The British School of Falconry

My wife and I had an absolutely incredible experience at the British School of Falconry. We did the orientation with the Harris Hawks and also the Hawk Walk along the trails at the Hildene House. The staff was professional, knowledgeable and very friendly. Make sure to bring a camera and capture some of the hawks working on video. The still pictures were great, but the video came out spectacularly. Its not exactly a low-​cost endeavor, but I guess that is why falconry is know as the ‘Sport of Kings’. If you ever get a chance to visit the British School of Falconry and work with the staff and the hawks I can guarantee an experience you will enjoy and never forget!

Rob is exceptional. The entire experience is just awesome. Easily one of the most interesting and memorable things I’ve done in recent memory.

So after discovering that falconry was something I could actually try, I had to do it. My bf and I made our way here and I was introduced to Wallace, or «Wally,» the hawk.
The instructor was pleasant and able to answer all of the questions I had. I was able to fly Wally multiple times and was surprised at how light he felt on my arm! I could hardly feel his weight at all and he landed so lightly.
The instructor then showed how to distract a hawk from the prey he caught by pulling out a feathered object on a string and throwing it to the ground. Wally pounced on it and began tearing at it with his talons and beak.
It was such a great experience. The instructor even showed us the other birds in the barn, including two huge eagles. It was great and I definitely recommend going!

Amazing! I had a pet cockatiel growing up – Zephy was a sweet bird, but nowhere near as cool as Ernie, the Harris Hawk, with whom I spent a few hours. I took the falconry lesson and went on the hawk walk. Not only were the birds beautiful and fascinating to work with, but the instructor was incredibly friendly and knowledgable. My husband and I agree that this experience was unique and worth every penny.

Like a kid on Christmas Eve, I could barely contain my excitement for this. I’ve always been awed by the birds of prey and the opportunity to handle one up close was literally at hand.
The British School of Falconry is one of only two locations in the country where you can handle raptors. This sport of kings has an elusive history because origins of falconry predate written records of the sport. Many experts believe that falconry was practiced in China around 2000BC. It became a popular means of hunting with the aristocracy of Europe and Shakespeare himself was an avid falconer.
We took the short drive from the Equinox to the barn where we would be flying hawks (which is what they call all the birds). We were quickly greeted and walked through the barn where we were introduced to the hawks by our instructor Dawn. She showed us the beautiful Tawny Eagle and several of their Harris Hawks. They use the Harris Hawk as it works well with unfamiliar handlers. She explained the science of the flying weight and how they use this measurement to know which hawks were hungry to fly. I was suited up with the leather glove and shown the appropriate ways of calling and casting the hawks. I called the hawk to my hand, gripped the jess to secure it and we stepped into the field to start the lesson.
I had to resist all temptation to simply pet the beautiful bird that was perched calmly on my hand. With a swing of my arm he was off to his perch atop the field. We used bits of meat left between the thumb and forefinger to reward the hawk for its return. Holding out my arm would summon the hawk from its spot and it glided over the grass before a quick adjustment of it’s wings at the last moment stopped it on my arm. I couldn’t believe how light the bird felt on my arm. The Harris Hawk at arm’s length was mesmerizing. It’s gaze looked right through me, constantly surveying the area. The bird’s feathers fell in artistic symmetry. An in-​flight tweak would bring the hawk to top speed or down with the lightness of a butterfly. Although I could hardly feel the talons, they were razor sharp and all business. Dawn explained how the hawks hunt and use their wings and talons to attack and conquer prey. We dropped what was basically a decoy of bones and feathers and the hawk pounced on it with deadly intent. It stomped with its talons and tore with its beak. We learned how hawks take down prey several times their weight by inflicting puncture and tearing wounds with the talons.
I was like a bloodthirsty Roman at the Colosseum when I heard that one of these Harris Hawks had taken down an eight pound wild turkey on one of the Hawk Walks we were about to begin. We took two different birds to Hildene to do the walk. We strolled the grounds of the estate while the birds followed along, flying from tree to tree and to our hands. Perhaps the grounds were overhunted, as the only prey we saw was a squirrel that wisely and quickly returned to its burrow. It would have been really cool to see these hawks in action taking down prey. But, it was not to be this day. No worries. The opportunity to handle a hawk was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget.
I’ll have to come back next time for a hunt. You can also have a guest tag along with the handler for free.

I was in Manchester for the weekend and I was intrigued by the idea of learning to handle a beautiful bird of prey. It was an expensive one hour lesson but it was worth every penny! My instructor was extremely knowledgeable and answered every silly question I asked with great interest and patience. The hawk’s themselves are well trained and amiable (relatively). There is an extensive weighing process to determine which bird is most likely to come back (yes sometimes they do fly off never to return) for the little piece of meat that we proffer as a reward. I cannot wait to go back and go on a hawk walk and see these birds in the wild and watch them hunt. As far as logistics go, the place is a little hard to find (or maybe I’m just directionally challenged) so call ahead for directions. And book your appointment in advance as spots fill up quickly. Try to go early in the day which is when you have a higher chance of taking an eagle out. Go here for a once in a lifetime experience!