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

Falconry is an ancient, highly regulated field sport requiring a multi-year apprenticeship, specialized housing, and a daily commitment to the care and training of a live raptor. To become a licensed falconer, you must pass a rigorous state wildlife exam, build compliant facilities, and secure a certified General or Master falconer to sponsor your training over a mandatory two-year period.

Pre-Operation & Initial Legal Setup Requirements

Entering falconry demands compliance with strict federal and state wildlife regulations. Unlike traditional pet ownership, falconry is a partnership between a human and a wild predator governed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and state agencies. Before acquiring any gear or birds, you must understand the logistical, financial, and time-intensive scope of the sport.

• Essential Gear and Facilities: Mews (secure indoor housing), weathering yard (outdoor flight-safe enclosure), weighing scale (grams precision), telemetry receiver and transmitter, heavy-duty leather gauntlet, jesses, swash/swivels, and a bath pan.
• Mandatory Standards and Laws: Passing the state falconry exam with a minimum score of 80%, securing a USFWS migratory bird permit, meeting state-specific housing inspection requirements, and establishing a binding sponsorship agreement with a licensed General or Master falconer.
• Budget and Time Benchmarks: Initial setup costs range from 1,500 to 3,000 USD for housing and equipment. Expect a time commitment of 1 to 3 hours daily, 365 days a year, for feeding, weight management, and free-lofting or hunting exercises.

Step-by-Step Pathway to Practicing Falconry

Step 1: Study and Pass the Falconry Examination

Begin by obtaining your state wildlife agency's falconry study guide, alongside the recommended text, North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks. Master avian biology, raptor disease pathology, first aid, nutrition, federal raptor laws, and equipment terminology. Locate your local or state falconry organization to connect with experienced practitioners. Schedule and pass the proctored state wildlife exam, ensuring you achieve the required passing grade before moving forward.

Pro-Tip: Do not purchase any equipment before passing your exam and consulting your future sponsor, as equipment styles and sizing requirements vary significantly depending on whether you trap a Red-tailed Hawk or a American Kestrel.

Step 2: Secure a Licensed Sponsor

Federal regulations mandate that every Apprentice falconer must operate under the direct supervision of a General or Master falconer for the first two years. Contact your state falconry club directory or state wildlife department to find licensed sponsors in your region. Visit potential sponsors to demonstrate your dedication, read your study materials, and prove you have adequate space for facility construction. Once a sponsor agrees to take you on, they will sign your state apprenticeship application form.

Step 3: Build Compliant Mews and Weathering Yard

Construct your raptor housing units prior to applying for your final permits, as a physical inspection by a wildlife officer is standard protocol. The mews must protect the bird from extreme weather, predators, and human disturbance while offering adequate ventilation and perches. Build an adjacent weathering yard enclosed by heavy-duty wire or netting to safely expose the hawk to natural sunlight and fresh air. Ensure all gates feature secure double-latching mechanisms to prevent accidental escapes.

Warning: Never use galvanized hardware cloth or zinc-coated materials inside the mews or weathering areas, as ingestion or exposure can lead to heavy metal poisoning and fatal toxicosis in raptors.

Step 4: Procure Specialized Equipment and Telemetry

Purchase or hand-craft your essential falconry tackle, adhering to traditional safety standards. Secure at least two sets of kangaroo or cowhide jesses, brass grommets, heavy-duty swivels, and custom-fitted leather anklets. Acquire a digital scale capable of weighing in grams, as tracking your hawk's weight daily is the foundation of modern falconry health and hunting motivation. Invest in a reliable radio telemetry receiver and tail-mounted or tarsus-mounted transmitters before ever releasing your bird to free flight.

Step 5: Acquire Your Apprentice-Level Raptor

Submit your completed state and federal permit applications, along with your sponsor's endorsement and the passing exam score. Once your permits are issued and your facilities pass inspection, coordinate with your sponsor to legally acquire your first bird. For apprentices in North America, this is almost exclusively a passage or nestling Red-tailed Hawk or an American Kestrel. Learn the nuances of trapping wild passage hawks under the direct supervision of your sponsor using approved bow nets or bal-chatri traps.

Falconry Equipment Specifications and Permit Matrix

Common Falconry Failures and Field Fixes

• Weight Fluctuation and Loss of Hunting Drive:
  
  
  • Root Cause: Inaccurate gram scaling, erratic feeding schedules, or miscalculating the hawk's optimum flying weight.
  • Actionable Fix: Weigh your hawk at the exact same time every single day, preferably before the first feed. Adjust daily rations up or down by 2-gram increments based on behavioral responsiveness and muscle tone.
• Raptor Bating and Wing Damage in the Mews:
  
  
  • Root Cause: Poorly placed perches, excessive human traffic outside viewing windows, or an improper leash length causing the bird to jump off the perch repeatedly.
  • Actionable Fix: Reconfigure interior perches to eliminate blind spots, install visual barriers or privacy curtains on mews windows, and ensure the leash allows the bird to reach the ground safely without hanging or wing-thrashing.
• Failure to Return to the Fist (Calling Off):
  
  
  • Root Cause: Flying the bird at too high a weight (above hunting weight) or poor conditioning in a high-distraction environment.
  • Actionable Fix: Drop the hawk's weight slightly under the guidance of your sponsor and practice short-distance jumps to the fist using high-value lures or fresh quail meat in a controlled, low-distraction field.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep a wild falcon or hawk as a normal pet?

No, keeping a raptor as a domestic pet is illegal, unethical, and detrimental to the animal's welfare. Raptors are wild, un-domesticated animals that require daily flight, specialized whole-prey diets, and rigorous management to survive in captivity. Falconry is a regulated hunting sport, not a hobbyist pet-keeping venture.

How much does it cost to get started in falconry?

Initial startup costs generally range from 1,500 to 3,000 USD. This covers facility construction materials for the mews and weathering yard, specialized leather gear, weighing scales, permit fees, and high-end radio telemetry tracking equipment. Ongoing costs include food (day-old chicks, mice, quail) and veterinary care.

What kind of bird should an apprentice start with?

In North America, apprentices are legally restricted to flying either a Red-tailed Hawk or an American Kestrel. The Red-tailed Hawk is widely considered the best beginner bird due to its hardy constitution, forgiving nature with training mistakes, and exceptional hunting capabilities on small mammals.

Do falconers keep their birds caged all year?

No, falconry birds spend a significant amount of time outside their mews. During the hunting season, they are flown almost daily. During the summer molt, when birds drop their feathers and grow new ones, they are safely housed in spacious weathering yards where they can bathe, sunbathe, and maintain optimal physical health.

Begin your journey today by contacting your local state wildlife agency and ordering the official falconry study materials to take the first step toward a lifelong partnership with a magnificent bird of prey.