Falconry Apprenticeship: Your First Two Years
You passed the exam, built your mews, and got your license. Now what? Here’s everything you need to know about your first two years as an apprentice falconer.
Updated
The apprentice period is where falconry transforms from theory into practice. Everything you studied for the exam—raptor biology, weight management, training techniques—now becomes real as you work with a living bird that depends on you every day. This period is designed to be challenging. You will make mistakes, lose sleep worrying about your bird, and question whether you are doing things right. That is entirely normal. Every experienced falconer went through the same learning curve, and the skills you develop during these two years will serve you for the rest of your falconry career.
How does a falconry apprenticeship work?
An apprenticeship is the first class of falconry permit. Under federal rules you hold it for at least two years, fly one raptor, and learn under a sponsor before you can apply for a General permit. Your state issues the permit and can add its own requirements, but it cannot relax the federal ones.
The federal minimums every state builds on:
- At least two years. To move up, a General or Master falconer must confirm in writing that you practiced at the Apprentice level for two years, keeping, training, flying and hunting your bird for at least four months each year.
- A sponsor. You need a letter from a Master falconer, or from a General falconer who is at least 18 with two years at the General level, agreeing to help you.
- Age 12 or older. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian signs your application and is legally responsible for your falconry.
- One bird. An apprentice may hold one raptor at a time, however many state permits they have.
- Most species. Wild, captive-bred or hybrid, except threatened or endangered species and four eagles. A bird taken from the wild must be under a year old and not a nestling, peregrines and Swainson’s hawks are among the species you cannot take, and you may not keep a bird imprinted on people.
- Inspected facilities. Your state must inspect and pass your facilities before your permit is issued.
- Reporting. You report taking a bird from the wild, and any acquisition, transfer or loss, within 10 days, online or on form 3-186A.
States can only add to these. Some limit apprentices to a short list of species, some set a higher minimum age, and some require a written log of your sponsor’s instruction. Check your state in our state-by-state guide, and see what the first year costs in our falconry cost guide.
Source: 50 CFR 21.82, the federal falconry rule.
Apprentice Period at a Glance
Duration
Minimum 2 years
Birds Allowed
1 raptor at a time
Sponsor Required
Yes, General or Master class
Next Level
General Falconer
What Is the Apprentice Period?
The apprenticeship is the foundation of every falconer’s career. It’s a mandatory minimum two-year period where you learn the practical skills of falconry under the guidance of an experienced sponsor. Think of it as a hands-on residency after passing your written exam.
During this time you may keep one bird at a time. Federal rules allow most species, but most sponsors start apprentices on one of two: the Red-tailed Hawk or the American Kestrel, and some states require it. There’s good reason—both species are abundant, forgiving of beginner mistakes, and excellent teachers.
Choosing Your First Bird
Red-tailed Hawk (Recommended)
The overwhelming majority of sponsors recommend starting with a passage (first-year, wild-caught) Red-tailed Hawk. Here’s why:
- • Hardy and tolerant of beginner handling mistakes
- • Large enough to hunt meaningful quarry (rabbits, squirrels)
- • Respond well to weight management
- • Abundant—easy to trap in most states
- • Wide weight management window (forgiving of small errors)
- • Provide a satisfying hunting experience from day one
Read our full Red-tailed Hawk guide for training details, weight management, and hunting strategies.
American Kestrel (Advanced Beginners)
Despite being smaller, Kestrels are actually more challenging for beginners:
- • Tiny weight management window (grams matter)
- • More fragile—less tolerant of mistakes
- • Limited quarry options (insects, small birds, mice)
- • Faster metabolism requires more frequent attention
- • Can be flighty and harder to man (tame)
If you’re set on a Kestrel, read our American Kestrel guide first and discuss it thoroughly with your sponsor.
Daily Responsibilities
Falconry is not a weekend hobby—it’s a daily commitment. Your bird depends on you every single day. Here’s what a typical day looks like:
Daily Routine
Weight Management
Weight management is the single most important skill you’ll learn as an apprentice. Your bird’s response to training, willingness to hunt, and overall health all depend on maintaining the right weight.
- Weigh your bird every day at the same time
- Record every weight—trends matter more than individual readings
- Learn your bird’s “flying weight”—the range where it’s responsive but healthy
- Too heavy = unresponsive; too light = weak and at risk
- Your sponsor will help you find the sweet spot
Read our detailed weight management guide for techniques, tools, and common mistakes.
