Originally published in the 2022 Mews News
Every so often, I hear folks with a lot of experience chatting about the requirements they set for apprentices. There’s typically a lot of smart people in that conversation, with a lot of great ideas for how falconry should be done, what’s best for the hawks, and how to go about teaching it. I’m far from an expert in falconry, but I have had some experience in teaching and motivating people. It seems to me that the thing the best falconry mentors in NY have a lot of techniques in common. I’m also not just talking about formal sponsorship – but about the way that we approach each other as mentors and community members, and how we help each other through the learning process of falconry.
Here are seven of the most common techniques I’ve observed folks using that seem to produce great results with apprentices. There are probably lots more, but you know, I wanted to stay within the joke implied by the title of the book, so we just get these seven.
Be clear what kind of routine you expect
Do you fly your hawks on game every day of the season? What sorts of injuries mean your hawk is put up until it heals? What sort of weather is “too dangerous?” How do you handle trips or vacations or holidays? Letting your apprentice know what those expectations are will help them plan – which will in turn help usher them into a lifestyle that will lead to falconry success.
Find ways to ensure integrity and build trust
Show your apprentice when things go poorly for you. By the same token, require absolute honesty from them about their falconry – it will improve their self-reflection, and help them learn more quickly. That may mean spending some time getting to know them outside of hawking – that’s probably a good thing! It’s extremely helpful to have a sponsor you can connect with personally, as it just makes it easier to have this trust.
Plan for hands-on training time for your apprentice
Maybe you don’t live right in the same town – that’s okay! But it’s far easier to learn a lot of falconry skills in person. Ideally, an apprentice is in the field with you every day – but it’s not the Middle Ages any more, and your apprentice probably doesn’t live in a loft above the mews chamber, so this may not be feasible. Schedule a time. Even if it’s just, say, 2 hours a week of field time, or whatever your schedules can cross over. But make it consistent.
Be prepared to give constructive feedback
That doesn’t mean “be mean” or “be rude.” In fact, for sure don’t do that! It means say it like it is – tell your mentee or apprentice where you think they’re going wrong. Sparing their ego and harming the hawk is never a shortcut to success but putting them back on the right track as soon as possible is. Give feedback consistently, throughout the season. Be available when questions come up – maybe only by text or phone but answer as soon as you can. So many great sponsors with great apprentices use this method, I’ve got it underlined in my notebooks.
Model the behavior you want your apprentice to learn
The best falconers I know don’t say one thing, and then do another. They don’t act like there’s an “apprentice’s table” that somehow separates the apprentice from good learning – they do exactly what they expect the apprentice to do, from day one of the season on through. When things go sideways, I’ve seen some great sponsors model exactly how to manage terrifying field situations – that level of self-discipline will really help your apprentice.
Have your apprentice write their thoughts down
Or record them. Or take a video journal. Helping them process what’s happening in their falconry will help them correct mistakes, and learn faster. The DEC is also going to require written reports from them, so this is a great way to produce content that is interesting, fresh and accurate for the DEC. It’s also been the start of a lot of Mews News articles (you may email those to editor@NYSFA.org, care of Matt Vercant…)
Communicate your expectations in writing
This one is maybe the most important. I see so many falconers doing this, and I’ve read so many great apprenticeship contracts, curriculums, and lists of goals. That said, we’re not all writers. If you think this sounds good, the club website has a sample agreement, the 2020 Mews News has a great article from Jason Borrelli on the topic, and I can recommend a half dozen great falconers who advise me whom I know have written documents for their apprentices.
And there it is. Feel free to tell me what I forgot at the November 2022 Field Meet. Or, if it’s on your mind right now, you may feel free to respond in essay format, care of the 2023 Mews News 😉