a falconer's life

Описание: After publishing the video "50 Years", falconer friends and family provided additional photos from long ago which are included in this new video, I did a better job of it as well.

In the early days, there were no personal computers, no internet, no online falconry shops, no smart phones with more technology than the first manned space flights. Being a Falconer was never as easy or convenient as today, but then again I'm sure the falconers before my time uttered similar words about the falconers of my day!

For many, if not most, securing a sustainable source of good hawk food was always a concern. Our hunting hawks and falcons caught much of their own food throughout the hunting season, stocking up for the moult.

Captive breeding was non existent, buying a bird out of the question but we didn't want to anyway. The first few weeks of September was like Christmas, a time to plan vacations, and trap a passage bird for the season. Train it before you went back to work, fly it for the hawking season, get it through that first winter, cut it loose before spring, how cool is that.

Awesome time to practice falconry, every bird taught me something, they still do.
Sorry for rambling, seasoned falconers will understand.

In looking to the future, it's often good to look back at the past.
Enjoy the moult, stay safe.