FALCONRY HISTORY Falconry is the taking of wild quarry with a trained hawk or other bird of prey . Falconry has existed for thousands of years , with one of the earliest known recordings dating back as far as 1700 BC , where tapestries and other works were found depicting falconers with their birds , as well as birds of prey in flight . Originally , falcons ( and other birds of prey , such as owls , hawks , and eagles ) were used as means to bring food home . Falconers would take their birds out for any other normal day of hunting – like we do with hunting dogs today – and come back with quail , rabbit , and other similar small game and fowl to cook and eat .
There were no regulations back then , and no land was privately owned , so this was a common way to hunt and provide for families , and anyone could take part in it . Later , the sport became more of an artform and less of a way of getting food , and many high-ranking society members would take up falconry just as they would with archery or horseback riding . The bird you had depended on your rank in society , though no one knows if these rules were strictly followed . A published example ( The Book of Saint Albans ) gives us an idea of rankings : A king would most likely fly a Gyrfalcon , while servants and common people were only to fly Kestrels .
After the birds were already being used as sort of a hobby , further advances didn ’ t help matters . The initial invention of gunpowder and firearms certainly shortened the wingspan of falconry . It became much more practical to carry a gun around and hunt larger game that would provide more food , rather than having to keep up after a bird . The popularity of falconry rapidly declined as a hunting method , and steadily decreased as a sport as well . Falconry , for a while , was very rare to hear about or be seen in practice , with exception to those that made it their life ’ s work to study the birds and interact with them daily . In recent years , however , falconry has made a comeback , with more and more people becoming interested in the sport once again . The introduction of the Harris Hawk has intrigued most who become aware of falconry , because the hawks work well in groups and are easily shown off . Several will fly together at once , so the species has made demonstrations much more fascinating . Many resorts , camps , and programs today now offer falconry demonstrations and private tours of daily life and how these birds are trained and cared for . This provides those who are interested in the sport with a good foundation of basic knowledge and visual representation .
Adventure Outdoors | Spring 2018 | 79