Book Review: A Rage for Falcons

A Rage for Falcons
by Stephen Bodio

I've become somewhat obsessed with falconry lately. I've always found in fascinating but not something I would ever be able to do. In recent years, especially after volunteering at the UMN Raptor Center, the idea has developed and I started thinking about what it would take and how I could do it. However, over the past 2-3 months, I have started to obsess about it. I spent a handful of days hunting pheasants in October and during some of the walks, I started imagining having a falcon high overhead, waiting for a bird to flush. Now, I find myself searching the web, requesting a wide range of books from the library, and thinking more about it.

Until I am able to go out on a hunt with a falconer, books like A Rage for Falcons should be able to keep my obsession in check. Bodio, himself a falconer, has written a book that is part falconry how-to and part memoir of his favorite falconry moments. The how-to is not really a step-by-step guide to becoming a falconer, but instead takes you through the process and emotions of trapping your falconry bird or finding an eyas in a raptor nest. For anyone interested in falconry, I highly recommend it.

Also, it has a great title.