Falconry Sponsor Expectations

When considering sponsoring an Apprentice falconer we hope you take a few minutes to think about what that commitment means. As a Sponsor, you are the Apprentice’s teacher and should be willing and able to provide significant guidance to meet the needs of your Apprentice falconer. The Apprentice looks to the Sponsor for knowledge and to get them started on the right foot, in what could be a life-long passion. The knowledge you pass on to them directly impacts how the Apprentice treats and cares for their birds, how they hunt, how they deal with falconry issues as well as the public, and the type of falconer they will become.

Agreeing to be a Sponsor brings with it more responsibility than just a name on a paper. It is the Sponsor’s responsibility to provide support to your Apprentice as the Apprentice learns the art and practice of falconry. The future birds they take and their future as a licensed falconer depend on you to be there for them. If you cannot commit to providing an adequate degree of time and interaction in support of the Apprentice during the apprenticeship process, then please decline the request to become a Sponsor. It is okay to say no to them. You do not do your Apprentice any favors by making a commitment you can’t and won’t keep.

Together with members of the Falconry Community, we have identified a recommended (in-exhaustive) list of expectations that should be considered when agreeing to be a Sponsor.

The Sponsor’s Expectations:

1. I am expected to commit a reasonable amount of my knowledge and time to support my Apprentice in the two-year falconry apprenticeship process.

2. I am expected to provide a reasonable amount of communication with my Apprentice to make sure they are making adequate progress in the falconry apprenticeship process.

3. I understand that an annual progress report on how the Apprentice is doing in the apprentice falconer process, and whether the Sponsor recommends them be moved up to General Class — or not — after two years, is due to the DNR Falconry Coordinator by July 31 of each year.

4. I understand that if I do not do my job as a Sponsor, my Apprentice and their bird may suffer from it.

5. I will communicate any issues of concern regarding the Apprentice with either the DNR Falconry Coordinator or DNR Falconry Liaison Conservation Warden.

6. I am expected to make my reasonable best effort to teach my Apprentice the legal and ethical practice of Falconry.

7. I understand that if I cannot continue on as a Sponsor I will communicate that to my Apprentice and to the DNR Falconry Coordinator as soon as possible.