Falconry without captivity?

[brianmize]

Knoxville tn
For years I've seen the red tails around my farm and
I've often felt they were sent from God to put a smile on my face on a tough day..

Recently I was walking towards my field pond, from a distance of 100' I saw and started clicking pictures of a big hawk.. He let me walk up to 10' of him and didn't seem to mind me being so close.

A few days later I was mowing the field and had to swerve to keep from hitting him. He gave me time to drive 1500' to the chicken house for a baby chick the possum killed the night before, and return across the field mower running. Tossed it to him and on the 2nd toss he took it...
It was ... Amazing!

That's when I got the itch to learn more

This week he is took the white mouse I put on the ground when I backed up 15'

So my question is...

Is this normal?
And
Any possibility he ever hunt for me without capture?

[Ally]

I've heard similar stories to this before--the idea of truly partnering with a wild bird is very cool, and I think very appealing to a lot of people, falconers and non-falconers.

If I had the opportunity I would be all over trying something like this. I would, however, recommend pursuing your license if you don't have it already.
Very cool story!

[tyler1998]

brianmize, my Dad and his brothers used to take sealed pigeons (eyes taped shut) out to a farm when they were growing up and toss them out under wild prairie falcons. It got to where the falcon would recognize them getting out of the car and start pumping towards them before they had even put the birds out.

Also, there's a prairie nest near me that my sponsor pulls chicks from every now and then. Sometimes we take pigeons to throw to the parents when we're scouting to see if there's a pair nesting. It's so fun to watch.

[377]

The neighborhood had brought me a baby gratehorn this morning that had flew into the Side of their truck last night at first thay were mad thay thought some one was throwing stuff at their truck any way I we took the bird out of the box and it was just sitting on my hand for a few minutes and flew of dident act like it had had a hard time flying I once had a young red tail that flew in to the window that had done the same thing I agree young red tails are notorious for fowling along threw the woods and fealds just to c what might get spooked up ... Think I know wear the owl from last year came from thair is some big pine about 300 to 400 yards from my house haven't been two nosey but I'm all most certain the nest is thair ... Makes three nest I have found on my own since joining this bord one kestral ... One red tail ... And one gratehorn

[377]

I know a old boy in east tn about 45 min south of you all that has a old tobacco barn dident think of em right away but I know Thay have a pair of barn owls that nest thair old man and old woman live in the house I personally know Thay have been thair nesting for 15 or more years

[377]

Basically what I'm trying to say is I ... Won't support e legal falconry no way no how we as sportsman should do our part in conserving nature and thair are stiff penalties for fokes who don't ... On a nother note or may be the same note if some one wants to learn more about birds of prey and don't necessarily have the time or money to go to all the bird meetings and acquire a licence ... Thair are outher ways a person might be able to play along to a certine extent ... Thair are a lot of dif kinds of birds of prey that have diminishing nesting locations dew to man . nature .and outher birds of prey the kestral and the gho for instance will except nest boxes some times preferably to natural nest sights if a person really wanted to learn about birds in thair natural environment why not bild a nest box may be a raptor cam or even a scratch pad a pair of binoculars and a pencil my guess is the avrage person might learn a lot