Falconry, another form of the private hunt, was woven into the cultural and political landscape of early Korea and Northeast Asia. A body of knowledge on falconry, some inspired from Chinese texts, and more from native Korean practices – shaped by political, geographical and cultural beliefs – helped inform those involved in the sport and circulated even to the Japanese islands. New and Augmented Methods for Falconry (Sinjŭng ŭnggol pang; 新增鷹鶻方), a birding manuscript, suggests the level of awareness Koreans and others held about birds of prey.

According to the manuscript, nine species had the temperament that allowed them to be trained as hunting companions. Like other migratory birds, these raptors nested on the peninsula in the warmer months. Included was a description of where to encounter them. ‘The time for catching migrating hawks is the beginning of the seventh lunar month [late summer]. There are many birds in the interior of the country and few over the frontier. From the beginning of the eighth lunar month until the end of the month, the falcons from over the frontier arrive.’