Falconry

Falconry (also known as hawking) is a rural sport that involves birds of prey (otherwise known as raptors) who are trained to hunt game. Traditionally, it was only practiced by the rich, as "ordinary" people couldn't afford to raise the rare and expensive birds of prey. Nowadays, falconry used to hunt game instead of humans.

Birds

Several birds of prey are used in falconry, and these include:

• Harris's Hawk- This is the most commonly used bird of prey in falconry, and is often employed to catch rabbits, hares and other birds. Although they are native to North America and the northern part of South America, there are lots of them bred in captivity in the UK, where their temperament and skills are looked very favourably on. They often hunt in groups, as would be the case in their native environments.
• Falcons - Falcons are often used to hunt other birds, such as game birds. This is especially true of Peregrine Falcons.
• Kestrels - These are sometimes recommended to beginners, but they are considered too delicate by many established falconers, as it is only a small bird. For this reason, the Red-tailed hawk is often put forward as a good alternative for new falconers, as they are attractive and ideal for captive breeding.

Licensing

If you're using birds of prey that have been bred in captivity, you don't need a special license. This is the norm for most falconers (the people who breed and rear the birds of prey) in the UK. Although taking wild birds of prey for falconry purposes is legal according to government licensing laws, it is frowned upon.

Anyone is legally allowed to breed registered birds of prey in captivity, but many falconers argue that this goes against the grain of traditional falconer, which involves trained birds hunting live prey. In their view, birds of prey must specifically be used to hunt live game to be classed as a falconer's bird - otherwise, they are little more than pets. Some birds are kept specifically for breeding though, or are retained once they are no longer fit to hunt. As a general rule of thumb though, falconers will opt for young and healthy birds.

Opposition to Falconry

The 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Bill saw the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) campaign for falconry to be made illegal, but this wasn't a success. Instead, its rich history in the UK as a rural sport conducted by the wealthy meant that it was formally given legal status in the UK by the same Act. This allowed it to carry on as a rural sport, as long as all birds of prey that are bred in captivity for this purpose are ringed and registered by the government.

Falconry is often used to hunt live game, including rabbits, hares and birds. Most falconers breed and raise their birds of prey in captivity, although it is legally acceptable to poach them from the wild. This is much more risky though, as the birds won't be trained to hunt and their time spent in the wild may make them aggressive and dangerous to handle.

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• Other Working Dogs Used for Hunting Purposes