There are experiences you watch, and then there are experiences you become part of. At Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon, surrounded by the rugged landscape of Southern Utah, opportunities to connect with nature are everywhere. Guests come here to explore Bryce Canyon National Park, hike through spectacular red rock country and gaze into some of the darkest night skies in America.
But this year, another kind of encounter with the natural world took place right at the resort—one involving wings, talons, and some of nature’s most remarkable hunters. I recently had the opportunity to participate in the Immersive Falconry Experience with Bryce Canyon Falconry, and “immersive” may be an understatement. Within minutes, I wasn’t simply learning about falconry; I was standing face-to-face with them, holding them on my gloved hand, feeding them, and discovering just how intelligent, powerful, and surprisingly personable these remarkable birds can be. It is one thing to see an owl or hawk soaring overhead. It is quite another to look directly into the eyes of one while it is perched on your arm. That is when you begin to appreciate just how extraordinary these birds really are.
First, I Met King
King is a juvenile Eagle Owl from Siberia, and even at his young age, he is magnificent. Before you ever hold a bird of prey, you are keenly aware of the glove on your hand and the fact that you are about to invite a predator with formidable talons to perch on your arm. Then King arrives, and fascination quickly takes over. There is something almost surreal about having an owl of his size perched just inches away from you. Up close, you notice details that are impossible to appreciate from a distance. His extraordinary golden eyes, the intricate patterns and textures of his feathers, the enormous talons gripping the glove and the quiet intensity with which he takes in everything happening around him.
Owls have fascinated humans for centuries, and it is easy to understand why. There is an almost mysterious quality about them. Their enormous forward-facing eyes and nearly silent flight have helped make them symbols of wisdom, mystery and the night across cultures and generations.
Standing next to King, though, the mythology gives way to something even more impressive, the actual bird. Everything about him is designed for survival. His eyes are made for spotting prey. His feathers help him move through the air with extraordinary stealth. His powerful feet and talons remind you that beneath all those beautiful feathers is an extremely capable predator. Yet what struck me most wasn’t his power. It was his presence. Holding King was one of those rare moments when the rest of the world seems to disappear for a minute. You stop thinking about what you are going to do next or where you need to be. Your attention is completely focused on this extraordinary creature sitting on your arm. You realize that you are eye to eye with one of nature’s great predators. It is an experience I won’t soon forget.
Meet Wokwok and His “Pack”
Next came Wokwok, a Harris’s Hawk, and an opportunity to actually feed him. If King impressed me with his size and commanding presence, Wokwok fascinated me for an entirely different reason, his remarkable social intelligence. Master falconer Jon Taylor explained that Harris’s Hawks are unusual in the raptor world because of their highly social nature. While many birds of prey are solitary hunters, Harris’s Hawks are famous for hunting cooperatively. Rather than always pursuing prey alone, they can work together, with multiple birds participating in a hunt. That social behavior has helped earn them a reputation as one of the most fascinating raptors in the world of falconry. Their intelligence and ability to work cooperatively also make Harris’s Hawks particularly well suited to developing relationships with falconers.
And Wokwok is a wonderful example. That instinct to form a pack makes his relationship with Jon and the Taylor family especially fascinating. Wokwok has bonded so closely with them that he can accompany the family on hikes, flying freely and returning to them. Why? Because, in Wokwok’s world, they are his pack. That little piece of information completely changed the way I viewed my interaction with him. I wasn’t simply watching someone command a trained animal to perform a series of behaviors. I was seeing the result of a relationship between human and bird that had been built over time.
Falconry depends upon that relationship. A raptor isn’t a domesticated animal in the way we think of a family dog. Its instincts remain very much intact. The falconer works with those instincts rather than trying to eliminate them, building a relationship based on consistency, training, food, trust and an understanding of the individual bird. Knowing that made feeding Wokwok even more memorable. With a Harris’s Hawk right there in front of me, I began to feel the bond between falconer and raptor, one built on training and trust while still respecting the bird’s own natural instincts.
