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SMJ Falconry

SMJ Falconry

9:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 7:00 PM
About
SMJ Falconry is a private Bird of prey centre based outside of Oxenhope, West Yorkshire. We are only open to pre-booked experience days. We also run educational school visits, displays and corporate days.
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  • Abiiiwood
    Leeds, United Kingdom1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Raven Experience
    Had an amazing time, all the staff were lovely! Booked this as a birthday gift for my best friend, we wanted something slightly different to their usual experiences and they were more than happy to accommodate. Excellent communication on email, quick responses. Excellent explanation of the address too!
    Visited October 2023
    Written 11 October 2023
  • emp24992
    Knaresborough, United Kingdom14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great experience 5* afternoon
    We went for a couples bird of prey experience after being bought this as a gift . It was amazing ! Stephen was great and he knew the birds well and he was friendly and knowledgeable and answered all our questions . The rest of the team were lovely too and they clearly loved the birds and they were really well looked after that was obvious to see . We got to fly a good range of birds of prey for a good amount of time . Would 100% recommend to anyone because not only is it different it’s special to be so close to the birds. Would buy for others and even go again myself well done guys
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 17 October 2023
  • Joanna M
    Holmfirth, United Kingdom1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A magical day!
    Booked a full day with a friend. Our falconer, Katy, showed us the birds in their enclosure and then we flew a selection in the exercise field. After lunch we did two hunting trips with different birds. Katy was astonishing, hugely knowledgeable, passionate about the birds and a brilliant client manner. This combined with the lovely scenery and beautiful weather made for an unforgettable day. I can’t recommend highly enough.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 12 November 2023
  • Irene W
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Not to be missed
    We visited as a family of 10, aged from 6-73. We had an amazing experience. We were made very welcome. The visit was not overloaded with facts and stats, and the information given about every bird was easily understood by even the youngest. Everyone had a thoroughly good time, and was voted the "best time had" by us all
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 17 November 2023
  • Alison F
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Magical owl experience for my mum’s 80th
    Thank you SMJ Falconry for a magical time today. We celebrated my mum’s 80th birthday with a one hour owl experience and it was fantastic. They were extremely friendly and very accommodating of my mum’s health needs. We will definitely return and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Special memories were created today.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 18 November 2023
  • Jo H
    Halifax, United Kingdom25 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An outstanding afternoon!
    After excellent communication with Roger I booked and visited the falconry with my 9 year old grandaughter, husband, daughter and partner.We all had one of the best afternoons. The birds ,we met the owls , were spectacular birds. So majestic in flight and fascinating creatures. Jess and Chris were so knowledgeable about each owl and all of their birds. Their passion shone through. My granddaughter handled the owls inside and out. She loved it. The atmosphere was friendly and comfortable. The visit ended with Ivan flying in to deliver an invite to Harry Potter World to my granddaughter. An excellent magical afternoon. We are already planning our next visit!
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 30 December 2023
  • Ryan M
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    100% recommend!
    Booked the half day experience for my dad for his birthday and went with him as a spectator. This was a great experience and the team had so much knowledge about all the birds. From start to finish my dad loved it! Would 100% recommend!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 20 March 2024
  • Helen
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant for birthday parties
    SMJ Falconry brought a selection of their beautiful birds to my son's birthday party, and were absolutly amazing. The two members of the team that brought the birds were very knowledgeable about their birds, and the birds were incredibly well behaved. Any child or adult at the party who wanted to was able to hold the birds (under supervision) and some of the birds were flown for us to see. The only reason all the birds wasn't flown is because a local buzzard scared some of SMJ's birds. Thanks so much for making my son's birthday so memorable. He is a huge fan of birds of prey and it made his day (possibly year).
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 11 May 2024
  • Simon W
    Leeds, United Kingdom25 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Day out
    Colleagues at work adopted me a barn owl and I went to visit her. Twilight was beautiful and I was able to feed her . This was one thing on my bucket list to have an owl on my arm. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable, giving you all the information you need and will answer any questions.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 11 July 2024
  • Rachel H
    Brisbane, Australia64 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Incredible experience with birds of prey - half day tour
    A truly brilliant, amazing and up close experience with the birds. The team were fantastic and their passion and love for the birds shone through. We did the half day experience and got to fly 5 birds as well as learning more about them. Highly recommended.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 22 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles318 reviews
Excellent
314
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J&VHT
Accrington, UK22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Couples
Had an amazing half day experience at SMJ flying various owls, and other birds, Sandra & Don were great, showings how to handle the birds, which just kept getting bigger. Given a tour of the aviary on arrival then a good 2 hours with various birds to fly. I can thoroughly recommend this as a terrific day out.
Written 7 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

George F
Huddersfield, UK5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
a friendly, professional team of people who provided a customised day of falconry photography .
The team came up with great ideas for shots and responded to our requests positively and effectively. A total of 12 superb birds of prey were used for both static and flying shots. We all enjoyed the day and came away with great images. We highly recommend SMJ Falconry.
Written 5 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Glad you enjoyed your day with us, George. Enjoy the images!
Written 6 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

