The falconer should be medium size; if he is too tall he is likely to be easily tired and not nimble; on the other hand, if he is too small his movements, either on horseback or on foot, may be too quick and sudden. He ought to be moderately fleshy, so that he is not handicapped by emaciation and thus be unable to do hard work or to withstand the cold, nor should he be fat that he likely to shun exertion and suffer from the heat. The falconer must not be one who belittles his art and dislikes the labor involved in his calling. He must be diligent and persevering, so much so that as old age approaches he will still pursue the sport out of pure love of it.
For, as the cultivation of an art is long and new methods are constantly introduced, a man should never desist in his efforts but persist in its practice while he lives, so that he may bring the art itself nearer to perfection. He must possess marked sagacity; for, though he may, though the teachings of experts, become familiar with all the requirements involved in the whole art of falconry, he will still have to use all his natural ingenuity in devising means of meeting emergencies. Indeed, one cannot easily set down in writing all the special duties and contingencies that may arise in consequence of either the good or the bad behavior of birds of prey. Since the habits of birds vary greatly, the falconer must be resourceful in applying whatever he has gleaned from this book.
The falconer should also possess a retentive memory, that he may keep in mind both the good and the evil that he encounters in his contacts with falcons, whether they be his own, the bird's, or of some other origin; he must cultivate the good and avoid the bad.
He should also have good eyesight and see well in the distance, so that he can keep in view---very necessary, this--the birds at which he wishes to fly his hawk; also his own falcon must not be lost to view when she is at a distance. He ought, in addition, to keep sharp lookout on everything in the locality where he is hunting.
It goes without saying that the falconer's hearing should be acute, so that he can readily hear and identify the call notes of birds he is looking for, especially in the presence of other avian sounds. He must also be able to recognize the voices of his associates and the tones of the bells on his own hawk (that may have flown out of sight), and may even from the call of birds discover the direction of his falcon's flight.
A falconer should have a good carrying voice so that his falcons can hear his signals when they are far apart; and his assistants will be able to understand his direction more easily if he has a strong voice. He must be alert and agile in movements, that there may be no delay in assisting his falcons when the necessity arises.
He must be of a daring spirit and not fear to cross rough and broken ground when this is needful. He should be able to swim in order to cross unfordable water and follow his bird when she has flown over and require assistance.
He should not be too young, as his youth may tempt him to break the rules governing this art. Young people tend to become bored and to attract only by successful and pleasing flights. Still, we do not include all youths in this category, since some of them become good carriers of falcons. But, speaking generally, they are not adapted to the tasks required in the taming and training of birds for the chase; nor should they be allowed at first to fly the falcons. They ought to wait until they not only are skilled in the art but have reached manhood's estate.
The falconer must not be a sleepyhead, or a heavy sleeper, for much is required of him--he goes to bed late, he must make several necessary inspections of the birds at nighttime, and he must rise early, often before daylight. The falconer ought to be a light sleeper, also, to enable him to hear the falcon’s bells, the flapping of the bird’s wings, or indications of her unrest.
He should not be the slave of his stomach (neither too voracious, nor an epicure), whether at home or in the open country; because, if perchance he lost his hunting falcon, such a one would rather turn back to seek a meal before he found her or; if at home, he may neglect his bird, forgetting her in the indulgence of his gluttony.
A drunkard is useless. Inebriety is one of those minor forms of insanity that soon ends in destroying the usefulness of a bird; because, although the inebriated attendant may believe he is treating her well, neither he nor any other simpleton should be allowed to have the care of a falcon.
A bad temper is a grave failing. A falcon may frequently commit acts that provoke the anger of her keeper, and unless he has temper strictly under control he may indulge in improper acts toward a sensitive bird so that she will very soon be ruined.
Laziness and neglect in an art that requires so much work and attention are absolutely prohibited.
The falconer must not be absent-minded wanderer, lest because of his erratic behavior he fail to inspect his falcons as often as he should. A hawk may be seriously damaged in a short time, therefore requires frequent inspection.
P. S. There are many similarities to Martial arts, the students, Falconry, the birds, but there are only a few hard core like myself to follow the strands of passion, dedication, and experience to every obsessed falconer or martial artist who ever followed the way.
OSU!
Shihan John