Things to Know!

A tip on deciding when to do your experience: November and December are usually the best months but really any month during the flying season (September to February) could work out great. The weather is usually pretty cooperative but high winds is the big issue for flying the birds, especially during the spring. This could warrant a reschedule. So, if you can wait until you have at least a good 10-day weather outlook to schedule your experience that is the best way to avoid this. Or have some wiggle room in your schedule if we have to move a day ahead or early to avoid weather issues. I don’t fly the birds if it is 10+mph; it can be dangerous for them and it really doesn’t make for an enjoyable experience for you either. And obviously rain or snow is just zero fun to fly birds. If the temperature is below freezing, I do the experiences later (~10AM) after it has warmed up. Harris Hawks are a warm weather species.

 Where? I do the raptor experiences in Flagstaff but if it is too windy or cold (Flagstaff is colder/windier), then we will head down to the Sedona area. All Falconry Experiences are in the Sedona area at this time.

Time? To keep the birds in their feeding routine, I do the experiences before noon. If it is early in the season, late September to early November, it can still be quite hot in Sedona therefore; I do the experiences very early in the morning. If you are flying multiple birds, the experience will be in Flagstaff.

Physical Demands: The Raptor Experiences can accommodate any physical limitations. We can just ‘stand around’ outside and let the birds do all the work or we can walk a bit. If you have more limiting mobility such as a wheelchair, we can come up with something to accommodate...just contact us in advance in order to allow us to make different arrangements.

Falconry Experiences do require some degree of physical fitness. During a hunting session we can cover some serious ground (2-4 miles, I can cover up to 8 miles if it is just me flying several birds) at a quick pace. You don’t need to be an athlete but, this is just to illustrate that we don’t do a lot of standing around smelling the flowers while the bird is expected to be working at finding/catching prey (this is for their wellbeing and for you to get the most out of it). Hawking is a very strategic activity and a numbers game. The more ground we cover, the more likely we are to flush a rabbit as well as less time for the bird to get bored and make up their own games….and to not take away from your experience. (This is also why I do not take young children on these experiences.) Once this portion is finished, things slow way down, and the time you can enjoy the birds, scenery, and anything else. This is also the time Leroy loves to get all the attention from his peeps.

What Shall I Wear? Proper clothing and shoes are essential! Please read this in its entirety and apply all guidelines to every single participant. Not following could hinder your experience tremendously and some if not followed can be dangerous for the birds. (Thank you for your patience regarding the foot down tactics but with increasing regularity, too many participants will book experiences or show up having not read and/or taken these guidelines seriously.) 

We will be outdoors and off trail, so dress as if you are going on a backcountry hike. Wear proper hiking shoes and weather appropriate clothing; like jeans or heavy cotton pants for outdoors. The vegetation in some fields can be brutal!! Fortunately I take on most of it handling the birds but it’s a problem for anyone walking around in the field. I bring hemostats for pulling thorns out and some duct tape for the fine haired ones that are way more annoying. So dress in your best AZ plants armor. And avoid anything that thorns or sticky plants can get caught on such as fleece or soft cotton. No leggings or fleece/cotton pants such as sweatpants or joggers as well as big flowy fleece/cotton yarn sweaters. Pants need to cover your socks (and ankles) or you will be pulling ‘stuff’ out of them the entire time. No Uggs type boots. Good solid hiking boots are best, anything that is thin canvas such as sneakers or Vans, thorns will go through and I will not take you out in the field if you are wearing them. I will provide a more detailed Do’s and Don’ts in your confirmation email. This is especially true for the Falconry Experience because we are truly in the thick of it. Raptor Experiences can be severely hindered based on clothes and shoes choices depending on the field conditions.

NO DOGS ALLOWED AT ANY EXPERIENCES!

We love all dogs but the Flying Team only loves THEIR dogs 😒

 
CANCELATION AND REFUND POLICY:

Once you book your experience (this means you received a confirmation email), we reserve that day and time for you. We turn away anyone else wishing to book an experience during your time. These are custom, private experiences for you and therefore, shuts down the day for anyone or anything else. Also, the birds are on a strict flying schedule and weight management so we create their schedule based on your booked experience.

*If you wish to cancel for any reason, it must be done 3 days (72 hours) prior to the experience in order to receive a refund minus fees for processing. There are no exceptions.

OTHER POLICIES:

We do not offer ‘observers’ Everyone sees the same experience and experiences the same experience whether one person is more interested or less interested.

You are not on the calendar for the date you want until you go through the checkout process and receive a confirmation email. Even if you have talked with us on the phone about dates available and you verbally tell us which date, and say you will call back/book later, you do not go on the calendar until you go through this process. This means if someone does want that date and you have not been confirmed, you could lose your preferred date.

Everyone must pay via the website, donate buttons or Venmo, prior to going onto the calendar. We do not allow paying the day of the experience or with cash or checks.

You experience and learn about these awesome birds and your donations support our mission! This is what makes IRFC different than others that are not nonprofits; we truly have a mission.

Without the funding provided by these experiences, we cannot carry out our work or expand the services to raptors that call Northern Arizona home and beyond.

*We are grateful for the donations we do receive; however, they only cover a small fraction of the Flying Team’s expenses. We need to cover the current expenses with surplus in order to expand our rehab, educational services and conservation efforts. Your participation in these experiences help us get closer.

By participating in our educational programs or experiences, you are making the world a better place for raptors.

If there is something unique that you need or if believe there is no availability,
PLEASE CONTACT US!

Let’s see if there is something we can do.

BIRDS ON THE FLYING TEAM ARE ON OUR USFWS & AZGFD PERMITS!