Falcon Training And TechniqueThe Sky’s Tether: The Ancient Art and Modern Science of Falconry Training

Falcon training is an art that not only demands patience, but also demands that a person fundamentally change their attitude towards nature and wildlife. Unlike training a dog or a horse, training a bird of prey does not depend on force or coercion, but entirely on trust and reward (food). For a novice falconer, understanding the psychology of the bird of prey is the first step on the long journey of falcon training.

For the past 4,000 years, from the steppes of Mongolia to the deserts of Arabia, this image has symbolized power, freedom, and a connection between earth and sky. But behind this romantic image lies a discipline of immense patience, biological understanding, and psychological nuance.

Falconry is not just about training a bird; it is a new form of human relationship with wildlife. Unlike a dog, which craves affection and social status, a falcon is a solitary hunter. It does not love you. It only respects you as a companion who can help it find prey it might not be able to catch alone. Training a falcon is like making a pact with the wind.

The Psychology of the Predator: Trust over Affection

The first lesson a falconer learns is that he must abandon his “ego.” A falcon cannot be forced. If you try to punish it—such as by making loud noises, hitting it, or shaking it angrily—the bird will “break” (get scared). Then, as soon as you let it fly, it will run away forever and never return.

This relationship is “transactional” but much deeper. It is based on “reward” and “food.” The bird must learn that the falconer (owner) is not a threat or enemy to it, but a source of benefit.

The Golden Rule: A falcon does not return to your hand because it loves you, but because your hand is the most “beneficial” place for it.

The Concept of “Manning”

In falconry, we don’t “tame” birds—we “man” them.

• The Difference: To “tame” an animal means to break its spirit and make it slow, like a pet in a zoo. In falconry, we want to keep the bird’s wild power.
• What is “Manning”? This is the process of teaching a wild predator to be calm around humans, cars, and noise. It learns to trust you without losing its hunting instincts.
• The Perfect Balance: A well-trained falcon is relaxed on your glove (often grooming its feathers to show it is calm). But the moment it sees prey, it attacks with lightning speed.

The Apprentice’s Choice: Selecting a Partner

Not all raptors are created equal. The hierarchy of difficulty in falconry is steep.

For the aspiring falconer, the Red-Tailed Hawk is the truest teacher. It is durable enough to withstand minor mistakes in weight management and large enough to hunt readily available game like rabbits and squirrels.

The Toolkit: Instruments of the Trade

• The Hood: This is the most popular deterrent. It is a leather cap that covers the bird’s eyes. Since birds of prey react to sight, they remain calm when they cannot see anything. This cap is a kind of “off button”, which is very important to protect the bird from panic during travel.
• Jesses and Anklets: These are soft leather straps that are tied to the bird’s feet. Their purpose is to secure the bird with the hunter’s gloves so that it does not fly away.
• The Scale: This is the most important tool of the hunter today. It is very important to weigh the bird daily and keep track of every gram. There is no compromise in this matter.
• The Lure: This is a leather pad, often covered with bird feathers or skin. It is tied to a rope and spun so that the bird thinks it is real prey. This is the hunter’s “emergency break”, that is, the surest signal to call the bird back.
• Telemetry / GPS: This is a modern means of bird protection. A small transmitter is attached to the bird’s leg or tail. If the bird gets lost, it can be tracked (found) from miles away.

The Training Arc: From Darkness to Free Flight

The journey from a wild (or chamber-raised) bird to a hunting partner follows a strict physiological progression.

The Wake and the Watch

In the old methods, the new bird was not allowed to sleep for 24 to 48 hours. The hunter would constantly hold it on his hand, until it tired out and ate and accepted the human presence.

Today’s new methods are gentler, but the basic principle is still the same: “hand time.”

The bird sits on the gloved hand for hours. The hunter speaks to it in a soft voice, moves slowly, and feeds it small pieces of high-quality meat. The goal is to remove from the bird’s heart the natural fear of humans that it perceives through our eyes. When the bird sits on the hand and begins to eat without fear, then the first stage is complete.

Weight Management – The Engine

This is the real science of falconry. If a falcon is full (i.e., getting fat), it has no reason to return to you. It will sit comfortably in a tree and watch you scream. On the other hand, if the falcon is very hungry, it will become weak and is at risk of disease.

The falconer needs to know the bird’s “flying weight.” This is the specific weight at which the bird will be agile and obedient, but still healthy and strong.

• Too high: The bird will ignore your commands and do its own thing.
• Too low: The bird will be restless and angry from hunger, or physically too weak to fly.
• The Sweet Spot: The bird remains alert, watches the predator’s every move with its eyes, and immediately returns to the glove when called.

Creance Training

Once the bird hops to the fist for food indoors, the training moves outside. The bird is attached to a Creance: This is a light and long rope (50 to 100 feet).

• The falconer stands a few feet away and raises his hand (fist).
• The bird flies to the glove and is rewarded.
• The distance is gradually increased, until the bird flies 50 yards or more on a whistle or other signal.
• This stage tests the bird’s ability to return in the presence of wind, wild birds, and open space.

The Lure and the Stoop

For falcons, in particular, the glove is not the real target, but rather the “lure.” The falconer spins the lure and the bird learns to chase it. This practice strengthens the bird’s muscles and develops agility.

For expert falcons, this training takes the form of “Waiting On.” The bird is taught to circle hundreds of feet above the falconer’s head and wait. When the falconer spots prey from the bushes, the bird makes a powerful “stoop”—reaching speeds of more than 200 miles per hour—and snatches the prey in midair.

Entering (The First Hunt)

This is the time for the completion of training, or “graduation.” The bird is now free. There is no long rope (creance) or walls. The falconer releases the bird into the air and walks across the field, hitting the bushes to bring out the hidden prey.

When the bird has caught its first kill, the falconer must approach it very carefully (called “making in”). If the falconer is too hasty, the bird will cover the prey with its wings (called “mantling”) or fly away with the prey. The falconer cleverly offers the bird a piece of the best meat in exchange for the prey, so that the bird feels that it has won the bargain.

Ethical Considerations and Modern Stewardship

Modern falconry is strictly regulated, and rightly so. In the United States and many other nations, one cannot simply buy a hawk. It requires:

• Licensing: You must pass a rigorous government exam covering biology, rules, and bird care.
• Inspection: Government wildlife officers inspect your mews and equipment.
• Sponsorship: You must have a general or master falconer who is willing to mentor and teach you for two years.

Conservation and conservation are the lifeblood of the sport. Falconers alone are credited with saving the Peregrine Falcon population in North America.

When the use of DDT (an agricultural pesticide) wiped out the wild falcons, these same falcons raised the birds under their care, bred them, and released them back into the wild in their thousands to keep their species alive.

The Ethics of “Fair Chase”

Falconry is the only form of hunting where the chance of the prey surviving is greater than the chance of the hunter catching it. A gun is a machine and its shot is fixed, while a falcon is a living animal and can make mistakes.

In most attacks, the prey escapes. The falconer happily accepts this fact. The real purpose of the sport is to watch the bird fly, the beauty of the chase, and the health of the bird—not to pile up dead animals.

Conclusion: The Invisible Leash

Training a falcon teaches humility. You are forming a bond with a creature that is the other name for complete freedom. The moment you release a falcon into the air, it feels like your own heart has flown away, bound only by a thin string of trust and a piece of leather.

When that bird turns in the sky, folds its wings, and comes straight down from the clouds towards you, it is the most unique feeling in the animal world. It is proof that you have successfully made contact with a wild animal, and it proves that wild nature and the will of man can go hand in hand.