Following

Mary “the beloved”

Following

How does the sport of falconry remind me of God? Following.

When I trap a new red-tailed hawk, by DNR regulations, I can only take a juvenile bird. Sometimes called a passage bird. A juvenile red-tailed hawk would be hatched in the Spring of the year Maybe around April or May. Then grow rapidly to full size in about 12 weeks. By June they are learning to fly a little. Momma bird will start teaching the young birds to hunt and by June-July they are starting to hunt for themselves.

Then I come along and trap this juvenile bird in late August - October. They have only been away from momma bird for a short time.

During the training process I will use food (tidbits of meat) to condition the bird to fly to me when I whistle. First hand to mouth. Then coaxing them to take that first “hop” to the glove for a tidbit. Then before you know it they are flying 50 feet or more to the glove.

Then finally when the bird’s training is complete, it will be time for that first untethered walk in the woods.

So with a bit of anxiety and a whispered pray the falconer will walk away and hopefully the bird will follow. Flying from treetop to treetop as you walk through the woods. Following.

I’ve never had a new bird that wouldn’t follow. It might take a little coaxing but it is amazing how quickly these birds respond to food reinforcement.

It’s like walking in the woods with your dog tagging behind. Occasionally you will whistle and call the bird down for a tidbit reward to reinforce the right behavior then put the bird back up and continue the walk. It’s really quite an amazing thing to experience. A bird that follows.

A good follower. A young inexperienced trusting bird doing exactly what I want. Going where I go. Responding to my voice. Coming to me when I call.

How can that not remind me that I too am a follower. A disciple. A follower of the ONE who called me by name and said, “Come,…..follow me”. To go where HE goes.

However, there also a term in falconry called “self hunting”. This is when a bird isn’t following the falconer but rather strikes out on their own.

THEN, the roles reverse, the falconer winds up chasing the bird.

It’s interesting that “self hunting” will mostly happen with a bird that is NOT a juvenile. A second or third year bird is MUCH more likely to think they don’t need the falconer. The older they get the more they think they can feed themselves.

When my beloved redtail Mary was in her second year she began to self hunt. I would trot through the woods chasing her down. Cussing and fussing about this damn bird that took off on her own.

And then I would laugh at myself. Because THAT is exactly the type of follower I am as well.

I could hear GOD chuckle at me and say, “You are exactly the same way. You don’t follow very well either. I have to chase you down all the time too.”

Following. It’s God in falconry.