The art of flying trained birds of prey after wild quarry is alive and well in the United States. Imagine the thrill of walking through a field with a falcon “waiting on” flying above your head at 1,000 feet or higher–waiting for you to flush a pheasant you know is there because your well trained pointers have indicated so. The falcon is in the proper position, you flush the game, the falcon turns and begins its head first dive or stoop, your adrenaline is rushing, The next thing you know the falcon hits the pheasant in the air, binds to it, then carries it to the ground where she will patiently await her reward. Picture yourself walking through a field hitting every piece of brush, trying to flush out rabbits. Your Harris Hawk is following you from tree to tree, waiting and anticipating the flushing of game. Suddenly a rabbit breaks from the brush, the hawk quickly takes off, and turns to chase the rabbit in aggressive pursuit. Eventually the rabbit out maneuvers the hawk, he turns in mid-air and returns to your glove for a small reward.
This is Falconry…