Which falconry book helped you the most as an aspiring falconer?

[Ricko]

Falconry for you
Humphrey ap Evans

Read this when I was 11....and never looked back

[Joby]

My Side of the Mountain and As the Falcon Her Bells

[Yeomanfalconer]

I don't know if it wasn't influenced more than "helped", but North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks, first edition (1964).

Helped, I would have to say Manual of Falconry by Woodford.

[Todd Brown]

Understanding the Bird of Prey, Nick Fox.

[ericedw]

Ronald Stevens, Observations on Modern Falconry

[christopher.vly]

This being my first year... The Falconers Apprentice by Bill Oaks

[NMHighPlains]

Falconry and Hawking- Philip Glasier. Bought it at The Falconry Centre in England during a month-long trip to the UK in '85 and read it during the trip. Really cleared up a lot of things for me.

[goshawkr]

How do you mean aspiring? As in a green horn aspiring to get your head wrapped around this, or as in aspiring to become one?

For the first one, here is my list:

• Understanding the Bird of Prey, Nick Fox
• Edmund Bert's treatise (because my obsession with goshawk pre-dates my involvement in falconry and combined well with my love of anchient language in that book)
• Desert Hawking with a Little Help From My Friends, Harry McElroy

For the second possible meaning there was really only one:

• North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks

As a pre-falconer, I read every book I could get my hands on, include one that I burned rather than give or donate because it was so aweful. I love books, but some really are only worth their value as tinder to spark a physcial (as opposed to a metaphorical) flame. Anyway, it was "the bible" that really got me over the hurdle to having a license in my wallet.

[Ricko]

As a pre-falconer, I read every book I could get my hands on, include one that I burned rather than give or donate because it was so aweful. I love books, but some really are only worth their value as tinder to spark a physcial (as opposed to a metaphorical) flame.[/QUOTE]

[jmnucci]

Ronald Stevens, Observations on Modern Falconry

Definitely one of the most insightful falconry books of all time and one that lets you peak into the mind of a falconer that truly understands falcons.

[Yeomanfalconer]

I don't know if it wasn't influenced more than "helped", but North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks, first edition (1964).

Helped, I would have to say Manual of Falconry by Woodford.

Just saying this, I looked in my Library for my copy of Woodford's Manual. I was not so sure that I might have sold it off, it had been so long since I looked at it.
There it was, I pulled it out and looked through it, memories of a long time ago flooded back. I can't tell you how many times I looked at that picture of a youngster placing his kestrel on its little block, or how much I studied that drawing of how to tie a falconer's knot. The other morning when I was tieing Pokie up in the dark with one hand, I did not take this action for granted and remembered my early practice attempts.

Reading about Rook and Magpie hawking held little relavance for a 12 year old boy at that time. How was I to know that here, some 40 years later I would be wondering how to position my tiercel peregrine, here in Idaho, so he might have a shot at the plentiful, yet smart "pies".

Books are wonderful, let them continue to have value.

The pages had developed some age spots since I last remember. I was very glad I had not sold it off. The dry air of Idaho is much kinder to books than the sauna that was Miami.

[Ricko]

My first book read "falconry for you" was not an all encompassing work but, it was enough for me to get excited about falconry at a young age.

[DustyBZoo]

Oh great, now I have about five more books to add to my collection At least amazon has good prices!

[Squirrelhawkin]

I started with a Redtail,so "The Red Tailed Hawk" by McGranaghan and "Buteos & Bushytails" were both a great help in getting my bird going.

I had about 50 other falconry books before I even got a bird and they all got me fired up,still like to reread them.

[MyAbusa]

Ronald Stevens, Observations on Modern Falconry

Definitely one of my favorites.

[Montucky]

the anthology, "gamehawking at its very best"

edmund berts "treatise on hawks and hawking"
E.B Mitchell's "the art and practice of falconry"
Ben Ohlander's writings on the passage goshawk....
Jameson's "Hawking of Japan"

[Frankie]

I read a few different books and magazines on falconry to help get me started and in love with this sport. But i think my favirote is still Falconry and Hawking by Philip Glasier. Awsome book, would totally recomend it to everyone.

[Icantmove]

I am an aspiring falconer now.
I have been beyond help for years.

[Ricko]

I read a few different books and magazines on falconry to help get me started and in love with this sport. But i think my favirote is still Falconry and Hawking by Philip Glasier. Awsome book, would totally recomend it to everyone.

I read Phiilip Glasiers "as the falcon her bells" at 12 years old...great book.

[Zarafia]

When it comes down to it, I think that NAFHH did the most for me as an inspiring young falconer. I knew that I needed to know it cover to cover in order to pass the exam that FL had at the time, plus it is an incredible book.
I will also mention that the chapter it had on HHs made me lust for a harris.
It was many years after I read the book, became an apprentice etc... that I finally got a FHH. But the book was right. A harris hawk is the perfect hawk for me.
I dream of longwings and their flights. I've raised eyass longwings (a kestrel and a saker) and I love the birds. But here in Florida, with no real longwing flying experience, falcons are a dream for the future for me

[Kenn Filkins]

If I picked only one:

Desert Hawking II by Harry McElroy

[bobpayne]

I read Phiilip Glasiers "as the falcon her bells" at 12 years old...great book.

