question about the test

[jpace007]

I have been interested in Falconry for years and have decided to go for it. I have joined the Falconry association in my state (Ohio) and I'm studying for the test. I don't realistically see getting a bird untill next fall as I still must find a sponsor and I want to build a nice mew. I am going to take the test, but I was wondering if their is a time limit after you pass to get a sponsor and apply for your apprentice license. Anybody know the answer to this?

[Joby]

First of all JM, tell us a little about yourself. Where in Ohio are you located? How old are you? Have you ever hunted before? Have you met any Ohio falconers yet?

I'm located in Columbus and am just now finishing up my mews/weathering yard. I took the test in March, passing with a 98%. So, I might be able to help you with any questions you have. My first sponsor was in the Cincinnati area, didn't have enough time for me (a good reason to not jump at the first offer, if you have other potential ones available) and I was lucky enough to be taken on by one of the Northeastern Ohio Squirrel Hawkers, another one of whom is on this site (BubbaGum).

Regarding entry into the sport, my first suggestion is to be certain to get to the OFA picnic, which will be held in Columbus on September 24th at Scioto-Darby park. It will be a great way to meet a number of great falconers and to see some of the birds. My second suggestion to you, since your starting out at this at about the same time that I did last year, is plan on getting out into the field as much as you can with as many different falconers as you can this next year before even thinking about approaching someone about sponsoring you. Most folks are initially reluctant to sponsor someone until they see a certain level of commitment from you (i.e. beating the brush for their birds). This is due to the fact that a lot of people burn out or decide that the sport isn't for them, eventually wasting a lot of their sponsor's invested time. So, take your time, be patient, and everything will fall into place. Oh, and get some good brush chaps!! You'll need 'em.
-Joe

P.s. Feel free to PM me ([e-mail]) with any questions that you might have and I'll be more than happy to help you steer through your initial stages and introduce you to some of the folks here in Ohio.

[jpace007]

I am 37 years old and live in the Canton area. I have been into racing pigeons with my 9 yr old daughter for the past couple of years. We lost some pigeons to a cooper hawk several times. Veiwing these creatures in action was all it took. I was in awe of their capabilities (even though it was my pigeons that were the quarry) from then on all I could think about was falconry. I love working with animals and I enjoy keeping pigeons very much and am looking forward to moving up to raptors. As for hunting my family has a long history of hunters. Unfortunatly I never quite caught the bug, other than the occasional phesant hunt which i enjoy very much. I never saw the sport in conventional hunting. However falconry offers a chance to engage in the natural strugle between predetor and prey which is a whole new ballgame.

I am planning on attending the OFA Picnic, perhaps we could meet up their. Your idea of beating brush is exactly what I had in mind this season. However I need to find some falconers to beat the brush for.

[Joby]

You're in a good section of the state to get out and go hunting, as the northeast part of the state has a number of great falconers. I would also be more than happy to introduce you around at the picnic. Send me a PM with your contact info and I can put you in touch with some of the guys around your area.
-Joe

P.s. Have you invested in any books yet?

[jpace007]

Joby

I sent you a PM with my contact info. I am looking forward to the OFA Picnic. I think I talked my daughter into going with me. Since we race pigeons she has always seen hawks as the enemy , but she is willing to keep an open mind. As for book I was advised by the OFA to purchase the book by Bebe (did I spell that right?) North American Falconry or something like that. I ordered it from a falconry supply house and haven't recieved it yet. I have read all the books from the library on falconry but they are mainly written in England.

[Joby]

JPace,
I didn't receive your PM. Try sending it again. My home e-mail is [e-mail].
-Joe

[Weasel]

Wow, Sorry I haven't replied sooner to these threads but I have been pretty busy around here with personal issues. As for the books....I would not worry about the British books as at the moment you need to concentrate on the few books out there designed to help answer questions for the test. There is too much information out there and even more opinions of falconry that will only serve to confuse you when it comes time to take the test......Trust me I know as I read so many books before the test that my mind was in a spin. The books I strongly reccomend for the apprentice are. "North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks", "The Red Tailed Hawk" by McGranahan(sp?), "The Falconers Apprentice" by William Oakes, and most importantly, the California study guide(or the New York study guide). The first book listed and the last book listed are to me the most important, but the two inbetween hold a wealth of useful information that is very helpful to an aspiring apprentice. When I first started, my sponsor took a chance on me knowing I was coming into this sport "falconry ignorant". This is rare to see as many will make a prospective apprentice wait until they have gone in the field for a season before allowing them to trap a bird of their own. I jumped into this head first without any practical experience with birds at all. The questions that I needed answering where ones that could of been answered by simply watching someone interact with the birds. I needed something to take me from begining. "The Red Tailed hawk" helped me understand some of the basic issues of handling and manning that I didn't understand completely. Of course my sponsor is the first and foremost important source of information that I had, but the books helped too.
The test....Hmmmm....I used to help folks understand as much as possible about the test , but now I will only help out with one question that I know many got wrong due to it's simple antiquity. Remember the name of the book and author " Life History of Birds" by Arthur C. Bent. It is available online now since the book is so old it's past is copywright date.
Cheers,
Weasel
If you have any questions, feel free to ask away. I am usually here as well as many other great falconers to help newbie's along with the sport.

