Even though they do seem to defy them at times, hawks are bound by the laws of physics. Time and time again I hear an apprentice-to-be say "I want a big female redtail." A big bird has stopping power with the jacks, a big bird is impressive to everyone, especially the apprentice him/herself. But when he tells you he's going to catch brush rabbits with this same redtail, be nice: bite your tongue and do not laugh. Steer the apprentice-to-be gently but firmly to the fact that it's not physically possible to do so. She's too slow to catch them and much too large to get into the thickets. It's faintly possible for a tiercel, but expect a lot of failures.

If you are an apprentice and you trap a tiercel, don't be disappointed. They're equally capable of taking jacks and are visibly faster the ladies. They like to fly and hunt more than females do.