Working with Your Sponsor
Your sponsor is your most valuable resource. Make the most of the relationship:
- Communicate regularly. Update them on your bird’s progress, weights, and behavior
- Ask questions early. Don’t wait until a problem becomes a crisis
- Hunt together. Learning in the field with an experienced falconer is invaluable
- Listen to their advice. Even when it contradicts what you read online
- Respect their time. They’re volunteering to help you—be grateful and prepared
Common Apprentice Challenges
The Bird Won’t Respond
Almost always a weight issue. If your bird is ignoring you, it’s probably too high in weight. Consult your sponsor before making adjustments—dropping weight too fast is dangerous.
Lost Bird
This happens to almost every falconer. If you have telemetry (and you should), track the signal. If not, put out bait at the last known location and contact your sponsor and local falconry club immediately.
Injury or Illness
Know the signs: fluffed feathers, lethargy, not eating, green mutes. Have a raptor-experienced veterinarian identified before you need one. Your sponsor and state club can recommend vets.
Time Commitment Burnout
Falconry is demanding. Some apprentices feel overwhelmed. If you’re struggling, talk to your sponsor. Releasing the bird back to the wild at the end of the season is normal and acceptable—you can trap a new bird next fall.
Keeping Records
Good record-keeping makes you a better falconer. Track daily weights, food intake, weather conditions, training sessions, and hunt results. Patterns in your data reveal insights you’d never notice otherwise.
Federal rules require you to report acquiring, transferring or losing a bird, and some states ask for written records too. Beyond what the regulations require, your records become an invaluable reference for understanding your bird and improving your craft season over season.
After the Apprenticeship
After two years (minimum) with a clean record, you can apply to upgrade to General Falconer status. This opens up:
- Up to 3 birds at a time
- Most North American raptor species
- Taking nestlings and flying imprinted birds
- No sponsor requirement
Five more years as a General makes you eligible for Master, the highest class, which adds more wild-caught birds, eagles for those who qualify, and abatement work with your own birds. You can sponsor apprentices yourself once you have two years as a General.
Learn more about the license levels in our license classes guide.
Before trapping your first bird, establish three critical things. First, identify a raptor-experienced veterinarian in your area and save their emergency number in your phone. Second, set up a reliable daily weight-tracking system, whether a notebook, spreadsheet, or an app like FalconryLab. Third, create a written feeding plan with your sponsor that accounts for training days, hunting days, and rest days. Having these systems in place before your bird arrives means you can focus entirely on building the relationship rather than scrambling to figure out logistics during those crucial first weeks.
Key Takeaways
The apprentice period is simultaneously the most challenging and most formative phase of your falconry career. You will learn more about raptor behavior, weight management, and hunting strategy in your first season with a bird than you could absorb from years of reading alone. The key to success is maintaining daily consistency in your bird care routine, building a strong communication channel with your sponsor, and keeping detailed records that help you recognize patterns and make better decisions over time. Every experienced falconer looks back on their apprenticeship as the period that shaped their entire approach to the sport.
Your Next Step
After completing your apprentice period, the transition to General class falconer opens significant new possibilities. Before applying for advancement, discuss your readiness honestly with your sponsor. A good benchmark is whether you feel confident that you could successfully train a new bird from scratch without daily guidance. Begin researching the species you want to fly as a General falconer well before your apprenticeship ends, and if possible, spend time with experienced falconers who fly those species. The jump from a Red-tailed Hawk to a Cooper's Hawk or falcon represents a substantial increase in difficulty, and preparation before making the switch prevents frustration and protects the bird.
Common questions
What bird can an apprentice falconer fly?
One raptor at a time. Federal rules allow most species, wild-caught, captive-bred or hybrid, apart from threatened or endangered species and eagles, and a wild bird must be under a year old and not a nestling. Some states narrow the list, and most sponsors start apprentices on a red-tailed hawk or American kestrel.
How long is a falconry apprenticeship?
At least two years, in every state. Before you can apply for a General permit, a General or Master falconer must confirm in writing that you practiced falconry at the Apprentice level for two years, keeping, training, flying and hunting your bird for at least four months each year. No course or school can shorten it.
What are the requirements for an apprentice falconer?
Requirements include passing the written falconry exam (typically 80% or higher), having approved facilities inspected by your state wildlife agency, obtaining a sponsor, and applying for your state falconry permit (there is no separate federal permit). The federal minimum age is 12, and some states set it higher.
Do you need a sponsor for a falconry apprenticeship?
Yes. Federal rules require every apprentice to have a sponsor: a Master falconer, or a General falconer who is at least 18 and has two years at the General level. Your sponsor signs a letter agreeing to help you learn husbandry, training and the law. Your state falconry club is the best place to find one.