What is Falconry?

Falconry is the pursuit of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat using a trained raptor. Falconry is a very demanding endeavor, requiring a serious dedication of time and energy from the falconer.

 

Falconry is not something to entered into without serious consideration of the time and effort involved. Becoming a Master falconer takes at least seven years and finishing your apprenticeship alone will take at least two years. A hawk or falcon requires a significant amount of time, every day, 365 days a year, and a bird in training requires substantially more time. Unlike other outdoors sports, such as fishing, bowhunting or gun hunting, raptors cannot be simply hung on the wall and forgotten until the next hunting or fishing trip.

 

Since falconry is the only outdoor sport that requires the use of a trained wild creature. a competent falconer takes care to follow sound conservation principles in the pursuit of the sport. Therefore, falconers will require a demonstrated serious, committed interest in falconry before they will agree to help anyone newly attracted to the sport. The ethics of practicing quality falconry are an important part of a falconer's every day life.

 

Since all wild raptors are protected by state, federal, and international law, all potential falconers must obtain the necessary permits and licenses before acquiring a hawk or practicing falconry. This can be a lengthy process, since it includes taking a written falconry exam, getting the appropriate signatures, having equipment and raptor housing facilities inspected, and taking a hunter safety education course.

 

For specific requirements on becoming a licensed falconer in Connecticut, click on the Falconry in Connecticut tab at the top of this page.

 

For general information about falconry, click on the General Falconry tab in the drop down Links menu at the top of this page.

 

Falconry History

It is not precisely known where and when the practice of falconry first began.

Some experts estimate the roots of falconry arose between 4,000 and 6,000 BC in the steppes of Mongolia. Others believe that the practice could be even older, with its beginnings in Arabia or the Middle East. In Iran, records have been found of a king using birds of prey who may have lived as much as 8,000 to 10,000 years ago.

 

Falconry was well established in both Asia and the Middle East by 2,000 BC, and gradually migrated westward to Greece, Italy, and the rest of Europe. Beginning in the sixth century and extending through the Middle Ages, the popularity of falconry, or hawking, grew dramatically in Europe. It was considered to be a sport of royalty for centuries, with the possession of falcons and other birds of prey considered a status symbol.

 

.In North America, interest in falconry began to rise around the turn of the 20th century, although the first record of falconry dates back to 1622 in New England; farther south, the Spanish Conquistadors noted as early as the 1500s that the Aztecs used trained hawks. In the 1920s and 1930s, the first large falconry association, the Peregrine Club, was established in the United States (it disbanded during World War II). Today, falconry continues to be practiced throughout the world.

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It is estimated that about 10,000 individuals legally practice falconry, with about 5,000 falconers in North America. The North American Falconer’s Association, (NAFA) founded in 1961, currently has more than 2,000 members.