Forty some years ago, it was the only falconry book I could get my hands on, and I checked it out of the library repeatedly, I used it for examples for equipment and furniture I made for my first hawks.

[Ricko]

Forty some years ago, it was the only falconry book I could get my hands on, and I checked it out of the library repeatedly, I used it for examples for equipment and furniture I made for my first hawks.

[sharptail]

I don't remember, but it sure was a treat when American Hawking came out because it was the only other, besides NAFHH that dealt with falconry in the Americas, and American falconry birds, in word and picture!

[Ricko]

I don't remember, but it sure was a treat when American Hawking came out because it was the only other, besides NAFHH that dealt with falconry in the Americas, and American falconry birds, in word and picture!

Jeff....interestingly, I never even heard of NAFAHH until just recently. All of the books that were in the public library system at the time of my initial interest (1968) were from British or European authors.

My Grandparents took me to the Berkeley public library just to read King Fredrick II "the art of Falconry". It was a reference book so you couldnt check it out. That book was an epiphany for me. It was way beyond me in terms of experience. But, none the less, I loved reading about Gyrfalcons taking cranes. I NEVER dreamed that someday Id be flying a Gyr hybrid....

Im blessed.

[Rabbit Jaeger]

by Humphrey Ap Evans. I read that when I was 15, the only falconry book the library had, back in the dark ages. Great book that stimulated my interest in falconry. I have a copy of that book in my humble collection, and still enjoy reading it.

[Tony James]

I read Phiilip Glasiers "as the falcon her bells" at 12 years old...great book.

I was about the same age when Philip Glasier signed a copy for me. I still have it today, the first of hundreds of falconry books to find their way into my library.
However, the two books that had the greatest impact on my falconry were Ronald Stevens' Observations, and Ray Turner's Gamehawk.

Tony.

[Ricko]

[QUOTE=Rabbit Jaeger;221136]by Humphrey Ap Evans. I read that when I was 15, the only falconry book the library had, back in the dark ages. Great book that stimulated my interest in falconry."

Absolute dittos....

[Martin Hollinshead]

Many years ago I was browsing the bookshelves in Hay on Wye, a little village whose fame as a Mecca for book worms has surely spread beyond these shores. Well, four up and three across there it was: an immaculate first edition of North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks. And what did I do? I put it back on the shelf and walked on!!!!
Isn’t life just full of stupid mistakes!
Martin

[tbality]

My sponser gave me the NA Falconry & Hunting Hawks book when I was his apprentice; he gave it to me at a dinner w/several falconer friends of his including Hal Webster and Hal signed it for me. He's been good friends with "Webster" since the 1960's and I get to see Hal annually at either breakfast or picnics at my friends house. He's a great guy, about 84 now...we trapped a Cooper's hawk one year in Dec at the breakfast, and Hal helped me put anklets and jesses on him...then a group photo of several falconers that are well known including Dave Remple and Jim Enderson, both authors. Great memory for me!

[Martin Hollinshead]

My sponser gave me the NA Falconry & Hunting Hawks book when I was his apprentice; he gave it to me at a dinner w/several falconer friends of his including Hal Webster and Hal signed it for me. He's been good friends with "Webster" since the 1960's and I get to see Hal annually at either breakfast or picnics at my friends house. He's a great guy, about 84 now...we trapped a Cooper's hawk one year in Dec at the breakfast, and Hal helped me put anklets and jesses on him...then a group photo of several falconers that are well known including Dave Remple and Jim Enderson, both authors. Great memory for me!

I met Hal Webster at the British Falconry Fair maybe ten years ago. The late Frank Beebe I met some time later, again at the Fair. This meeting with Beebe led to another one of those mistakes: I failed to get his signature on a book I had in the boot of my car!
Martin

[tbality]

Oh wow, and hear I am talking to yet another author! Cool! You have a chapter in their book don't you? I know I've seen your name, was thinking that is where I've seen it...

[Martin Hollinshead]

Oh wow, and hear I am talking to yet another author! Cool! You have a chapter in their book don't you? I know I've seen your name, was thinking that is where I've seen it...

No, unfortunately no chapter. Though I was lucky enough to correspond a little with Frank Beebe and receive his help with one of my own books. Which makes not getting that book signed even more irritating. (I could tell an interesting story about Part IV in Beebe’s The Compleat Falconer, but it might take us tool far off thread…).
Martin

[Martin Hollinshead]

That should of course read too far of thread. Not tool!

[tbality]

LOL...I got that...I do that alot, hit send and see an error! oops! Well if you want to tell the story, I'd love to hear it! Your name is very familiar, so I'll have to look up the books you've written as I know I've seen it.