Chapter 5: The Iron Hawk Weighing Seven and a Half Taels When Pulled from the Net

This sparrowhawk was a dark-colored subspecies, exceptionally large in size. After carefully untangling it from the net and holding it in his hand, Yue Feng estimated its weight to be around seven and a half taels.

Its head had a hint of the eagle’s noble bearing; its chest was broad, its wing feathers were thin and tightly tucked, and its talons formed a cross-like shape with four toes. Its grip was excellent, and at a glance, the thickness of its talons was almost comparable to those of a young goshawk (male).

What Yue Feng found most remarkable was that this sparrowhawk not only possessed the stature of a large eagle, but its plumage was also quite unique.

The feathers on its back lacked the golden edges of a sub-adult sparrowhawk, appearing pitch black instead. Its chest featured the blue-gray horizontal barring typically seen only after a two-year-old hawk molts.

From a professional perspective, this large blue sparrowhawk had a very solid build, with a sleek frame, beautiful feathers, and an excellent skeletal structure. Combined with its weight of about seven and a half taels, once trained, it would have no trouble taking down prey ranging from sparrows and turtledoves to sandgrouse and grey pheasants.

Using the terminology from the falconry manuals, this bird was a genuine "Iron Sparrowhawk."

Carefully removing the net, Yue Feng pulled a sock with a hole in it from his pocket and wrapped the large blue sparrowhawk directly inside. Its head poked out through the hole, making the whole bird look as if it were wrapped in a cloak.

The sock had a certain elasticity, making it perfect for temporarily restraining a newly caught hawk. With its wings tucked tightly against its body and its talons extended along its tail feathers, Yue Feng pulled out a cotton strip and wrapped it twice around its legs and tail to secure it. The little hawk was now completely subdued.

Having caught the sparrowhawk he wanted, Yue Feng packed up his riding net and rolling cage, tucked the hawk under his arm, and headed home.

Normally, a newly caught hawk would be in a state of extreme stress and shock, screaming in panic at the slightest disturbance. However, this large blue sparrowhawk behaved quite well on the way home.

It only let out a few shrill cries when first held, but for the rest of the journey, it remained silent while tucked under Yue Feng’s arm, its eyes darting around curiously.

By the time they reached home, it was only 9:40. Yue Feng asked his mother for help, and the two of them worked together to outfit the hawk with the pre-prepared "three-piece set" for tethering. After a brief moment of stretching its body, the large blue sparrowhawk was once again wrapped in the holey sock and tucked under Yue Feng’s arm.

As the old saying goes, "Large eagles fear the 'Aao' (prolonged wakefulness), while small hawks fear the 'Bian' (being held/compressed)." What does "Bian" mean? It’s quite simple: it means gently holding the bird in the palm of your hand.

Once the little hawk gradually adapts to being restrained and stops being afraid, it means the level of familiarity between the human and the hawk has improved.

Sparrowhawks are always launched via "Bian-release," meaning that after spotting prey, the falconer uses their arm strength to toss the hawk while holding it. The hawk then uses the momentum provided by the falconer to fly out rapidly and capture its target.

Because this method includes the human’s throwing motion, the initial speed of the hawk’s strike is extremely fast, which greatly increases the success rate of the hunt.

After attaching the "two-open" tether and the "toad-five-foot" leash, Yue Feng dabbed a little water on the hawk to help it adjust, then began walking around the house with the hawk held in his left hand.

The hawk had been caught just a few dozen meters from his home, and the time from netting to being secured was less than five minutes, so the net had caused minimal damage. After rehydrating the bird, Yue Feng didn't need to worry about anything else for the time being.

A wild hawk caught fresh is usually in good condition. This large blue sparrowhawk’s chest felt very thick; as long as it didn't become dehydrated, there was no risk of it starving in the short term.

Yue Feng’s plan was simple: the three sparrows in the rolling cage would be the hawk’s food supply before its first hunt. If everything went well, it should develop its hunting instinct and recognize its prey within three or four days. Once the first hunt was successful, the hawk would be able to fend for itself and fill its belly with the prey it caught.

Yue Feng spent the entire day holding the hawk. His father, Yue Lei, was quite interested in the large blue sparrowhawk his son had caught. After lunch, he helped hold it for a while, and after Yue Feng took over again in the afternoon, he kept it wrapped in the sock until dusk.

As the sky slowly darkened, Yue Feng finished dinner and untied the sparrowhawk that had been wrapped up all day.

Yue Feng wore a thickened work glove on his right hand, with the leash wrapped several times around his fingers, holding tight to the "two-open" tether attached to the hawk’s legs, and opened his palm.

The large blue sparrowhawk, which had been lying motionless in his hand, slowly straightened its body as Yue Feng gently swayed his palm, and then it stood up steadily.

In falconry terminology, this is called "getting on the hand!"

As long as the hawk can stand on the hand, it means the level of affinity has reached the primary stage, indicating that the hawk has initially grown accustomed to the human presence and is no longer in a state of extreme panic and struggle.

Of course, Yue Feng had used a trick to get the hawk to stand steadily: it was dark, and the room was lit only by an oil lamp, so the hawk couldn't see its surroundings clearly, which naturally made it bolder.

Yue Feng adjusted the angle of his arm. The sparrowhawk stood smoothly on his thumb, where the thickened work glove had an extra layer of leather padding to minimize injury should the hawk suddenly exert force with its talons.

Soon, the large blue sparrowhawk stood firmly. Its feathers puffed up quickly and then immediately smoothed down.

Yue Feng, quick-eyed and fast-handed, tilted his body slightly as he saw the little hawk lift its tail, and with a *shhh* sound, a white jet of water shot out with force toward the back.

The hawk had cleared its bowels!

Because it had been rehydrated several times during the day, the state of the hawk’s droppings was excellent.

In fact, Yue Feng’s main purpose in untying the hawk was to let it clear its bowels. Holding it in his hand was fine, but a hawk caught that very day certainly hadn't cleared its system yet, and holding in its waste for too long could lead to minor health issues.

Having relieved itself, the large blue sparrowhawk looked even better than before. Its two long legs stood straight on Yue Feng’s hand, its tail gathered into a single stick-like shape, pressed tightly against the back of his hand. The entire bird looked incredibly imposing.

"Heh! The sparrowhawk you tethered today looks pretty good!" his father, Yue Lei, said, tilting his head to glance at the hunting hawk in his son’s hand while puffing on his pipe.

"It really is quite good. It’s large, has thin wings, and a great grip. Look at the size of its talons—they’re almost as big as a goshawk’s!" Yue Feng felt very satisfied with his father’s praise and couldn't help but show off a bit.

Yue Lei wasn't as proficient in falconry as Yue Feng. When his own father was still alive, he had been asked to learn, but he always felt that hunting with dogs and guns was more exciting than small-scale falconry. However, even if he wasn't an expert, having been exposed to it his whole life, he knew the basics.

Yue Lei nodded and asked, "How many days until you take it out to hunt? Do you need me to take a shift in the middle of the night? I remember the old folks saying you have to 'stay up' with the hawk at night?"

Yue Feng shook his head. "You don't need to stay up with a small hawk. Just keep it wrapped in the sock and held in your hand. I’ll keep it held at home tomorrow, and the day after is the Wangzhuang Village market, so I’ll take it there to get it used to crowds. When we get home, I’ll feed it and let it molt a bit, then hold it again through the night.

If everything goes well, it should be ready to hunt by the morning of the third day! By then, I’ll attach the string and try it out with a live sparrow! I’m aiming to have it released to hunt on its own by the time these three sparrows are gone!"