1. How do I start?

Please get for becoming a falconer.

2. How do I get a bird?

You will be required to trap your own bird. Trapping is not necessarily difficult, but it is something about which you will learn as you study for the exam. It is also something that should be done with your sponsor, if at all possible.

3. What kind of bird should I get?

All apprentices have two basic options: a redtail hawk or a kestrel (falcon). In some states in the Southeast, apprentices are also allowed to use redshouldered hawks. And in Alaska only, apprentices are allowed to take goshawks, due to a lack of available redtails in the state.

4. Does falconry damage wild raptor populations?

Studies show that anywhere from 50 - 75% of immature raptors die each year. Every time a falconer traps a passage raptor (one less than a year old), there are at least two probable results. The first is that the particular bird trapped will be helped to transition into its second year of life, which is an accomplishment that it only has a 25 - 50% chance of doing on its own in the wild. Second, one less bird has been temporarily removed from the competition for food and habitat. Since the vast majority of falconry birds are released back to the wild, usually after 1 or 2 hunting seasons, one could argue that falconry actually benefits wild raptor populations. In reality, however, there are too few falconers in the United States to truly impact wild raptor populations one way or the other. The true enemy of raptor populations is destruction of habitat for both themselves and their prey.

5. What books should I read?

This is just a short beginner's list. There are many wonderful falconry publications available. Please bear in mind when reading books by authors from foreign countries, or books that are 25 years old or older, that statements about getting started in falconry may be inaccurate in the United States at present.