Kentucky Falconers Association
Keeping the Craft Alive in Kentucky.
Falconry is hunting with a trained bird of prey, one of the oldest and most demanding field sports on earth. KFA brings Kentucky falconers together around responsible practice, raptor welfare, conservation and good teaching.
Falconers, apprentices and the people learning to be both.
The bird comes first. Every flight, every catch and every season depends on daily care, sound judgment and respect for the law.
KFA is a community for Kentuckians who practice falconry or want to understand it. We share what we have learned in the field, help newcomers understand the commitment before they make it, and stand for ethical, legal and humane falconry.
If you are curious, start by reading. If you are serious, start by meeting falconers. We can help with both.
Educate
Accurate information for newcomers and the public.
Connect
Falconers, apprentices and would-be sponsors.
Conserve
Healthy raptor populations and wild places.
Three reasons we gather.
Learn the Craft
Trapping, manning, weight control, hunting technique and husbandry are learned over seasons, not weekends. We point newcomers to sound information and to people who can teach it.
Connect with Falconers
Apprentices need sponsors, and every falconer needs people to hunt with and learn from. KFA is where Kentucky falconers find each other.
Support Conservation
Falconers depend on healthy raptor populations and wild places. We support conservation, follow the rules that protect wild birds, and share what falconers know.
Becoming a falconer
The path to the glove is long. Good.
Falconry is regulated by Kentucky and the federal government, and the process is designed to make sure the bird is in capable hands.
01
Learn the sport
Read, ask questions, watch birds work.
02
Know the rules
Current Kentucky and federal requirements.
03
Find a sponsor
Build a relationship with an experienced falconer.
04
Exam, facilities, permit
Study, build, get inspected, apply.
05
Prepare for the bird
Equipment, food, vet care, daily routine.
06
Keep learning
Apprenticeship, records, community.
Most of falconry happens off the field: the scale, the mews, the quiet hours that make one good flight possible.
Red-tailed hawk in flight. Photo: KFA
Fly with people who have done this before.
Membership puts you among Kentucky falconers: people who can answer questions, share what is working in the field, and welcome the next generation properly.
- Meet experienced falconers before you commit to a bird.
- Stay current on regulations and the falconry calendar.
- Support education and conservation in Kentucky.
Active Falconer and Associate memberships are each $20 for one year.
Start with the official sources.
Official agency
KDFWR: Falconry & Raptor Propagation
The Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources falconry page. Start here for current state requirements, forms and contacts.
Official agency
Federal permit rules: 50 CFR Part 21
Federal falconry standards in the electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Search for falconry within Part 21.
Community
North American Falconers Association
The national falconry association: membership, publications and information about falconry across North America.
The bird comes first. Start there.
Read the guide, talk to a falconer, and decide with your eyes open. When you are ready, KFA is here.