To become a Falconer, one must go through a series of steps. The major and most difficult step is finding a sponsor who is willing to apprentice you for two long years as you learn to train and hunt a bird of prey. I was lucky. I found Rudy by chance. The one task that was outside of my control was behind me, now it was up to my skill and ingenuity, or so I thought.
Step 2. Take a Test.
Every state requires that would-be apprentice falconers take a written test of which they must pass with a score of 80% or better. Rudy told me that the test was not difficult, they just want to be sure you won’t kill the bird if you get one. Well, Rudy is right about most things, but that test was HARD! I pride myself on knowing by birds. I can accurately identify a hawk on the wing at 300 yards without binoculars driving in a car at 70mph thanks to my years of training. But this test required more of me than just basic knowledge of hawks and natural history. It was chalk full of questions related to disease, falconry terms, training, and identification. I passed, with an 83%. A disappointing number, and a blow to my ego for sure, but passing.
Step 3. Building the Mew.
I had passed my test (luckily), but now I had to rely on my limited carpentry skills to build an enclosure to house my future bird. I have a wonderful family who visited for the Thanksgiving holiday. They helped us demolish an old play set to convert it into a new hawk cage. We settled on an 8ft wide, 12ft long, 8ft high design that was a combination of a Mew (hawk house) and a weathering area (hawk tie-out yard). It took two long months of work, favors pulled in from friends and family, and a trip to the emergency room, but in early January, the Mew, my masterpiece, was finished. (Since this picture, we've added doors and walls to the antechamber.)
Step 4. Be Patient!
I have learned the essence of patience in waiting for my falconry permit. When trapping a hawk in Florida, there are two six week seasons that you area allowed to trap. I had missed the first (Sept-early Oct) and the second ended on January 12th. I had started the process of taking my test in early November hoping that the permit could be issued to me by the end of December so I could trap my bird after the Christmas Break. I took my test, secured my sponsor, built my mew, pulled together all the equipment I’d need, had a law enforcement officer come by and inspect my facilities, and now I had to wait… and wait… and wait. Well, it took two months of begging my own agency before they finally mailed my permit on to the Feds. The gal who issues the permits from the Feds processed my permit and faxed it to me the same day she received it. By the time I finally had my permit in hand, it was January 9th, I had 3 days to locate and trap a bird or I would be out of luck until the fall. The forecast was for rain. Sigh.
Next post… Step 5, trapping my first hawk!
Step 2. Take a Test.
Every state requires that would-be apprentice falconers take a written test of which they must pass with a score of 80% or better. Rudy told me that the test was not difficult, they just want to be sure you won’t kill the bird if you get one. Well, Rudy is right about most things, but that test was HARD! I pride myself on knowing by birds. I can accurately identify a hawk on the wing at 300 yards without binoculars driving in a car at 70mph thanks to my years of training. But this test required more of me than just basic knowledge of hawks and natural history. It was chalk full of questions related to disease, falconry terms, training, and identification. I passed, with an 83%. A disappointing number, and a blow to my ego for sure, but passing.
Step 3. Building the Mew.
I had passed my test (luckily), but now I had to rely on my limited carpentry skills to build an enclosure to house my future bird. I have a wonderful family who visited for the Thanksgiving holiday. They helped us demolish an old play set to convert it into a new hawk cage. We settled on an 8ft wide, 12ft long, 8ft high design that was a combination of a Mew (hawk house) and a weathering area (hawk tie-out yard). It took two long months of work, favors pulled in from friends and family, and a trip to the emergency room, but in early January, the Mew, my masterpiece, was finished. (Since this picture, we've added doors and walls to the antechamber.)
Step 4. Be Patient!
I have learned the essence of patience in waiting for my falconry permit. When trapping a hawk in Florida, there are two six week seasons that you area allowed to trap. I had missed the first (Sept-early Oct) and the second ended on January 12th. I had started the process of taking my test in early November hoping that the permit could be issued to me by the end of December so I could trap my bird after the Christmas Break. I took my test, secured my sponsor, built my mew, pulled together all the equipment I’d need, had a law enforcement officer come by and inspect my facilities, and now I had to wait… and wait… and wait. Well, it took two months of begging my own agency before they finally mailed my permit on to the Feds. The gal who issues the permits from the Feds processed my permit and faxed it to me the same day she received it. By the time I finally had my permit in hand, it was January 9th, I had 3 days to locate and trap a bird or I would be out of luck until the fall. The forecast was for rain. Sigh.
Next post… Step 5, trapping my first hawk!
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