Informative Compelling Intimate My experience with New England Falconry was a surprise gift, and it was pleasant and fulfilling all around. Chris was an excellent educator and guide, while the terrain we covered was pretty and appropriate for the falcons' hunt. I was part of a small group of just six people who joined to learn more about Harris' hawks and a number of other birds used for falconry, as well as a broad array of background on the activity itself, dating back 4000 years. I enjoyed the experience of having one of the hawks alight on my (safely-gloved) hand, as well as the hike and hunt experience. My particular outing saw the lives of no furry woodland creatures lost, and so it was more purely about the stalking efforts of the birds, seeing them in action, observing their cues and habits, and generally enjoying their majesty - which is all I really wanted anyway. If you've ever thought about falconry experiences before, this is an excellent shop to use. And if you've never thought about it before, I'd urge you to reconsider! Highly recommended. read more

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One fine morning I was scrolling through Facebook, skimming snapshots of babies and tacos, when my friend Russ snapped into view, a bird of prey on his arm and a huge grin on his face. I naturally had to text him: WTF? He explained that he'd snagged a Groupon to NEF with his girlfriend and that it was, in fact, totally rad. I investigated the website and resolved that I would be the next on the old newsfeed to sport a hawk... then five months passed. Fortuitously, I was finally able to find a friend who would (1) humor my request for a roadtrip [the falconing grounds are 1h 45m from the city], and (2) refrain from flinching at the price [$130 pp for an extended intro session]. One Spotify playlist titled "Falconing" later, we were off. We pulled into a driveway with a ramshackle barn and a few Harris Hawks hanging around on perches. Chris introduced himself and launched into a lengthy treatise on their mating habits, pecking order, hunting proclivities and adaptive skills. He let us pepper him with questions, and it was really cool to hear someone so knowledgeable talk about his favorite topic. Then we walked into an extremely chilly, foggy field (read: the Scotland scenes in Skyfall) and Chris showed us how to get a one and a half pound hawk to land on us from neighboring trees. We also strolled around for a bit, and our bird scouted ahead of us. It was, in fact, totally rad. I snapped copious photos up until feeding time (read: dead mice), then we returned to the driveway to put the birds back where they came from. I would heartily recommend this adventure to anyone who likes doing Cool Stuff (see also: trapeze class, dog sledding, zorbing), or anyone who wants to buy the coolest gift ever for someone awesome. read more

New England Falconry - 'sup. - Pet Training Near Me - Hadley, Massachusetts

Thanks to Chris Davis and a well-timed Groupon, yesterday was my first experience with Falconry! Located not too far from North Hampton, New England Falconry is located exactly in the place where you'd expect to find beautiful birds of prey on the hunt. We rolled up 15 minutes for our group appointment. There were about 15 or so other people there and everyone was respectfully quiet and observed 4 of the beautiful Harris' Hawks perched about 20 feet away. Chris introduced us to the birds and allowed us all to ask plenty of questions for about 30 minutes, the last hour we each got to hold up a gloved hand while Chris called the bird to the glove twice. It was an incredible experience. Chris' doesn't name the birds as that they are not pets, but wild animals which he's trained through positive reinforcement and conditioning. We watched happily as his 11 year old Harris hawk flew from branch to branch completely freely, hopped on the ground looking for earth worms, came over to our glove to eat a bit of steak. When Chris was ready to go in, the 11 year old hawk hopped from branch to branch with the group in tow. It was awesome and very inspiring to see how Chris interacted with the animal. As we were leaving, my husband and I started planning our first Falconry hunting excursion. I was extremely grateful to Chris for introducing me to a unique taste of what his daily life must be! read more

New England Falconry - Russ with the 11 year old Harris' Hawk! - Pet Training Near Me - Hadley, Massachusetts

Absolutely outstanding experience. I went not fully understand what I was in for. Kalun C. likes to surprise me with random items that end up on a bucket list I didn't know I had. Playing with birds of prey ended up being one of them. Chris is absolutely fascinating (and makes falconry sound -so- cool.) He was incredibly detailed in instruction and made sure we were acting safely at all times. I had a hard time not trying to pet the bird. They are so beautiful....and you'll want to. I repeat....do not try to pet the bird. And avoid speaking baby talk to it....he might be smarter than all of us. Do this. You'll be so happy you did! read more

New England Falconry - I'm the falconer! - Pet Training Near Me - Hadley, Massachusetts

The proprietor of New England Falconry, Chris Davis, is a Master Falconer. He is knowledgeable and fascinating to speak with about falconry, the birds, and raptors generally. The birds we worked with at my intensive session were Harris's Hawks. Harris's Hawks hunt in family units that permit them to take down larger prey. Don't worry, no animals were harmed during the intensive session, although a vole might have been frightened. Anyway, the session started with a lecture, more of a conversation really, in a shaded area with three of the Harris's Hawks. After about half an hour or so, and instructions regarding how to hold our gloved hands for a hawk, he brought "95" (Chris doesn't name his birds) with us to an open field. Rather, he "unleashed" 95 who followed us. One we arrived at the staging area, seven of us took turns having 95 land and alight from our gloves. It was incredible. In case you're wondering, I felt safe at all times. I HIGHLY recommend booking time with New England Falconry. Chris offers introductory sessions, intensive sessions, and (from October to March) hunting sessions. I've done interesting things like pilot a helicopter, skydive, and eat fire, and falconry is one of the most awe-inspiring things I've ever done. It's worth the price he charges. Bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent as necessary. His brochure also advises against wearing fur. read more

