Phil
04-25-2013, 11:41 AM
Hello, everyone.
I'm a pre-apprentice, and rather new to falconry. Just trying to educate myself for now. I've always been interested in birds of prey, and captivated by the hawks I'd seen in my yard; but I never knew until a few months ago that falconry was still a vibrant sport. Naturally, I was thrilled to discover this, and began devouring all the info on it I could. I've read the Cali. Apprentice Study Guide through-and-through, and have a few other "for beginners" books I've been pouring over.
I'm at a good place in my life to pursue this, I think: I have a great deal of time to commit to learning, building things, and, God willing, eventually training a hawk. There's ample space where I live to house and fly a bird, and there is abundant space nearby when the time comes to train it with a creance and lure. This is all just by way of introduction, and to say that I'm happy to have discovered this forum, and I'm as excited about this adventure as I have been about anything in my life.
Now here comes a newbie question: I feel I'm at a point at which I should at least make contact with someone who knows this sport well, if not to solicit their sponsorship yet, then to begin to see in action all things I'm reading about. Do falconers consider it bad form to contact them cold like this? Is this presumptuous? Would I be better off waiting to attend a meet or picnic? I know this process can be very long, but I feel it couldn't do any harm to get the ball rolling.
Many thanks to anyone who has a suggestion.
Phil Najemy
I'm a pre-apprentice, and rather new to falconry. Just trying to educate myself for now. I've always been interested in birds of prey, and captivated by the hawks I'd seen in my yard; but I never knew until a few months ago that falconry was still a vibrant sport. Naturally, I was thrilled to discover this, and began devouring all the info on it I could. I've read the Cali. Apprentice Study Guide through-and-through, and have a few other "for beginners" books I've been pouring over.
I'm at a good place in my life to pursue this, I think: I have a great deal of time to commit to learning, building things, and, God willing, eventually training a hawk. There's ample space where I live to house and fly a bird, and there is abundant space nearby when the time comes to train it with a creance and lure. This is all just by way of introduction, and to say that I'm happy to have discovered this forum, and I'm as excited about this adventure as I have been about anything in my life.
Now here comes a newbie question: I feel I'm at a point at which I should at least make contact with someone who knows this sport well, if not to solicit their sponsorship yet, then to begin to see in action all things I'm reading about. Do falconers consider it bad form to contact them cold like this? Is this presumptuous? Would I be better off waiting to attend a meet or picnic? I know this process can be very long, but I feel it couldn't do any harm to get the ball rolling.
Many thanks to anyone who has a suggestion.
Phil Najemy