Becoming a Falconer

My first bird dog, Cooper, and I had just begun our journey into the uplands when I learned about falconry. Initially, I found falconry through social media. Online, I saw folks using various species of birds to hunt multiple species of game, including goshawks on quail, red-tail hawks on squirrels, and falcons on prairie grouse. What set falconry apart from any other sport I enjoyed from afar was seeing the various ways falconers incorporated dogs into the hunt. 

So many different breeds of dogs are used to achieve success in the field, including Dachshunds, terriers, sighthounds, and bird dogs. After creeping on falconry social media accounts, I took a few trips to the desert to watch falconers fly their birds over Vizslas, setters, terriers, and Brittanys on quail. That was that; I was hooked on falconry. Hunting upland game with a bird of prey over my dog was written in the stars of my future.