Take a reputable course similar to www.hawktalktraining.com and the trainer will make sure that you are competent in all aspects of falconry and hawking and whats more will ensure you are confident to Choose, house, equip, obtain, care for, man and train then hunt with your chosen bird. Mentors have busy lives with their own birds and often start off keenly but the help/time allocation runs thin sometimes. A really good mentor maintains the time allowance until you are able to stand alone.
Course and mentor and books and dvd afterwards are a very good start.
Dave