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We had a wonderful experience here. As a birthday gift to my boyfriend, I signed us up for a 45 minute introductory session. You get to handle one of the birds! The gentleman sat with us and told us about his birds and his life as a falconer. We asked questions. Then we stepped into a field, put gloves on, and the bird flew right from a tree to our hand! It really was incredible. Would highly recommend this. Visit the New England Falconry site to sign up or as questions. So much fun! read more

New England Falconry - Pet Training Near Me - Hadley, Massachusetts

Paid a bit extra for a private extended session for the two of us, and glad we did. Really a phenomenal experience.

My wife set this up, as she has always wanted to try falconry. This is apparently one of the few places licensed where laypersons can fly and hunt with falcons. Our experience was absolutely terrific! Note: bring some bug spray, as the mosquitos can be a minor annoyance. He brought three birds, and we flew two of them. It was a total immersion experience, learning about the birds, the history, their biology, instincts, and how they are raised and trained. After that, we got to fly the birds close to a dozen times each, even having the bird hunt a mouse - and watching him tear it apart and eat it. Very interesting. Having the bird fly to and from your arm is a real treat - worth every penny! read more

Such a great experience! ! Chris was so knowledgeable and insightful with great compassion for the falcons. He didn't rush through the experience nor did I feel he was just doing his spiel. He was patient and made it a really good time. The birds were beautiful and good to work with. Chris put me at ease and I never felt nervous or scared. Just an awesome experience! read more

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I took my three kids here over spring break as part of a five day adventure, going to a lot of neat places. This was everyone's favorite by a mile....including me. Chris shared so much fascinating information with us. I thought I knew a lot about raptors, but I learned so many new things. And flying the hawk was an experience of a lifetime. My kids, ages 6, 8, and 11, loved every second. As did I. Chris was great with them. I loved how he didn't talk down to them at all, but was very helpful and interesting for them at the same time. I'd recommend this experience to everyone. Don't miss it! read more

My wife bought me a gift certificate for a session, as she knew that I had always loved birds of prey and was fascinated by falconry from a young age. She decided to pay the extra for a private session so that we'd both have a bit more time with the birds. Of course I was thrilled and excited by the prospect, but I have to say that the actual experience was so much better than I ever could have hoped. Because we don't live in the area, we had a couple of failed attempts to make the trip due to weather. But Chris was professional, understanding, and accommodating and really worked with me. When we arrived at the location, Chris was wrapping up a group session, and everyone walking out seemed thrilled. Two Harris's hawks were perched near the ground, and we sat and watched them chilling out while Chris prepared. Then he sat with us and discussed their biology, their hunting methods, the history and techniques of falconry, and the birds' distinctive personalities (there was a 17-year-old and a 2-year-old, and while the older hawk was just perched, the young one was on the hunt, looking around for anything he could spot). He made sure at every stage to answer all of our questions and gave us really great insight into the hawks' behaviors. When we took the hawks out into the field, he was really helpful in guiding us in exactly how to hold our arms so that they would swoop down to us. We took out one bird at a time and took turns in having them fly to us from the surrounding trees and perches, and we each got to hold each hawk a bunch of times before Chris brought them back to their starting perches. The whole experience was just unreal, and I think by the end of it I stopped asking questions because I couldn't truly believe that I was there. The birds, of course, are stunning (and so much lighter and more relaxed than you might expect), and to know that you're cooperating with what is essentially a wild animal, that they're perching on your hand more or less because it suits them but that they could be released tomorrow and act like any other hawk, it just feels like you're coming in contact with something on a different level and really getting to observe a piece of natural beauty up close. If you have any interest in birds of prey, I just can't recommend this experience enough. Chris was amazing, the location was amazing, the birds were beyond amazing. This was easily the best birthday gift I have ever received, and I would go back in a heartbeat. read more

Amazing experience! I would highly recommend this for anybody and everybody! Chris was so kind and very knowledgeable about his Harris Hawks and Falconry. If you have ever thought about doing this, don't wait any longer, just do it! You will not regret it! The only issue you may have is deciding on how soon to go again! read more

A must do experience. From the explanatory session by Chris to the actual flying of one of his hawks, this is something that should be on everyone's bucket list! read more

We were very impressed with Chris Davis's presentation of his Harris' Hawks, and his instruction on how to handle them. I suggest anyone interested in falconry visit him to get some idea of whether they want to try the sport. Chris is very knowledgeable and, being a Master Falconer for 30+ years, can answer any questions confidently and authoritatively. It was a very enjoyable time and well worth the money spent. Chris' education on the responsibility needed to raise these birds was eye-opening and instructive. We appreciate his skills, knowledge and stewardship of this ancient art. read more

This was a fantastic day at The New England Falconry! Very educational. The hands on experience lasted much longer than I had expected. Would recommend this to anyone who loves raptors. read more