Falconry. It’s really more of a lifestyle than a hobby now though. I’ve been doing it for a little over 10 years now and am currently flying a cast (group of birds flown together) of 3 Harris’s Hawks.

Quick faqs:

• I use the glove and everything
• It’s a hunting sport, we catch rabbits 3-5 times a week
• We all go out together, I flush they catch
• No, they do not bring what they catch back to me, I go to them
• They don’t eat the whole rabbit, I trade them a small reward
• They are completely free flighted when doing this
• I’ve trained them just enough to get them back and work with me, they know how to do bird things naturally
• They don’t really go for your eyes, and getting bit hurts 50x less than getting footed
• They are not rescues and are perfectly healthy
• Mine are captive bred, but some are wild trapped
• Wild trapping has 0 effect on native populations, 50-90% of raptors don’t make it through their first year
• Even though mine are captive bred they are still wild animals, they are just tamed.
• This is the most regulated sport in the US

Birbs: