Interested in PA.

[JSweat009]

Hello all,
My name is Joshua Sweat and I live in Shippensburg, PA. I am 27 years old and i am a electrician/fire alarm technician for the government. My love for raptors goes back years when I was a tiny kid. I witnessed Red Tailed Hawks (my favorite) swoop down and snatch black snakes. Also I recently witnessed a huge beautiful Bald grab fish out of the Saint John River in Northen Maine. Everything about raptors has had me intrigued my whole life. Thats when I stumbled into Falconry. Many of us seen some sort of Falconry whether it be movies, TV or even your local Renaissance Faire. Thats when I started reading into the history. Thats where my interest for Falconry exploded. I never knew that William Shakespeare was a practicing Falconer. Also looking at my genealogy, my ancestors hailed from England and served for King Harold who used his trained raptors to kill his enemies message pigeons.

Reading into the deep history of falconry made my passion to learn it unbearable. I just recently purchased "The Falconer's Apprentice" by William C. Oakes and it was an amazing read. I actually started reading the second time now. I plan on purchasing a few more books that a PA Game Commissioner has told me about. I plan on reading all on the list he gave me. I also am saving for the Falconer's "bible", "North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks". I am going to give myself a good year or so and read on all things raptors. Especially the important topics like diseases and the well being of raptors. I plan on joining the Pennsylvania Falconry and Hawk Trust and would love to meet other members to ask questions and maybe even meet their raptors. I know from everything I have read on this way of life you cant just walk into being a falconer. You have to dedicate your life and time to these wonderful creatures. Also from what I have read you cant just go to a falconer and tell them you want to become one and ask them to train you. These people dedicate their lives to falconry and you have to earn their trust. Thats what I plan on doing in the next year or so. Would love to meet some local falconers and show them my passion isnt just a weekend venture. I am ready to start my new life learning this way of life. I know I wrote a lot but my passion for raptors burns intensely. Thank you for taking your time to read this and if anybody has any tips please send them my way. One thing I learned about this is you cant stop reading about it. Thanks again

[thunderheartiii]

Hello and to NAFEX. Sounds like your on the right track so far...read, read, read...then you will understand that for each book read...You will discover different methods to get to the same end...lol. Hope your Journey is a rewarding one for you. Good Luck!!!

[JSweat009]

Thank you for the insight thunderheartiii. In the next year I plan on reading every book there is out for falconry. Any journey that involves raptors will be a rewarding one. Have a good day.

[ehh]

You live in a great area to be a falconer, which is surely a plus. Don't wait to learn to hunt. Find areas, get a stick and practice finding and flushing game. You don't need a hawk to do that. How much game you can flush in front of your hawk is the determining factor in the end.

[JSweat009]

This is why I joined this forum. Already great advice my first day. Thank you ehh. The funny thing is the place where I hunt turkey is teeming with small game. Last season I sat there watching the red tails fly around and said this place would be a great spot for a falconer. If anybody here is in PA I would be more than happy to share a lot of possible great spots. My parents even own 17 acres of great wooden area to hunt in as well.

[cindy]

Hello and welcome.

[lxlMurdoclxl]

Joshua,

Hello, and Welcome to NAFEX.

I am a fellow Joshua, also from PA...

Your introduction is coming at a time when PA Falconers are putting their hawks up to molt.

On one hand, you may not be able to get out and see any falconry in action until next fall; but on the other hand, you have plenty of time to meet people, study, and read up on good falconry text.

On the subject of books, not sure what the game commission list has on it, but one that i found particularly helpful was Liam McGranaghan's "The Red Tail Hawk: A complete guide to training and hunting America's most versatile game hawk". However, I do hear that this can be difficult to get now...

Feel free to send me a private message if you have any questions.

[JSweat009]

Thank you for welcoming me here cindy and lxlMurdoclxl. I know im alittle late inquiring about some stuff until next fall but that gives me plenty of time to read different books and practicing flushing game out. From what ive been reading on here this is a marathon not a sprint. Plus I wanted to read as much as I can on falconry this coming year. The game commissioner gave me a list of books but he even said he wasn't a falconer so my best bet would be find some local falconers and join a forum. So thats why im here. Thank you lxlMurdoclxl I will look and add that book to my list. Hopefully I can find it on Amazon or eBay.