Hunting Gear & Field Equipment
The right field gear makes hunting more effective and enjoyable. The wrong gear gets in your way. Here’s what actually matters when you’re in the field.
Having the right hunting gear determines whether a day in the field is productive and enjoyable or frustrating and potentially dangerous. A falconer who cannot quickly access food rewards risks losing a bird that will not return to the fist. Missing first aid supplies can turn a minor talon wound into a serious infection. Proper field equipment lets you focus on reading the terrain, positioning your hawk, and making the most of each hunting opportunity rather than struggling with disorganized or inadequate gear.
Start Simple
You don’t need everything on this list to start hunting. A basic bag to carry food and a lure is enough for your first season. Add gear as you discover what you actually need in YOUR hunting style.
The Hawking Bag
Your hawking bag is command central in the field. It carries everything you need to feed, reward, and recover your bird.
What Goes in the Bag
- Food/tidbits: Reward pieces for calling the bird down
- Lure: Backup recall tool (see below)
- Spare equipment: Extra jesses, leash, swivel
- Knife: For dispatch, cutting, field prep
- Telemetry receiver: If not wearing separately
- Water: For you and possibly for the bird
Traditional Hawking Bag
Shoulder bag with multiple compartments. Classic design, proven over centuries. Good capacity, easy access while bird is on fist.
Belt Pouch System
Multiple small pouches on a belt. More modular, distributes weight. Popular with rabbit hawkers who move through brush.
The Game Vest
A good hunting vest keeps your hands free and gear accessible:
- Game pouch: Large rear pocket for carrying quarry
- Shell/gear pockets: Front pockets for tidbits, tools
- Blood-proof lining: Easy to clean after the hunt
- Breathability: You’ll be walking; ventilation matters
Vest vs. Bag?
Many falconers use both—a vest for carrying game and personal items, and a small bag or pouch for bird-specific gear. Others go vest-only or bag-only. There’s no wrong answer; it depends on your hunting style.
Lures
A lure is a training and recall tool—a fake prey item that the bird will pursue and be rewarded on.
Swing Lure (Longwings)
A weighted lure on a cord that you swing in circles. The falcon stoops at it, building fitness and honing aerial skills. Essential for peregrine and prairie falcon training.
Drag Lure (Shortwings/Broadwings)
A lure dragged along the ground to simulate running prey. Used for recall training with Harris’s Hawks, Red-tails, and accipiters.
Pole Lure
A lure on a fishing-rod style pole. Allows precise control of lure movement. Good for training specific behaviors.
Making Your Own Lure
Many falconers make lures from real wings (preserved with borax) or leather with feathers attached. Homemade lures work fine and cost almost nothing. Key points:
- Garnish with real meat for training sessions
- Make it visible (contrasting colors help)
- Ensure attachments are secure—you don’t want it falling apart mid-swing
Field First Aid
Things happen in the field—to you and to your bird. Be prepared:
For the Bird
- • Styptic powder (stops bleeding)
- • Wound spray (antiseptic)
- • Gauze and vet wrap
- • Tweezers (for debris)
- • Emergency vet’s number
For You
- • Band-aids and bandages
- • Antiseptic wipes
- • Talon puncture care (they hurt!)
- • Emergency contact info
- • Phone (charged)
Talon Wounds
You will get footed at some point. Raptor talons carry bacteria. Clean puncture wounds thoroughly, watch for signs of infection, and see a doctor if it looks bad. Most falconers have stories about talon wounds—take them seriously.
Pack your hawking bag the night before a hunt, following the same order every time so you can find items by feel without looking. Keep tidbits in a sealed pouch to prevent your bag from becoming a breeding ground for bacteria. Break in new boots before hunting season, because blisters end hunts early. Study your hunting land in advance using satellite imagery to identify likely quarry habitat, access points, and potential hazards. Carry a fully charged phone and tell someone where you will be hunting and when you expect to return.
Additional Field Gear
Nice to Have
- BinocularsFor watching distant flights and locating perched birds
- GPS deviceMark kill sites, track your routes, navigate back
- Brush stickFor beating brush to flush quarry
- Dog whistleIf hunting with a flushing dog
- Game shearsFor field prep of caught quarry
- Ziplock bagsFor storing tidbits, quarry parts, keeping things clean
Clothing Considerations
What you wear affects your hunting:
- Layers: Temperature changes throughout the hunt; adjust as needed
- Earth tones: Blend in; avoid bright colors that spook quarry
- Tough pants: You’ll be pushing through brush and brambles
- Good boots: Waterproof, supportive, broken in
- Hat: Sun protection and helps with glare
- Glove (obviously): Your primary interface with the bird
Vehicle Setup
Your car is your mobile base:
- Giant hood or crate: Safe transport between hunting spots
- Perch: Some falconers mount a perch for breaks
- Cooler: For food, caught game, and cold drinks
- Towels: Things get messy
- Change of clothes: For after particularly muddy hunts
- Extra everything: Backup glove, spare equipment
Budget Priority
If you’re watching your budget, prioritize in this order:
- 1Lure— Essential for recall; make your own to save money
- 2Basic bag or pouch— Something to carry tidbits and lure
- 3First aid supplies— Styptic powder is non-negotiable
- 4Game vest— Nice to have, not essential first season
- 5Fancy upgrades— Wait until you know what you actually need
Bottom Line
Don’t buy everything at once. Hunt a season, notice what you wish you had, then buy that. The gear that’s essential for one falconer might be useless for another depending on terrain, quarry, and style.
Clean your hawking bag after every hunt, removing food debris and wiping down the interior with a mild disinfectant. Wash game vests regularly according to manufacturer instructions, paying attention to blood-proof linings that can harbor odor and bacteria. Inspect lure attachments and cords for wear, replacing frayed cords before they break during a training session. Sharpen knives and game shears at the start of each season. Restock first aid supplies monthly, as styptic powder absorbs moisture and loses effectiveness over time. Store all field gear in a ventilated area to prevent mildew.
learnEquipment.huntingGear.expertTipsTitle
Pack your hawking bag the night before a hunt and develop a consistent loadout that you never vary. You should be able to find any item by feel without looking: lure in the left pocket, tidbits in the right, spare jesses and a leash accessible with one hand. Field preparedness means having everything you need and nothing you do not, because carrying extra weight through brush and fields over a full day of hawking will exhaust you and slow your reactions when the bird is on game.
learnEquipment.huntingGear.commonQuestionsTitle
New falconers often ask what they need for their first hunting trips. Start with the essentials: a well-stocked hawking bag with food tidbits for reward and recall, a lure appropriate for your species, spare jesses and a leash, a basic first aid kit for both you and the bird, water, and a game bag for any catches. Add items as you discover specific needs in your local terrain, but resist the urge to carry everything at once.
learnEquipment.huntingGear.historicalContextTitle
Falconry field gear has evolved from the elaborate equipage of medieval hunting parties, which included mounted attendants, dog handlers, and dedicated baggage carts, to the streamlined solo kit most modern falconers carry. While the scale has changed dramatically, the core principles remain: be prepared for every contingency in the field, protect your bird’s safety above all, and carry the means to reward and recover your raptor in any situation.