A WORD OF CAUTION: (taken from A Treatise of Modern Falconry, 1773 by James Campbell.)

"PREVIOUS to the instructions I am to deliver concerning hawks, I shall briefly point out the qualities necessary in the person who is to manage them. He ought then to be of great strength to bear the fatigue of ascending hills, wading over rivers, pressing through thickets, and of surmounting the other difficulties that may lie in his way. Agility is also requisite, that he may be able to attend his hawks in their flight and serve them with game, while they are hanging over his head in the air in keen expectation of it. As they will often outfly his utmost speed, his voice should be full, clear, and loud, in order to be heard at a distance, and to bring them back to the destined scene of diversion. They demand great regularity in their food and exercises, and, that he may be seldom tempted to neglect it, he must be methodical and temperate in his way of living. His love of the sport must be very intense, to animate him to undergo, undaunted, the numberless inconveniences of attendance, weather, and soil, wherewith it is generally accompanied. This will make it his main pleasure to be always with his hawks, training them to obedience, correcting their faults, and consulting their health and beauty. To do these things effectually, he must understand their temper and constitution, and ought to possess much patience and mildness in the application of his knowledge. Hawks, under the management of a man thus qualified, will be always in good order for flying, exhibit the greatest boldness and address in chasing their prey, give the highest pleasure to the beholders of their motions, and do just honor to the skill and attention of their keeper."

Why Falconry?

That's a fair question. Good answers to it are probably as many as are falconers. For that matter, enthusiasts of any serious outdoor avocation could give you an answer with at least indirect insights into the "why" of falconry.

The appeal of falconry for me is almost too large to describe. It is like the appeal of oxygen to lungs. It's part of my nature. The sport occupies a place in my life roughly equal to that of family and marriage, and generally higher than work. For six months each year, my days and weeks are scheduled around hunting; my vacations saved for field meets and spare money traded for gas and permits. During the season, I rely heavily on the good will and patience of my wife, family and bosses: My sport taxes everyone I know.

On Sponsorship An Open Letter

This is not unusual. Most falconers lead similar lives in relation to their sport. Those starting young have the option of building a life to suit their passion. It's different for adults: Here a life is already formed, maybe a marriage in progress, a career, a family. Like a late religious conversion, there's a lot to risk--a lot to remake in a new image.

Is it for you? Maybe you've come to this crossroad. Parked in the middle, you can peer down the track at a bright light and a low rumble in the distance. Ahead lies the road you've been on for years. You can slip into drive and continue on it, or you can try to hop the train. But you can't stay where you are.

First ask: Do I want to become a falconer, or do I want a hawk? It's not such a simple question. You can want both. But not everyone who owns a hawk or falcon is a falconer. Ownership of native raptors is regulated through a joint state and federal permitting system. Both falconry and other (non-falconry) permits for maintaining captive raptors (eg., for educational use, captive propagation or rehabilitation) are also issued.

The one exception to this permitting system regards non-native species legally imported and captive bred: These can be bought and sold by the general public without restriction. At the risk of encouraging the casual acquisition of a delicate and high-maintenance animal, I suggest that those solely interested in owning a raptor seek to purchase a non-native species from a licensed breeder. Note: the bird will be expensive, and it's purchase will not make you a falconer.

For those interested in taking up the sport of falconry legitimately, let me refer you to the North American Falconer's Association (www.n-a-f-a.org), a good first step in a long journey. Or perhaps as a preliminary step, a few good books to read.

A Point of Focus: This is the aspect of falconry I most enjoy. Falconry is a singular, focused pursuit. The field is a world in itself, isolated from the rest of the planet at least for the period of the hunt. The animals living there move with purpose and speed and are largely invincible. The hawks are stoic, reserved, and aloof; they are deadly and serious. Hawks know their role in the field and play it precisely. Falconers find a place here too, one nearly forgotten. A few steps in to the field and something in the back of the brain remembers. Soon hands remember, eyes remember. Our ears, filled with the sound of bells and birds and wind and bending grass, remember.

It takes practice to find this kind of focus. You have to learn it (and relearn it) over the course of a lifetime. This -- not the game or the hawk -- is real pursuit of falconry and its real reward.