The sun., 1904-11-13
MEDIEVAL SPORT HAWKING
ITS PRESENT PROMISE OF RE-
TURN TO FAVOR

Hawks That Serve Best in the Hmf-Hew
They Are Managed In the Field, Their
Characteristics and Requirements
How They Are Trained to Hunt
OF all field sportsSthe most difficult and
the most trying TO the temper Is faloonry.
This, no doubt, is one OF the reasons
though there are many others-why, after
being for csnturies the most fashionable
sport in Europe, 1t has now become almost
the most unknown and the least praotised.
Its votaries, however, though few. says
z. B. Mitchell in G. B. Fry's Mdgozine, are as
keen in the cause as ever, and they assert
mot without some show Of reason-that
its merits are still as great as when 1t was
the favorite pastime OF kings, princes and
emperors.
Why do not more people become falooners
now? Chiefly because they grudge the time
and trouble necessary for learning, not
only how to train a hawk, but even to fly
her with safety and success. The risks
and dangers to be faced by the falconer
were always very great, but they have been
increased tenfold since guns and pole
traps have come into common use and
since the shortaghted policy Of game pre-
servers and keepers has made them the
cruel and inveterate enemies Of all birds
Of prey.
notwithstanding all this an i many other
strong reasons which make the life OF
falconer one Of many griefs and disap-
'pointments it is impossible to say with any
certainty that the tide of fashion will not
turn, and that, either here or in some part
OF the world, hawking will not be some
day restored to some Of its old honors
Meanwhile it may be remembered that 1t
is still possible, even in England-to say
nothing Of India, and great part OF Africa
and Asia--to fly with complete success many
II not all, Of the quarry which afforded our
ancestors such grand and ex citing sport.
The birds to be trained for the chase are
the same as they always were. Not one
of the species so highly priced in the Mid
die Ages is absolutely extinct, although
the numbers OF many Of them have been
wofully thinned by assiduous prosecutions.
These birds vary in size from the huge
golden eagle-too heavy to be carried far
on the fist-to the tiny jack merlin less
than half a pound in weight And as
for the list Of possible quarry, 1t includes
perhaps nearly one-half Of all the birds
that fly. beginning with the wild goose,
the herring g and ,ba the 1as6sst hs5ans bStson
quail and even lower than that. Hares
and rabbits can be taken quite well by
the common female goshawk, as well as
by sakers; and eagles are flown constantly
In Asia not only at these, but at foxes
general and natural notion prevail Ills
that the great difficulty In falconry is TO
induce the hawk to come back to her
master. No one asks how it is that grey
hound performs this feat; and yet there Is
no particular reason why q dog should not
run away, just as a trained hawk is always
popularity believed to be likely to do. The
fact is that this is not the main dimculty
against which the falconer has to contend
The real crux Is not the tanning OF his pupil
but the keeping alive In her those qualities
Of spsed, courage and endurance which axe
necessary to enable her to catch wild
bird or quadruped- The disadvantages OF
a too strict control by men over hawks,
especially in early life, are so well known
that the greatest pains are taken by fall
ooners to minimize as long as they can the
amount of subjection under which eyascs
are kept.
With this object the youngsters are from
their earliest days allowed the most COM
plete liberty which 1t is possible to give
them. AS soon as they can fly they. are al
lowed to 20 where they like, and the only
sign which distinguishes them from wild
birds is that each OF them wears jesses and a
heavy bell on the foot, and all Of them
come down to feed at board which Is
set out for them and garnished with vi
ands at fixed hours In the day. During
this period OF holiday making they are
said TO be sat hack and they are kept
out under these conditions until suoh time
as they have begun to chase wild quarry
for themselves, and even sometimes-
weighted as they are by bell and jesses-to
birds
After it is no longer safe , to ,o,ths allow the
freedom, they are caught up in bow net.
which is the same apparatus as is used by
the bird oatchers In Holland to ensnare
old hawks on the passage. The captured
hawks whether old or young g s,s at Snce
technically called "reolaiming,' In order
to divest them OF their wild Instincts and
their natural fear OF man, and to induce
them to regard their trainer no longer as an
enemy, but as their best friend.
A great deal Of skill and neatnees-sup-
plemented usually by some experienoe-is
needed to break a hawk to the hood to
teach her to come to the hst for her food,
and ultimately TO fly with alacrity to the
lure whenever II Is shown TO her, This
from about week to two or three months.
according to the temper. rege and tract
ability Of the pupil. But when 1t Is over.
the hawk, originally 40 fierce and wild.
will have become quite friendly, not only
to men, but to the dogs and horses by which
she will have to be accompanied In the field
and will be ready IN come any reasonable
distance "a soon as her trainer recalls her
to him by waving his lure.
This "falooner lure" which, Like a
nagcian's wand. works such wonders
III the hands Of o master OF his craft, 10
sort Of rude imitation Of the quarry at which
tho tnwk IL Intended to be flown, and is
rt,ar' cd to n strong cord or thong by which
it co. lie twuf z about In tho air, hawk
" t. il in good fettle will, when sitting
/ % 'or block. nj the rery hrst sight OF lure
,iral hor yi1gs IN readiness TO start on
/ "a ,-,i1t ,ly toward It, The other articles