A resurgence in falconry has brought about a lot of interest. Unfortunately, it has also brought about a lot of bird purchases by people who do not know what they are doing. When they release their birds into the wild, it creates problems in the balance of the ecosystem. Falconry is not a sport for the faint of heart. If you really want to buy a falcon and give this a try, you must be aware of all of the following.

You Need to Feed Them Frozen, Dead Animals If You Do Not Take the Birds Hunting Daily

People are shocked to learn that they have to keep a lot of dead, frozen rodents in their freezers. If you want to skip the rodents, you can buy quail, rabbit, or chicken meat. To keep the bird well-fed, you have to warm the meat to at least room temperature, without cooking it, and then throw the meat into the air and release your falcon. This does two things; one, your falcon maintains its hunting instincts for meat, and two, it maintains the hunting skills with which the trainers have trained your bird.

If none of this appeals, you have to take the bird outside at dawn or twilight and release it (on its lunge line) to hunt for fresh game. It will most likely grab a squirrel or rabbit, at which point you will have to chop the animal up and feed it to your falcon in small bits. Otherwise, your falcon's belly will be full, and it will not have any interest in hunting or performing the next day.

Falcons Can Shred You with Their Sharp Talons

Although these birds have been taught not to attack their masters, accidents and strange events happen. If the bird is frightened, it may attack. If it has not eaten in several days, it will go to the first moving object it sees when you remove the hood. Their talons are extremely long and extremely sharp. If you think you can manage your bird and provide enough food, keep it away from things that frighten it, and give it large wooden limbs on which to sharpen its talons, then no big deal. 

You Must Protect Your Hands and Keep Your Bird Close at All Times

Falconers wear special gloves for a reason. The gloves deflect the intense, razor-like talons from ripping their arms and hands apart. You must also keep your bird close by using a lead or lunge line. This is a long, thick string attached to the ankle of your falcon. The line allows you to control and signal your bird to come back to your hand. If you do not wear the gloves and/or you let go of the line, you will spend time in the hospital and countless hours tracking down your falcon.

For more information, contact a company like Flint Hills Falcons LLC.