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In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with John Goodell, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Archives of Falconry, to explore one of humanity’s oldest and most misunderstood relationships with wildlife.

Falconry is often imagined as domination or display. In reality, it is a hunting tradition built on trust, restraint, and a deep respect for wild raptors. John explains what falconry actually is, how it has been practiced for more than two thousand years across cultures, and why the birds at the center of it remain fully wild — free to leave at any moment.

The conversation moves through the history of falconry, the demanding licensing process, the ethics of flying wild birds, and the intimate knowledge falconers develop of predator and prey alike. Along the way, John shares what it means to care for a raptor day after day, why many falconers eventually release their birds back into the wild, and how falconry has shaped modern raptor conservation.

This is a conversation about humility, discipline, and what it looks like to work with nature instead of trying to master it.

Learn more about the Archives of Falconry at https://www.falconry.org

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