If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
Yes, she's a wild hawk I trapped last September. Tamed her down, trained her and now we hunt together. I'm her bird dog essentially.
Hah! My bird doesn't but this guy flies golden and African crowned eagles on coyotes. This video (and the few others in the series) are just a blast to watch.
But how did it taste
Care to share how you caught this bird?
Not a closely guarded secret at all, just a highly regulated sport with a lengthy licensing process. Easier just to show it. Here's a short complication some falconers put together.
I was very interested in getting a license about 30 years ago. Between the regulations and costs of providing what was required and the needs of training/exercise, I backed away. Back then I figured around $1,600 to get a start on it.
The biggest expense is building the facility. If you are a carpenter or an experienced DIY'er, building the mews can cost only as much as the material which is at minimum an 8'x8' enclosure for a red-tail hawk. I am neither of those things so went with an 8'x12' shed kit from Home Depot that I had them install. You can make a lot of your own equipment (anklets, jesses, leashes, hoods, travel box) but there are some things that are going to cost money. A good gauntlet, a bow perch for the lawn and other more expensive items that are not necessary but really nice to have like GPS telemetry. The license itself I think cost $25 after I passed the test, found a sponsor, build my facilities, etc. Of course you need some hawk food too which can be as simple as chicken thighs but a full food diet is best (whole quail, rabbit, squirrel, mice, rats etc). Before I got started I spent a bunch of money on books but that is a personal choice. Of course there's the gas you use taking your bird hunting which is the entire point of it all. So the simple answer to your question of how much to start is really down to the build of the mews so I can't really put a number on it. My shed kit when I bought it (pre-pandemic) was $1300 but that doesn't include installation. So your $1600 is probably on the low end if you build it yourself and add in everything.
I tried out Hog Hill at first but didn't have much luck and that is where I ran into the hunter who inspired this thread. Unfortunately, falconry hunting season ends on the 11th (we get a little more time than gun hunters) so in a little over a week we'll be done until next October. If you PM me your info, I can let you know if I'll be out there again before season close.
Was thinking the same thing myself.
