From Gazebo to Gauntlet: A Falconry Hour Outside Reno
A licensed falconer fits you with a gauntlet, then a trained hawk flies perch to perch through the desert scrub north of Reno.
Raptor Adventures runs this hour from an open gazebo in the high desert beside Animal Ark, off Deerlodge Road north of Reno. It opens in the shade with a falconer on raptor biology, field identification, conservation and what the listing calls the ancient sport of falconry.
Then everyone stands. Guests are fitted with a falconer's gauntlet and follow a trained hawk on a short walk while it flies from perch to perch and swoops back to the falconer's glove. The listing sets the cast as a hawk, a falcon and an owl.
One reviewer put the flying ground 50 to 100 feet from the shade.
It suits people who want a bird on their own arm and an hour of questions answered by someone who flies them. The operator's pages say No Un-paid Observers, so plan on a ticket for everyone who comes along, watching or not.
Experience Raptors and Falconry in RenoA 60-minute falconry encounter with a hawk, a falcon and an owl at Raptor Adventures beside Animal Ark, gauntlet and snacks included.www.viator.comThe Falconers and Their Birds
The operator's About page introduces two people. By its account, Jim Tigan is a licensed Master Falconer who founded the Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center in Sitka while stationed with the US Coast Guard, and he started Tactical Avian Predators, a company that puts trained falcons to commercial work. The same page says Kathleen Tigan built her handling skills in raptor rehabilitation in Oregon and Washington and interned with the Oregon Zoo's raptor program.
Kathleen is the name the reviews carry: 65 of the 102 published from 2021 to 2026 mention her.
The roster page lists six birds. Zulu and Tesla are Harris's hawks, Larry and Wilma are Lanner falcons, Sabey Baker is a Saker falcon, and Louise, a Eurasian eagle-owl born in 2010, is the one the operator calls its most popular. Reviews also mention a barn owl and a peregrine falcon that the roster page does not list, so read it as a sample of who might come out.
Getting There, and Getting Back
The listing's directions are short: turn right off Deerlodge Road, take another right at the Raptor Adventures sign, and follow it to the gazebo. The operator's information page puts the spot 200 yards east of the Animal Ark visitor center, with the sign on your right as you enter.
Plan the ride back before you book the ride out. Three reviewers, writing in 2023 and 2026, describe rideshares and taxis as hard to come by out here, two of them on the way back to town, and one notes the internet connection is spotty near the gazebo. The listing ticks public transport as nearby; the operator's own site does not mention it.
A car settles it. One reviewer called it a 35 minute drive from Reno.
When It Runs
The booking calendar sells two sessions a day, 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM, Thursday through Monday, with nothing on Tuesday or Wednesday. The operator's own information page still lists Friday to Sunday at 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM, so go by the time on your booking confirmation.
Checked on October 9, 2026, the calendar's last open date in 2026 was November 21, with sessions picking up again on April 1, 2027. Individual days in season can also be closed or sold out.
Weather is the other variable. The operator says high heat, low temperatures, high wind, heavy rain or snow can keep the birds from flying, and the listing is marked as weather-dependent. Reviewers have sat through a 30-plus mph wind and a cold, windy day, and both sessions went ahead.
Ages, Health and What to Wear
The listing cites federal rules that limit holding a raptor on the gauntlet to participants over the age of 14. Younger children can still book, at a youth fare for ages 7 to 13, and the listing prices under-sevens at no charge. A child under 14 can watch every bird but cannot hold one, so weigh that before booking a family session. A parent of an 8- and a 10-year-old wrote that it does not suit loud or easily bored kids, since the session asks for hands kept to oneself so the birds are not stressed.
The listing marks it as not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health. The operator puts the site in the high desert at 5,500 feet and asks for water, sunblock, layers and shoes that handle uneven ground, with no open-toed shoes. No pets and no smoking.
📍 Raptor Adventures, beside Animal Ark at 1265 Deerlodge Road, Reno. Turn right at the Raptor Adventures sign and follow it to the gazebo.
The gauntlet and snacks are included, and reviewers describe water and sunscreen set out in the shade. A booking made through the listing can be cancelled for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start; the operator's own booking page asks for 48 hours' notice by email to cancel or rebook its reservations.
Then the gauntlet goes on and the birds come out.