Birds of prey boost the thrill of the hunt for some

"Imprints are taken at a young enough age to treat you as their parents," Penner said.

This hawk is more than a simple pet, and Penner is more than the average bird lover. Penner practices an ancient form of bird hunting called falconry, which is when humans train birds to capture game.

Falconers receive a permit issued by the Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The avian trainers must apprentice with a permitted falconer and provide adequate housing for the bird.

Penner, an oil field carpenter from Sterling, stressed that falconry is a time-consuming hobby. He works two weeks on and two weeks off and says he couldn't practice this type of hunting without his wife's help. Caring, feeding and exercising the bird consume most of his free time, he said.

Eric Fontaine, a Anchorage falconer, considers the sport more a lifestyle than a hobby. His appreciation for birds and nature led him to it.

"I work as an engineer in an office. Then I spend time in the woods," he said. "It's kind of a release from civilization."

Penner tends to use female birds, like his current goshawk, because they possess greater hunting prowess. He captures new birds about 14 days after they hatch when it's easier to distinguish the animal's gender. Birds captured at a young age are easier to acclimate to civilization.

"It accepts dogs, trucks and cars," he said.

The bird has to be taught how to hunt, but Penner said it's mostly about instinct. He feeds the bird fresh kills at first and eventually gives them half-dead animals to eat. He primarily hunts hares -- his bird caught more than 100 last year.

Hunting is the best form of exercise for predatory birds, he said. His goshawk needs to be in the right shape to hunt. If it's too hungry, it'll follow him around or fly too aggressively. If it's too fat, it's more likely to play with other birds or sit in a tree.

Falconers often carry their birds around the hunting grounds on their hand or arm. Carpentry gloves offer Penner protection from the talons, but some traditionalists fashion leather gauntlets like medieval hunters.

Once he or the bird has detected game, Penner lets the bird find cover while he and his canine flush out hares. Then the bird pursues its quarry.

"You flush a rabbit then the bird comes out at 100 mile per hour," said Jerry Metcalf, who has joined Penner on a number of hunts.

Penner uses two species of hawks: red-tailed hawks and goshawks. The former wait in trees and dive bomb their targets, but Penner primarily uses goshawks because of their agile flying. He compared them to guided missiles because of their ability to pursue game through thick cover and stay airborne.

Most falconers use a radio transmitter to track their birds, which often fly high and far.

"If they decide to go, they're gone," falconer Don Hunley said. "A bird can disappear up here in Alaska in three seconds."

Penner has trained his hawk to come when he whistles, but the bird can stay in the tree for as long as it likes. He believes that a bond of trust keeps birds coming back. He convinces his birds that he will provide food and safe housing.

Hunley recently let his bird eat a grouse. He said positive reinforcement like that is the key to falconry training.

"Imagine you could catch Michael Jordan and put him on your wrist. That's a goshawk," he said.