An Ancient Partnership Between Humans and Raptors
Part of what makes an encounter like this so interesting is realizing that falconry is far more than a modern animal demonstration. Humans have been working with birds of prey for thousands of years. The practice developed as a method of hunting, with trained raptors pursuing wild game alongside humans. Over generations, falconry evolved into an extraordinary partnership requiring falconers to understand the behavior, abilities, and individual temperament of their birds. That tradition continues today. For those interested in raptor conservation, organizations like The Peregrine Fund do vital work in protecting these species.
Modern falconry combines centuries of accumulated knowledge with a deeper contemporary understanding of raptor behavior and care. And although most of us will never become falconers ourselves, experiences like this offer a glimpse into a relationship between people and wild predators that stretches far back into human history. For me, hearing Jon talk about his birds was as important as being able to interact with them. Each bird has its own characteristics, personality and role. You quickly realize there is no one-size-fits-all approach to working with a raptor. Jon isn’t simply introducing guests to beautiful birds. He is helping us understand them.
These Aren’t Just Show Birds
One of my favorite discoveries during the experience was learning that these birds don’t simply come out for guest demonstrations and then retire from their “job.” They are working raptors. When they aren’t appearing at Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon, Jon takes his birds of prey hunting, giving them opportunities to use the natural instincts and abilities they were born with.
He also puts those remarkable abilities to work through his unique pest-control business. Instead of relying exclusively on conventional methods to control unwanted rodents and other pests, working raptors can become part of the solution. Their very presence can have an impact, while their hunting abilities allow them to do something they are extraordinarily well designed to do.
Suddenly, the term “bird of prey” takes on a much more literal meaning. That authenticity changes the entire falconry experience. King and Wokwok aren’t simply beautiful birds brought out for photographs. They are predators whose natural abilities are understood, respected and put to use. Knowing that makes holding one feel even more extraordinary.
Two Ways to Meet the Raptors at Clear Sky Resorts
Guests at Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon have two different ways to discover the world of falconry. The Falcon Meet & Greet Experience offers a relaxed introduction to these magnificent birds. It is an opportunity to see raptors up close while learning about their behaviors, individual personalities, and the ancient practice of falconry. For families, animal lovers, and guests simply curious about birds of prey, the Meet & Greet provides an approachable way to book their falconry experience.
For those who want to take the encounter even further, there is the Immersive Falconry Experience. This is where you move beyond observing and become part of the experience. Flight demonstrations and hands-on interactions provide an even deeper look at the extraordinary relationship between falconer and bird.
It was during this experience that I had King perched on my gloved arm and fed Wokwok. Those interactions transform what could simply be an interesting educational program into a genuine travel memory. And that is exactly the kind of experience we love introducing to guests at Clear Sky Resorts.
A trip to Bryce Canyon is already filled with things that inspire awe. The hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park, the vast landscapes of Southern Utah and the incredible stars overhead provide plenty of unforgettable moments. But sometimes the memories you bring home are the ones you didn’t expect.
Like looking into the golden eyes of an Eagle Owl. Or feeding a Harris’s Hawk. Or discovering that somewhere in Utah, a hawk named Wokwok considers a human family part of his pack.
Until Next Spring, the Raptors Have Another Job to Do
The 2026 summer falconry season at Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon has now come to an end, but for Jon and his birds, that doesn’t mean it’s time for a vacation. Quite the opposite. As fall approaches, the raptors return to another important part of their lives. Rodent control.
Jon works with his birds to put their natural hunting instincts and abilities to use, offering a fascinating approach to pest management while allowing these working raptors to do exactly what nature equipped them to do. In other words, King, Wokwok and the rest of the aviary have finished meeting Clear Sky Resorts guests for the summer because they have another job to do. And somehow, knowing these extraordinary birds are not simply performers but working raptors makes the experience I had with them even more special.
It also means that if you missed them this year, you’ll have something pretty extraordinary to look forward to. The falconry experiences are expected to return to Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon next spring when a new season of guests will have the opportunity to meet these magnificent predators, discover the world of falconry and perhaps experience that same feeling I had when Wokwok first landed on my head. Until then, King, Wokwok and the rest of the Bryce Canyon Falconry aviary will be busy doing what they do best.
The rodents don’t stand a chance.
