green mountain falconry school

We loved walking the quiet woodland trail with 2 Harris hawks following, at times swooping down to land on our outstretched arms for a tasty morsel. Rob is very knowledgeable about all aspects of falconry and is the perfect host for this unique experience. We plan to return on our next trip to Manchester!

Our inaugural experience with the newly established Green Mountain Falconry School, owned by ex-pat Brit and veteran master falconer Rob Waite, for our annual autumn hawking party, was a resounding success. Though the prey skunked our birds, it was an outing filled with joy, camaraderie and a greater appreciation for this most ancient sport.A great time was had by all. Our sincerest thanks to you, Master Falconer Rob Waite, and we wish you great success with the new school. You're a brilliant instructor with a passion for the sport. You convey its unique nuances with ease and clarity to all.See you next year, we'll be back for sure!

I can't not say enough good things about Rob, his facility and his birds. My family and I took a lesson and a hawk walk. I was excited and wanted to be there. Rob was knowledgeable, patient, and made everyone feel at ease right away. My wife and 9 month old daughter had planned on dropping me off and going back to town to shop. She does not like birds at all, and is actually quite afraid. She ended up staying the entire time and in the end was very happy they attended. Well worth your time and money, I highly recommend Green Mountain Falconry School.

A few weeks ago we went for a falconry lesson with family and friends at Green Mountain Falconry School - and it was remarkable! I'm a lover of nature, but birds have always seemed unapproachable, and a bit reptilian. (Oh yeah, and Ornithology is for the elderly, right?) We all were surprised at how much we loved it, though. The school is located in a beautiful place, and the Falconer is European and a fun and charming guy. He ran us through the technicalities of falconry - training, carefully recording flying weights, behavior, etc. After a really interesting intro about the history of falconry -- the birds really were used to hunt rabbits/protein in various cultures - we met the birds. They are amazing! Huge! Gorgeous and graceful in flight, and swooping down to your gloved hand for a nibble of something disgusting, provided by the Falconer. A highlight was a walk in the woods, followed by two falcons swishing through the trees high overhead and then between branches to alight on your hand again. Very cool. And for a grand finale, one of the birds lit upon a big garden snake in the tall grass -- and slurped it down like a giant soba noodle! I got the impression that this happens all the time - their eyesight is so keen that they will often hunt down a field mousie or something. This aspect of Falconry was unexpected for us, and not for the faint of heart (stomach?). For us, though, it just added an element of excitement to an altogether fascinating experience. Go try it! It's great!

If you have never had an opportunity to experience the thrill of being around and working with real hunting birds, I truly recommend it. Rob is a true expert in every sense of the word on eagles, falcons and hawks and is phenominally fun to be with. Having a bird fly onto your had is absolutely unigue as they seem so big coming to you (bet you will flinch the first time) but they land so lightly and weigh so little, you will be amazed. Take the time to do the "hawk walk", you will be so surprised by how stealthy these birds can be. I wholeheartedly recommend the experience, Wish there was a "season pass" because I would do it lots more frequently.