lurking in the Pacific NW...

[flyingfish]

i had a picture in my mind that a falconer must have a huge estate .. maybe a vineyard (with a lake) and in 10 + years when i acquire one would be an ideal time to jump into this sport ;)
but..... just in case that is not the standard... i'm lurking and learning what i can here .. now. how much space is required to responsibly keep a bird? is it realistic to be a falconer while living in the metro suburbs? how large a yard is necessary to give a bird adequate training and exercise?
i have always been attracted to the raptors.. but only recently have decided that falconry may be a practical and possible pursuit (although challenging and time consuming) in the present time... lets face it my vineyard very well may be much more than 10 years off..
does anyone keep birds in city limits in limited space? i do have access to a horse farm although 35 minutes away for extra training and exercise space... any advice for a city girl in phase 1 (pre-apprentice) ?????

[borderhawk]

Plenty of falconers keep their bird on 1/4 acre plots in the suburbs. And many have even converted their deck in a second story apartment for raptor housing. That's not really the issue. The important part is finding places to HUNT the bird, because that's what falconry is: hunting. Overgrown plots in industrial areas offer alot of game for a suburban falconer.. rabbits, rats, etc.. And I've even seen falcons flown on ducks out of a pond in front of an office building on the weekends!! Join the Washington Falconers Association and get in touch with a few falconers up there. WA got alot of really good ones. You'll get a chance to see their facilities, but unfortunately the seasons coming to an end so you may not see much in the way of hunting and how to find good hunting spots until next Fall. But at least it'll give you an idea.

btw - Welcome to Nafex, and be sure to sign your posts with your name. :)

[allredone]

Most of us have average homes with average yards and we take our birds elsewhere to hunt. Old farms and wood lots are productive places to find rabbits and squirrels.

Sounds like you would benefit from some reading material. I highly recommend that you purchase "The Red Tail Hawk" by Liam McGranahan. It's available from Mikes Falconry or Northwoods Falconry. Both suppliers have web sites. The Falconer's Apprentice" by Bill Oats is also a good book for beginners. It was my first.

If you think you may be interested in becoming a falconer here are the steps I would recommend.

Read everything you can get your hands on about falconry.

Read some more.

Find a falconer in your area and ask to go visit them and talk about the sport to learn what you can.

Ask them to tag along on a hunt some time and see what it's all about.

If you are still interested tag along frequently with several different falconers. Try and be helpful.

If you decide to become a falconer you will need to have a sponsor. I highly recommend meeting several falconers before you ask one to be your sponsor. It's a minimum of a 2 year commitment. Best that you get along well.

Personally I would insist that anyone interested in being my apprentice spend a season just watching. The sport is not something to get into casually. It's a life style almost as much as owning a horse.

If you are really in the position to buy a huge estate one day then lucky you. While falconry was once the, "sport of kings", I think you'll find those that practice it today are much more down to earth!

Good luck!

[robruger1]

Considering you live in Oregon, I would suggest you get an Oregon sponsor as one from washington might not be familiar with Oregon laws/regs. There are plenty of good falconers in the Portland area. I could point you towards some. I live near downtown Salem. It is easy to have adequate room to house a raptor, most average houses would work. Like someone else mentioned, access to hunting areas is far more important. You can keep almost any BOP in a 8x8x8 ft mews which almost any backyard would handle. You can go elsewhere for training. I walk to the jr. high football field 3 blocks from my house for creance training. Then its all out in the hunting field.

[flyingfish]

awww, i did not realize that the season is nearly over here. spring seemed a good time to jump in to me... have to get on to that reading i guess. i do have a lot to learn. Mikes falconry supply is located quite nearby that horse farm that i frequent so i'll pop in for some books and snoop around a bit soon. thanks for the welcomes .. i'll still be lurking :D

[AK Rev]

Since Mike's Falconry is close by, that might make a great resource. You might be able to see Mike's Harris hawks as well as get some good advice on local sponsors.

[allredone]

Considering you live in Oregon, I would suggest you get an Oregon sponsor as one from washington might not be familiar with Oregon laws/regs. There are plenty of good falconers in the Portland area. I could point you towards some. I live near downtown Salem. It is easy to have adequate room to house a raptor, most average houses would work. Like someone else mentioned, access to hunting areas is far more important. You can keep almost any BOP in a 8x8x8 ft mews which almost any backyard would handle. You can go elsewhere for training. I walk to the jr. high football field 3 blocks from my house for creance training. Then its all out in the hunting field.

That's another good point. Choose a sponsor near by enough that it's practical to get out hawking with them several times during each season. Be warry of someone who is willing to sponsor you but can't be bothered to go hawking with you. Again, best to meet several falconers and get to know them. Not everyone's example is one you would want to learn from and some of the good examples might not be the best teachers. During my apprenticeship I spent a lot of time talking with falconers other than my sponsor for advice and perspective. My sponsor encouraged this but ultimately I was accountable to him for the term of my apprenticeship.

[Shichahn]

Hey there Jennifer, always good to see more interested pre-apprentices popping up in the Portland area. I live in the suburbs not too far out of town and have had no issues keeping a kestrel in the house. Like Michelle and Rob both said, what you really need is access to hunting land, which can be tricky in a dense urban area. But if you can pull that off, then there's no reason why you can't live in the suburbs and be a falconer as well!

[flyingfish]

i'm encouraged :D
i can absolutely provide an appropriate set up for a kestrel a red tail would be a bit trickier... but most consider the better "first" bird. looks like i have until september to decide & get my ducks lined up..
Portland really isn't so densely populated... 30 minutes or so in any direction you can find horse property & farmland. i think it will be ok !

[robruger1]

Believe it or not September is a very short period of time to get your ducks lined up. When I took my test and got my facility and equipment inspected and everything done I needed to, I sent in my fees to the USFW and it was 2 months before I got my license in the mail. The state took only about two weeks. This means you should have your facility ready and inspected, test studied for and passed and equipment lined up by the latest end of June if you want to be able to be sure you can go trapping in Sept. It isn't as quick as you might think. You have alot to get done, but it is VERY do-able if you put your mind to it. You still have to meet potential sponsors and get one to agree to sponsor you before you should even begin to build your facility and here in Oregon before you take the test you fill out an application that your future sponsor signs. So you can't even take the test until you get a sponsor. That is going to be the hardest one to manage, getting a sponsor lined up in that short a period of time.

[Ehaus]

I'm from NC but spent a couple months South of the Dalles in Dufur. When the time comes I know a great place to look for juvi RT's:D