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The Virginia Falconers’ Association—both as a group and among the individual members—offer “Hawk Talks” at various times during the year. Get into touch with a real person (Leadership) or post a question on our Facebook page for more info about educational outreach.
SO YOU WANNA BE A FALCONER? Few people thrilling to the magic of a trained hawk in flight realize what demands are placed upon one who aspires to be a falconer. Even fewer would be willing to make the sacrifices: stringent, long-term demands of time, effort, and money. Falconry is an amazing skill that can provide a full lifetime of experiences. Falconry in the United States is highly regulated and the steps you are required to make in order to receive a permit will take several years to achieve. |
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Of all sports in America, falconry is the only one that utilizes a trained wild creature. Falcons, hawks, eagles, and owls are essential elements of our wildlife. The competent falconer takes care to follow sound conservation principles in the pursuit of the sport. Even though the federal government's environmental assessment states falconry has "no impact" on wild raptor populations, a careless, uninformed individual, attempting to satisfy a passing fancy, can do great harm to one or more birds and cast the shadow of discredit on the sport of falconry itself. Most falconers, therefore, before they will agree to help anyone newly attracted to the sport, will require evidence of a serious, committed interest in falconry. Getting a sponsor is challenging. Training an apprentice is an extremely time intensive process that extends over two or more years. One hundred contact hours is a conservative estimate of the time you'll spend together. So asking someone to sponsor you is an extremely big request. To that end, you have to have a really strong relationship with a potential sponsor. It's important that you start to educate yourself early on. Learning as much as you can about the ins and outs of the sport will help you figure out if falconry is the right past time for you. Reading widely about the history of the sport, the techniques, and the regulations is essential for helping potential sponsors understand your unfettered commitment to falconry and your future raptors. The reading section of this web site will provide you with many sources of information. You should become very familiar with Virginia regulations: https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/forms-download/PERM/falconry.pdf
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You must be able to provide food, shelter, equipment, and travel as a falconer. Hawks have very specific requirements for fresh, lean, raw meat. There are also housing and equipment requirements, most of them mandated by law, that require metal, leather, lumber, and the necessary tools. A library of falconry-related books is not required, but most falconers spend considerable amounts of money on books as a source of vital information and enjoyment. You must be able to travel: obtaining a hawk, visiting other falconers, and the training and flying of a hawk will put many miles on a vehicle.
You must have permission to enter adequate and convenient locations in which to fly a hawk. The short-winged hawks are best flown in the woodlots, hedgerows, and briar patches that make up their natural habitat. The falcons, or long-wings, require wide open expanses of land where they may be flown high over the falconer. Areas that are gun-hunted may render an otherwise suitable location unusable because of the potential threat to the hawk. Because all raptors are protected by federal and state laws, all potential falconers must obtain necessary permits before getting a hawk or practicing falconry. There are other requirements, too (such as rabbit and squirrel hunting licenses, etc.). It is essential for newcomers to realize that the art and practice of hawking may not be learned overnight, nor in a single lesson, but only after hard work and essentially devoting one's life to the subject. Still interested? Download the .pdf document you’ll find by clicking here (Primer on the VA falconry regulations) and review the reading list at the right. Alternatively, Contact Us. 
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The best time to meet potential sponsors is at the VFA's Summer Picnic in August. Keep an eye on this website's Events & News page to figure when that will be held each year - usually a weekend in August at Lake Arrow Head Park by Luray. All guests and families are welcome and that's your best chance of meeting falconers willing to sponsor apprentices and starting the process of building a relationship with a sponsor.
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