Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-08-25
FALCONRY Is THE FAD
The Famous Old Sport Revived In
the East.
II Promises to Become n Greater
Fad Than Goif-Intcnse Excite
ment of Hcntinz with
Trained Hawks.

What strange fascination men oan
! find in the old sport of falconry, that
cruel swoop of 4 fierce monarch sf the
air on the track of a bird whose only.
safety lies in fight, is a mystery to these
whose knowledge of the pastime Is lin
tied to what they have read about it in
old books. Sportsnen who have taken
to this method Of capturing game birds
declare that this is the essence of ex-
! citing sport. They argue that the man
who goes shooting with a modern
breech-loader may kill more birds. but
he has only the satisfaction of knowing
that he has trained himself to be ex-
pert in the killing process, while the
faicoIer has educated one of the Wild
est and most unlikely creatures in ex-
istence to obey his will and kill as he
directs. Besides, say the falconers,
what is the shooting of bird on the
wing compared with the exciting spec
tacle of falcon swooping with light
ning-lille swiftness on partridge that
is speeding for all its wings are worth
to get away.
Whatever its opponents may say. GER
tain ii is that the sport of falconry, the
noble old sport that has been sung
about by ancient poets and pictured on
numberless carvases by famous paint
ers, is becoming a fashionable country
pastime, whose followers are as en-
thusiastic over their favorite amuse-
ment as ever was a golf crank or yacht
ing fiend. 1t is essentially cruel sport,
but no sport that has for its ultimate
object the killing of bird or animal
can be considered humane, and the
death of a quarry by the talons Of a
hawk is probably as painless an end
as being killed by rife shot.
party of falconers will start from
the country house at which the meet
takes place with half dozen or more
hawks, carried on the cadge, a wooden
frame, on which they are transported
to the field. The birds are hooded The
hoods are of silver, and the tuft enables
the owner to readily single out his bird
from others. When the moment for ae-
ton comes the falcon is taken from the
cadge and carried on the gloved hand of
the falconer, ready to be freed az any
instant for the flight after the game.
When the covey is reached the Acon
is relieved of its swivel, hood and leash
and released. She will dart up in the
air and wait there until the quarry Is
sighted, circling round and round the
spot where she has been released. When
it is seen that the falcon is ready, rush
is made by the falconers and the dogs
that accompany the party to the spot
where the covey of partridges has been
located.
Up rise the frightened birds, and, see
ing their enemy, the falcon, waiting to
seize them above, while unknown dam
gers confront them below, the birds
wing their way forward, bent on escap-
ing. 1t must be fast-fying partridge
that can outstrip the falcon in race
The old and crafty birds of the covey
know this well, and their tactics are to
head for the densest bushes and seek
With " tf atcaf rnsrirftt,
out young bird that has sense enough
only to fly blindly on in hope Of its
wing saving it from the falcons foot.
1t is usually a short race. With a s1oop
that the falconer who is an enth usaast
watches and admires, as the angler does
the experts cast of Ene, or the yacht
ing man the swift sweep of boat in a
race, the hawk Is down on the part
ridge, picking it up with her foot,
and carrying it off to place of safety
where 1t can gorge at ease on the prize.
Sometimes, as reward for clever work,
the falcon Is allowed to continue it's
meal, but II other work is required of
1t the dead bird is added to the bag of
the party and the hunt is resumed.
When the next covey is reached au-
otbsr bird is allowed TO show his PROV
ess. Rarely win bird kill more than
one bird out of a covey, point that the
falconers use in answering their CRIT
!cs who assert that the sport is a cruel
one, for say the falconers: "We get
great deal more sport than the man who
shoots birds, with less killing than he
considers necessary to successful
day" But occasionally bird viii kill
two partridges from the same covey.
This was n feat accomplished by Black
Lady recently, when, after killing one
bird, she was after another like fash.
The second one she was eating when
the falconers come upon her. The first
was caught by the dogs, the blow Of
Black Lady having broken one of fts
wings.
\ good days sport with trained birds
will result in the bagging of dozen
partridges, rot much of a result from
hunters point of view, but still a bag
of comfortable proportions.-Cincinnah
Enquirer.