- Knowledge and experience.

To become a falconer one has to accompany three different 'mentors' (equivalent to sponsors in the states?) during three years of falconry practice. After that the apprentice is supposed to have gained enough knowledge of and experience with managing and hunting hawks and falcons.

During this period he (or she) will be placed on a waiting list to apply for a falconry permit. When the apprentice has succeeded in gaining practical experience and also has enough hunting area to fly in and is on top of the waiting list, than he gets the falconry permit.

- Waiting list.

At the moment the number of falconry permits is fixed to 121. You can only become a falconer if someone else quits!

- Number of hawks.

A license entitles you to keep a maximum of two hawks. They can either be peregrine or goshawk and should belong to the native Middle European sub-species. Both hawks are protected by law (as are all birds of prey).

- Captive Breeding.

The birds can be obtained by captive breeding (the only way for peregrines) or import from a neighboring country (in some East European countries the goshawk is not a protected bird). In our country only experienced licensed falconers can get a license for breeding goshawks or peregrines. At the moment this number is also fixed and totals 12. They are allowed to keep two hawks more.

- Hunting area and prey.

If you want to hunt game than an shooting license and at least 40 hectares(about 99 acres) of private hunting area is needed too. If you are interested in rabbits, black crows (rooks are protected by law), magpies, herring and black- headed gulls, than you only need permission from the land user (this actually does not need to be the land owner). It should be clear that almost everyone chooses this option. Only very few people can afford waiting on. Most flying with peregrines is done at black crows. The goshawk is used for hunting rabbits.

- License.

The license is prolonged every three years and does not mention the birds one possesses. These are registered centrally by an agency erected by the three falconry clubs. This 'Centraal Buro Jachtvogelregistratie' provides you with an registration certificate. All birds are identified by an enclosed ring. A bird that is not registered is illegal.

October 2nd, 1995 Michiel Buil