[frootdog]

The other book I would recommend is American Kestrels in Modern Falconry. Even if you do not plan to fly one you are still required to know about them. Read a good field guide too.

[SkyRider]

I'm probably going to be the only guy on here who will tell you not to get North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks.

I imagine that it would help a pre-test apprentice but when I read it after I was licensed, the ONE thing I remembered most about it was them (the authors) whining about the government and laws in falconry. If I would suggest that book, I'd suggest it to a General or Master. They have huge sections on birds apprentices CAN'T have.

The book I'd recommend is "Falconry and Hawking" by Phillip Glasier. Yes, it's British but I enjoyed it much more than NAFAHH. Plenty of pictures and step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make your own equipment. Lots of information. I've heard that people don't like his attitude but I've never noticed an "attitude." I loved the book and it's still my favorite falconry book.

Aaron

[frootdog]

I will strongly disagree with skyrider here and furthermore I will label him as flip flopping his point of view on this book. To quote him from an apprentice suggeted reading thread..."Wow!! I didn't see North American Falconry And Hunting Hawks mentioned once!! I thought for sure that'd be the first one mentioned!! " Now if that's not changing your mind on a subject I don't know what is. The test DOES have questions on it about birds you are not allowed to fly as an apprentice. So study everything you can get your hands on.

[Rage]

all i studied was the california apprentice study guide and The Red Tailed Hawk by liam McGranaghan. after i passed the test my sponsor let me borrow his NAFAHH book. Honestly i think that book would have not been nessesary for me before the test. but hey, we all are different and we all need different ways to learn. Do it how you feel is right, id sugest the california hawking book and read it 10 times like i did, then have your sponsor test you on it, once you can get a 90 or higher on it then take your test,,

Good lord, I cant wait for trapping season.

[BlueTiercel]

I myself am pre-apprentice as everyone knows, but would say i have learned things by reading about every falconry book I own. the first one i bought was Matt Mullinix's American Kestrels in Modern Falconry, although a decent little book it certainly is a little book. Second was Webster and Beebe's North American Falconry and Hunting Hawks, or whatever it is called. I learned quite a bit more out of this and although it is a large book it didn't last long. then came the CHC study guides and these contained alot of useful info that you can absorb quickly within a minimum time frame but isn't much of a read. Other books that have broadened my knowledge are Tom Cade's Falcons of the World, highly recommend this book which has great art by R. David Digby. Reading it right now and learning alot. Those are great books to get info out of. I especially enjoy Cade as he is a biologist and there is a lot of scientific stuff in his books you won't find as much of in the others. As far as Webster goes, I kind of agree with SkyRider in that it seems like whines a bit and seems to blow some hot air. He may be a great guy, probably is and sure knows a hell of a lot more than I know or will know for a long time about falconry, but he also seems like a little bit of a snob in respect to thing such as kestrels and redtail hawks... I think part of this is that the original books were written when kestrels were seen as Toy falconry birds and some of the old ideas just didn't get edited out of the new edition. anyway, don't want to start a war i LIKE the book and it is very useful for sure.

[wes]

This may be off topic. Well I have a suggestion, I have not read all the books mentioned - Yet, and would like more TRUE info, not opinions. Please! Would someone give a precentage of usefully information in each book in question may have. Example: Natural History 2% training 3%, Husbandry 1%, breeding 1%, bird care 4%, trapping 1/2 %, Health and maintenance 8%, hunting 70%, or some other way of ranking the usefullness of these books. Personal I own only a few of these books (mentioned so for), I would like more info on which books would be money well spent, as some of these books are expensive.
I've have read -- NAFAHH -- The Red Tailed Hawk by liam McGranaghan -- "The Falconers Apprentice" by William Oakes -- Buteos and Bushytails by Gary Brewer -- two books written by Emma Ford, and a few others from England on falconry. I can say I've learned something from each book, not all was usefull info or up to date (english books mostly).
I've gotten some very good info off this and other forums that was more usefull than some books I read.
Happy Hawking
Wes

[frootdog]

Hey Wes, You've already passed the test right? If so what I would do personally is to get the books on topics that you are interested in. At this point thats all that matters now anyway. besides if you read about something you are interested in you are more likely to absorb the info presented. As far as ranking the books the way you want it is a great idea, but no one would agree on the rankings or percentages.

[frootdog]

Hey Bluetiercel,

I DO agree about the slighting of the RT and AK in NAFAHH. The thing you have to keep in mind is that in this sport for years there has been the attitude that the Falcon esp the Perigrine is the pinnicle of falconry. The mind set of late seems to be changing that there really is no bird better than the one you want to fly. The old elite longwing thing is why we read books specific to RTs and AKs so we can gather info from those who have flown them, like them and had great succes with them. That is not to say that NAFAHH is not a good book. It Is and for years it was the only one. A lot of the test material still comes from that book. Can you learn it by getting the CA study guide...YES, but will you FULLY understand it? Maybe. I just think as an apprentice you should read it all and then use the study guides for help and last minute cramming. My sponsor never told me about the study guides. He was hoping I would not find them. Anyway this time of year what else is there to do but read? I personally can't wait to get out hunting again.