FALCONRY

Experience the true art of falconry with our internationally-renowned falconer Martin Whitley.

Bird of Prey Experience
An afternoon spent with birds of prey is quite unforgettable. You will get to fly a variety of different birds of prey, ob-serve their individual characteristics and see close up the wonderful partnership that exists between falconers and their birds. This session is held on the herbaceous border that surrounds the summerhouse at Bovey Castle.

Price: £65 per person
Time: 90 minutes

Falconry Experience
A hands-on falconry session at Martin Whitley’s falconry centre lasting approximately three hours. Starting with an introduction to the various types of birds of prey cared for by Martin, before moving on to flying owls, working with high-speed falcons and then moving on to an Eagle Experience, before returning to the hotel with a hawk escort.

Meet the hotel eagles: Artemis, Rosie and Freya, Bovey Castle's most exciting birds of prey. Artemis is a cross between a golden and steppes eagle and Rosie a fully grown American bald eagle. These are the only birds of their magnitude in the UK that can be handled and flown by members of the public. Under the supervision of Martin Whitley, you will be taught the principles of handling eagles and their unique approach to hunting in the wild. Your Eagle Experience will also include the opportunity to fly the eagles and all the photo opportunities you could wish for. At the end of the session (approximately 90 minutes), you will be escorted back across the valley to the hotel with hawks.

Sample falconry in its truest form with Martin.

Accompanied by our resident falconer and Boris the shaggy pointer, guests will be given their own hawk to hunt with for the session, with full instruction on the basics of handling and recalling it. Once this is completed, the hunting party will move to an area to see the hawks in action. Quarry species and hunting style will vary depending on the time of year (during the main hunting season, October –January, full hunting days can be arranged), with the experience lasting approximately two and a half hours.

For safety reasons, there is an age restriction of 16 years for the Eagle Experience. Basic fitness is also essential as the Eagle Experience may include walking on Dartmoor and the holding of the eagles, who are not feather light!

Price: £95 per person
Time: 3 hours

Falconry sessions can be tailored to provide both amateurs and expert bird handlers with a bespoke Dartmoor experi-ence, with more specialist hunting with either falcons or eagles also available during the season (falcons: August - October , eagles: October – February), please contact the resort team for more information. Bird of Prey Experience requires a minimum of two people with a minimum age of 8 years, with all under 16s requiring adult supervision. For safety reasons, there is an age restriction of 16 years for the Eagle Experience. Basic fitness is also essential as the Eagle Experience may include walking on Dartmoor and the holding of the eagles, who are not feather light!

*All our falconry activities are weather dependent and a cancellation fee will be £30 per person if cancelled 48 hours prior to the event*

To book or to find out more information, please call our resort team on 0844 474 0080.