Fieldcraft Skills for the Novice Falconer

By How to Build a Suitable Mews for Your Hawk
Comments 35
18 Sep 2026

Fieldcraft Skills for the Novice Falconer

Why Fieldcraft Matters More Than You Think

You can have the finest hawk, the most expensive telemetry, and a lifetime of books behind you, but if you crash through the hedgerow like a startled bullock, you will catch very little. Fieldcraft is the quiet art of being in the countryside without disturbing it. For the novice falconer, it is the difference between a bird that trusts you and one that spends every slip watching your clumsy approach instead of the quarry. Good fieldcraft is not about secret tricks; it is about slowing down, paying attention, and letting the land tell you where to go.

Reading the Wind and Using Cover

Wind is your greatest ally and your most persistent betrayer. Quarry such as rabbits and pheasants rely on scent and sound, and they will know you are coming long before they see you. Always approach your slip from downwind if you can, but remember that the wind shifts. A hedgerow that gave you cover ten minutes ago may now funnel your scent straight to the burrow. Use walls, banks, and tall crops to break your outline. Never skyline yourself on a ridge; instead move just below the crest, where you can see without being seen.

When you are walking up game, keep your bird on the fist and your eyes ahead. Step softly, avoid kicking stones, and pause often. A rabbit that has just emerged to feed will bolt if it hears a heavy boot. If you must cross open ground, do it quickly and quietly, then return to cover. Your hawk will read your tension; if you creep, it will creep. If you stride out confidently when the moment is right, it will be ready.

The Art of Quiet Observation

Observation is not simply looking; it is learning to see. Before you slip your bird, spend five minutes watching the field. Where are the rabbits sitting? Which way is the wind blowing? Is there a magpie alarm-calling in the oak? That magpie may be telling you about a fox, or about a hawk already in the area. Learn the difference between a relaxed rabbit and one that is about to run. A relaxed rabbit feeds with its head down; a nervous one sits upright with its ears flat.

Watch your bird, too. A hawk that is keen will lean forward, raise its wings slightly, or fix its gaze on a particular patch of grass. That is your cue. A hawk that is looking at the sky, or tucking its head into its shoulders, is not ready. Pushing it now will only teach it that you do not listen. Patience is a fieldcraft skill, and it is often the one novices neglect most.

Handling Your Bird in Foul Weather

British weather is rarely kind. Rain, wind, and sudden cold can turn a promising day into a test of your bird's health and your own nerve. In heavy rain, most hawks will not fly well; their feathers soak, and they lose both speed and buoyancy. If you must be out, keep your bird hooded between slips and carry a towel in your bag. A wet hawk should be dried gently with a soft cloth and put on a warm perch to preen. Never let it sit in a cold wind while soaked.

In strong wind, fly a hawk that is used to it, and choose your ground carefully. Open moorland in a gale is no place for a novice. Instead, work a sheltered hedgerow or a valley bottom where the wind is broken. When the temperature drops, remember that a hawk's metabolism runs fast. Adjust its weight with your mentor's help; a bird that is too low will not fly, and one that is too high will not come back. Warm water in the bath, and a few extra tidbits after a difficult day, will keep its spirits up.

When Things Go Wrong

Every falconer loses a bird at some point. Fieldcraft reduces the chance, but it cannot eliminate it. If your hawk flies to a tree and refuses to come down, do not shout or crash about. Sit down, stay still, and wait. Often, a bird that is ignored will begin to look for you. If it has caught quarry, let it feed for a few minutes before you approach with the lure. If it is a young bird on its first slips, a creance is your friend, but even then, keep the line clear of bushes.

If your bird goes missing, mark the last place you saw it, then work methodically. Call softly, swing the lure, and listen for the bell. Dusk is often the best time to recover a hawk, as it will be thinking about roosting and may be more willing to come down. Carry a torch, but use it sparingly. Never chase a hawk; you will only push it further away.

Making Fieldcraft Second Nature

Fieldcraft is not a set of rules to memorise; it is a habit of mind. Practise walking quietly on your own, without a bird. Learn to name the plants and trees that give cover. Watch the wind on a blade of grass. The more you notice, the more your hawk will trust you to put it in the right place at the right time. Start with small, easy slips, and build up gradually. A novice who moves slowly, observes carefully, and handles their bird calmly in bad weather will soon find that good fieldcraft becomes as natural as breathing.

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5 Comments

Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply
- John Abraham says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
  
  I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
  Reply
  - Robert Sonnysays Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
    
    I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
    Reply
Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply

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