BIRDS TRAINED TO HUNT 123 



the hawk. Thus secured, the bird is carried off 

 on the fist of an assistant to a distance of about 

 thirty feet and there unhooded. Upon observing 

 a movement of the lure in the hands of the fal- 

 coner it immediately flies back to it. The dis- 

 tance is gradually extended from thirty to one 

 hundred feet and then the creance is dispensed 

 with. Thereafter the flights to the lure are in- 

 creased by short steps up to half a mile or more, 

 with the final result that the hawk will return to 

 the lure from any distance from which it can see 

 or recognize it. 



The bird is now sufficiently prepared to be 

 broken in on live quarry. This is the last step 

 before introducing it to field work. If, for in- 

 stance, the special quarry is to be a partridge, a 

 living specimen must be secured and flown from 

 the end of a short string. The hawk, when un- 

 hooded, will at once take wing and bear the part- 

 ridge down. Then, before being brought back 

 to the fist, it should be permitted to make almost 

 a full meal from its first victim. Two or three 

 other tethered partridges should be sacrificed in 

 the same manner before the hawk is fitted to fly 

 at wild game. 



The first trip in the field is the most important 

 phase in the training of a hawk. Unless it kills 

 the first bird at which it is flown, it may not 

 bother to fly at another. If it kills at once, con- 

 fidence is established in its own prowess and 



