Classical Falconry

This is the first book dedicated solely to flights out of the hood. Based on his experiences managing the Northumberland Crow Falcons, Nick Fox has pulled together the theory and practice of classical falconry in modern times. For the large falcons in the West, crow and rook hawking are the main quarry available for the Height Flight, in which both falcon and prey climb high into the sky in aerial pursuit. The book describes the type of ground needed for classical flights, the potential quarry species, the falcons and horses and their management. It covers the human element of the equation, the Members and Falconers, and the tactics used according to landscape and weather conditions to achieve the best flights. Contributions from authors in other countries highlight the differences of approach needed to cope with conditions found in other parts of the world. Far from being a dry technical manual, this book is spiced with a wealth of personal anecdotes and excerpts from hawking diaries. The illustrations and photographs combine to provide a glimpse of the falcons and people as they undertake this most difficult branch of the falconer's art.