The term "hacking" comes from an old English word for a type of wagon. Falconers of the Elizabethan era hauled a wagon or "hack" to the top of a hill and placed young falcons upon it just before they were able to fly. Food was delivered to the wagon every day. The falcons were free to come and go as they pleased. Over a period of several weeks, the young peregrines developed muscle tone and experience in flight and hunting ability. At the point that the falcons began to capture birds on their own, they were re-trapped by the falconers and kept for falconry. (Falconry is a hunting sport that employs trained falcons and other birds of prey instead of guns as a means of securing game birds and animals.)