On the Kansas prairie, a master falconer develops a unique bond with birds of prey By Brian Mann Published February 28, 2023 at 3:00 AM CST Listen • 3:52 ...

Monte Markley read My Side of the Mountain as a kid and was captivated by the story of a boy and his falcon. He's now a master falconer, training his latest bird on the grasslands of Kansas.

It's not a sure thing she'll come back. "There's birds I thought I had it all dialed in," he says, shaking his head. "They take off, you never see it again. It's over, just that fast." ...

The day is cold and windswept and the Kansas horizon looks incredibly remote. Markley says the process of building a bond with a wild raptor is delicate. At first, the birds are furious and terrified.