I've always been fascinated by falconry. How do you even go about getting your bird? Are there breeders or do you go out and catch a baby and train it up? Did you train the bird yourself?
If you're hunting ducks, do you use blind/decoys like a traditional shotgun hunter?
Modern day falconry is a mix of wild trapped birds and breeder raised birds. I tend to go with trapping a wild bird over a breeder unless I'm unable to locate and trap a wild bird in time for the season. It involves a two year apprenticeship, federal and state licensing, written test and facilities/equipment inspection, and sponsor. If you're in western washington state, you're in just about the worst place to be a falconer. No miles of open fields for long flights. No quail, huns, pheasants, jackrabbits, chuckers, in the numbers needed to get a fresh bird up and running. The single most important item is having access to great small game hunting grounds. Anything less, and you're never going to be successful. It takes high numbers of game, time, and the ability to be very patient when everything else is going wrong.
Hunting style is closer to jump shooting. We locate the game, then flush it under the sight of the hawk or falcon.
https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/requirements/falconry
