Manning your newly-caught Red-tailed Hawk is best accomplished...

Manning a newly-caught Red-tailed Hawk is best accomplished using food to encourage a response. This method is effective because it builds a positive association between the falconer and the hawk. By offering food, the falconer can gradually establish trust and create a bond with the bird, which is essential for successful training and handling.

When using food as a reward, the hawk learns to associate the presence of the falconer with a positive experience. This approach facilitates a calm and cooperative demeanor from the hawk, making it easier to handle and train. It is essential to ensure that the hawk is comfortable and feels secure during this process, which food can help achieve.

In contrast, other methods could lead to stress or fear in the bird, which might hinder the training process. Approaches that involve starving the bird quickly or feeding a full crop daily do not promote the well-being of the hawk and can lead to negative outcomes or impede the training process. Similarly, starting the manning process outdoors from day one could expose the hawk to unnecessary stressors and distractions, making it difficult to establish a connection.