SallyK5
Stockport, UK90 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020
We booked an experience day as a special treat to celebrate our 10 year Wedding Anniversary whilst staying in the local area. Unfortunately our holiday had to be cancelled due to the pandemic but we were lucky enough to still be able to attend the experience day and we were extremely glad we did. I literally don't think we could have had a better, more interesting and magical day. Firstly we felt very safe, the precautions to deal with the current pandemic were robust and proportionate, the welcome was warm from everyone we encountered, very easy and relaxed. We had the pleasure of spending the day with Rhiannon who was very knowledgeable and made the day really interesting and fun, we took a lot from it. The birds are simply beautiful and to be able to be so close to such wonderful creatures was a real privilege. We met so many different birds from beautiful small owls to an enormous Red Kite and everything in between, it was simply a spectacular day, we loved it and couldn't have planned anything better! I was certainly recommend SMJ Falconry experiences to anyone, we haven't stopped talking about it since and have the most amazing photos from the day.
Written 26 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Karenanne K
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
I had the most amazing day at SMJ Falconry this week.
From the moment my partner booked the experience to the time I left, the family were kindness and helpfulness personified. They could not have been more willing to do anything to make sure I had the experience I had always dreamed of.
The moment one arrives they put you at ease before giving you a tour of all the birds. You then learn how to fly these amazing raptors through the wonderful tuition and expert knowledge from Rhiannon, Chris and Sandra.
The birds are an absolute delight and everything I had dreamed of. From the smallest of the owls in little Midge, to the delightful and handsome Ivan the Syberian Owl to Anya the Steppe Eagle, Julianne the amazingly seductive Vulture and the beautiful Willow the Red Kite, not to mention Peter the Harris Hawk, Ollie the Ashen Faced Owl, Tiffin the Kestrel and Candy the Mackinders Owl, I could just go on and on. I will never forget Ivan flying to the glove, amazing.
I can't thank everyone at SMJ enough and it was lovely to sit and chat about the birds at lunchtime and after the experience. Chris took some amazing photos for me, and as an illustrator these will become the memories of my research trip and basis of my drawings of these beautiful birds.
Thank you so much. Can I come again?
Written 5 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jessica T
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Family
Booked for a 5th birthday party
Kids ranged from 4-6
Katy was amazing - never seen 15 kids sit and listen so attentively. Everything was perfect for their age and understanding.
The kids loved holding the birds and watching them fly.
The birds themselves were magnificent.
Parents also thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
The booking process was easy, the communication was clear, they arrived on time, did a fabulous demo and talk and left leaving everyone with a smile. THANK YOU
Written 6 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Snowy
York, UK2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
Freezing morning, but we were welcomed with a much needed cup of tea. Rihan (hope I spelt it right?) had an abundance of knowledge with all of the bird, and they have a lot! She brought out quite a few different birds for me, my favourite was Willow the Red Kite. Even though it was freezing cold, I had a fantastic experience. If you love birds, you’ll love this.
Many thanks to SMJ Falconry.
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lesbennett2021
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
A very interesting, educational and enjoyable experience. We we’re introduced to a number of birds, their history, background and details of their individual characteristics. Then each one demonstrated their natural tracking, hunting and flying techniques. Fascinating to see how well nature has adapted these creatures to the environment they live in.
An excellent experience for anyone interested in wildlife and nature, strongly recommended.
Written 16 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

emp24992
Knaresborough, UK14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
We went for a couples bird of prey experience after being bought this as a gift . It was amazing ! Stephen was great and he knew the birds well and he was friendly and knowledgeable and answered all our questions . The rest of the team were lovely too and they clearly loved the birds and they were really well looked after that was obvious to see . We got to fly a good range of birds of prey for a good amount of time . Would 100% recommend to anyone because not only is it different it’s special to be so close to the birds. Would buy for others and even go again myself well done guys
Written 17 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Volcanogeek
Bradford, UK6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Couples
Booked the amazing half day experience. At the moment your group can arrange a time slot to suit you and you will be the only ones there (so no other groups booked at the same time and the team can give you their full attention). The friendly staff were knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate about their birds of prey. Covid measures were taken seriously so we enjoyed a welcome return to life after lockdown in a beautiful setting. There are a wide variety of birds so you are sure to see (and even hold or fly) all of your favourites. A big thank you to Chris and the team who made us feel very welcome. We will be sure to recommend your business to others.
Written 5 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Steffyhead
cheshire71 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
We had a Meet the birds, and a Hawk walk experience, and WOW what an absolutely fantastic day. Chris was fantastic and made us feel very comfortable with all the birds, and when his mum came out with Julianne the Vulture, amazing. A great setting and a knowledgable insight into all the birds, then flying hawks, kites, falcons, a vulture and Eagle, just phenomenal. I am still buzzing about the whole experience, had the best day ever, thank you to Chris and his mum for making it a truly memorable day. Would love to do it all again.
Written 2 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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SMJ FALCONRY (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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