing food, and wait patiently until hunger compels the hawk to descend.
• Root Cause: Development of bumblefoot infections on the underside of the raptor's feet.
  
  
  • Actionable Fix: Replace abrasive or wet perches with varied-texture natural branches and shock-absorbing turf pads, and administer veterinary-prescribed topical antibiotics immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of bird can a beginner falconer legally fly?

Apprentice falconers in North America are generally restricted to wild-caught passage Red-tailed Hawks or American Kestrels. These species are hardy, relatively forgiving of training errors, and widely distributed, making them ideal educational subjects for learning foundational weight management and hunting techniques.

How much time does falconry require on a daily basis?

Falconry is not a hobby you can pause for a few days; it requires a daily time commitment of one to three hours. You must feed, weigh, clean facilities, check equipment, and exercise or hunt your raptor every single day of the year, including weekends and holidays.

Is falconry an expensive hobby to maintain?

Yes, initial setup costs for permits, housing construction, and specialized equipment frequently exceed several thousand dollars. Ongoing annual expenses include high-quality raptor food like frozen mice and quail, veterinary care, telemetry batteries, and replacement leather gear.

Can I keep my falconry bird indoors inside my house?

No, birds of prey cannot be housed loose inside a residential home due to safety hazards, aggressive territorial behaviors, and excessive uric acid droppings. They require specialized outdoor weathering yards and secure indoor structures known as mews specifically designed for raptor safety.

What happens to the bird after the hunting season ends?

Depending on regional wildlife regulations and whether your bird is a wild-caught passage raptor, you may be required to release it back into the wild at the end of the hunting season. Many falconers participate in this annual release cycle, returning healthy, conditioned hawks to their native populations.

Ready to take the first step toward becoming a licensed falconer? Order your study materials and contact your local state wildlife agency today to begin your apprenticeship journey.