Maria’s teenage son came home last week with a story that left her speechless. He’d been at his friend’s house, playing video games where the goal was simple: rack up the highest kill count, collect the most weapons, dominate the leaderboard. “I got 47 kills, Mom!” he announced proudly. She smiled, but something felt off about celebrating those numbers, even in a game.
That same week, she stumbled across a video of Ricardo, an Aragonese falconry expert who’s spent three decades working with birds of prey in the rugged hills of Spain. His message hit her like a revelation: “The best hunter isn’t the one who kills the most animals.”
In our obsession with metrics and winning, maybe we’ve lost sight of what true mastery really looks like.
What This Aragonese Falconry Expert Really Means
Ricardo’s philosophy challenges everything we think we know about hunting and success. This Aragonese falconry expert grew up in a village near Zaragoza, where old men could read weather patterns better than any smartphone app. While other kids collected soccer cards, young Ricardo collected feathers and studied the flight patterns of kestrels.
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After thirty years in the field, Ricardo has developed a radically different perspective on what makes someone skilled at falconry. “People think we come out here to kill,” he explains, squinting against the Spanish sun. “But most days, nothing dies.”
This isn’t about being soft or unsuccessful. Ricardo’s birds are perfectly capable hunters – his peregrine falcon can dive at speeds over 200 miles per hour, while his Harris’s hawk demonstrates tactical intelligence that would impress military strategists. The difference lies in his definition of victory.
“A good hunt is the one where everyone comes back,” Ricardo says simply. By “everyone,” he means both his birds and any potential prey they encounter.
The Skills That Matter in Real Falconry
What separates an amateur from an expert like this Aragonese falconry expert isn’t a trophy wall. It’s a completely different set of skills that most people never consider:
| Traditional Hunter Focus | Ricardo’s Approach |
|---|---|
| Kill count | Bird safety and return |
| Speed of capture | Quality of partnership |
| Trophy size | Training precision |
| Seasonal totals | Long-term bird health |
The technical skills Ricardo has mastered over decades include:
- Reading micro-changes in bird behavior that signal stress, illness, or readiness to hunt
- Understanding wind patterns, thermals, and weather conditions that affect flight performance
- Developing trust between species that have been predator and prey for millennia
- Managing the delicate balance between a bird’s wild instincts and human partnership
- Recognizing when to end a session before fatigue or frustration sets in
“The hardest part isn’t teaching a bird to hunt,” Ricardo notes. “It’s teaching yourself when not to hunt.”
On one autumn morning, Ricardo invited an observer to watch a training session. The sky hung grey and flat, with only the falcon’s bright yellow eye adding color to the landscape. They walked stubble fields for over an hour while partridges flushed and rabbits darted in the distance.
The falcon gave chase several times, then broke away, circled, and returned to Ricardo’s glove. Not a single capture occurred. Not even a feather was disturbed. Back at his vehicle, Ricardo rewarded the bird with a small piece of prepared meat.
Why This Philosophy Matters Beyond Hunting
Ricardo’s approach reflects a broader shift happening across many traditional practices. From fishing guides who emphasize catch-and-release to photographers who prioritize wildlife welfare over the perfect shot, experts are redefining success.
This Aragonese falconry expert’s methods have practical benefits that extend far beyond the hunting field. Birds trained under his philosophy tend to live longer, maintain better health, and develop stronger bonds with their handlers. More importantly, they retain their wild instincts while cooperating with humans – a balance that took centuries to perfect.
“When people ask me ‘How many did you get today?’ after a session where we caught nothing, I tell them ‘Zero, and that’s a perfect day,'” Ricardo laughs. “They think I’m joking, but I’m completely serious.”
The ripple effects of this mindset reach into wildlife conservation, sustainable practices, and even how we teach young people about relationship with nature. Ricardo regularly works with local schools, showing children that partnership with wild animals requires patience, respect, and restraint.
His birds serve as ambassadors for their species, helping people understand raptors as intelligent partners rather than mere hunting tools. This educational role has become increasingly important as urbanization distances people from natural systems.
“The best hunting stories aren’t about what we killed,” Ricardo observes. “They’re about what we learned, what we preserved, and what we passed on to the next generation.”
For Maria and parents like her, Ricardo’s philosophy offers a different way to think about achievement and success. In a world obsessed with metrics, scores, and leaderboards, maybe true mastery looks more like wisdom, restraint, and deep understanding.
The hills of Aragón continue to echo with the sound of wings, but under Ricardo’s guidance, they also resonate with something rarer: the quiet satisfaction of doing things right rather than doing them fast.
FAQs
What makes someone an expert in falconry?
True expertise comes from understanding bird behavior, weather patterns, and developing trust-based partnerships with raptors, not from kill counts or trophies.
Do falconers actually hunt for food?
Some do, but many modern falconers like Ricardo focus on training, education, and conservation rather than harvesting game for consumption.
How long does it take to become skilled at falconry?
Most experts say it takes at least 10-15 years to develop real proficiency, with learning continuing throughout a falconer’s entire career.
Is falconry cruel to the birds?
When practiced ethically by experts like Ricardo, falconry can actually benefit birds through veterinary care, protection, and breeding programs that support wild populations.
Can anyone learn falconry?
Falconry requires extensive training, licensing, and mentorship in most countries, plus a significant commitment of time and resources to properly care for the birds.
What’s the most important skill for a falconer?
According to Ricardo, it’s knowing when not to hunt – understanding your bird’s condition, the environmental factors, and prioritizing the bird’s welfare over any desire for results.