Wild Raptor Take Conservancy Position Statement

[HawkMom]

Take a look at their website for their position statements:

http://www.raptorconservancy.org/

[rmayes100]

The last year has been the most positive shakeup in falconry in the United States in years, and the WRTC has played no small role in this. I really don't understand what some people are so upset about. As it stands right now there are so few falconers in the US, if we don't fight for our rights the sport is going to be in big trouble. It's nice to see an organization that is focused on doing just that.

[GregMik]

The last year has been the most positive shakeup in falconry in the United States in years, and the WRTC has played no small role in this. I really don't understand what some people are so upset about. As it stands right now there are so few falconers in the US, if we don't fight for our rights the sport is going to be in big trouble. It's nice to see an organization that is focused on doing just that.


The problem is that the status quo will be changed. This is challenging the older falconers control of the club. They are pulling out all stops to maintain that control.

Greg

[miladymimi]

In the US it seems you are fighting an up hill battle if you want to be a falconer. The authorities make it as difficult as they can for you to get the necessary permits and the animal rights activists want to have it outlawed. It would be nice if any group could open up communication and hopefully make people see reason. There are indeed very few falconers in the US for the size of the country. The last statistic I saw was about 4000 for the entire country. There are 50 states, that makes about 80 falconers per state on average.

[GregMik]

In the US it seems you are fighting an up hill battle if you want to be a falconer. The authorities make it as difficult as they can for you to get the necessary permits and the animal rights activists want to have it outlawed. It would be nice if any group could open up communication and hopefully make people see reason. There are indeed very few falconers in the US for the size of the country. The last statistic I saw was about 4000 for the entire country. There are 50 states, that makes about 80 falconers per state on average.


I agree....But it is worse than that....California has the most, while the other states have very few. In MN we have 120. The feds say there are 4250 and it is pretty consistant. So most states have less than 50.

Greg

[Hatchero]

i am about as far away from a joiner as you can get but i went ahead and sent these guys $30.00. i find it especially delightful that they have threatened NAFA's imagined lock as the sole voice of American falconers. i quit NAFA a while back because i realized NAFA was an organization that claimed victory for things they had little to do with when in the real world they have been pretty much moribund as a true falconry advocate for 20years.
jim

[MitchellBrad]

(Matthew 12:25). '...and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand'

In June 1858 Abraham Lincoln delivered this famous speech, noted for the phrase "a house divided against itself cannot stand" when he accepted the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate from Illinois. Of course Lincoln was referring to the division of the country between slave and free states.

The division within the falconry community concerning a lot of what we are about is going to cause and has caused us problems. Some want to maintain a status quo, some are arguing for equality under the law while others are arguing for more regulations/control. One must not forget about the privatization issue which really is a non issue because they are private property. You buy it you own it, you take it legally you own it. There are always limits to all ownership such as you can't buy or sell wild taken birds but they are still yours. Be very careful falconers, your petty divisions could mean the future of our sport. A good friend of mine tells me time and again, "We are the last generation!" I have more trust in the future generations of falconers and hope I'm right. Unfortunately my good friend is often right. Again, be careful falconers.

[GregMik]

(Matthew 12:25). '...and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand'

In June 1858 Abraham Lincoln delivered this famous speech, noted for the phrase "a house divided against itself cannot stand" when he accepted the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate from Illinois. Of course Lincoln was referring to the division of the country between slave and free states.

The division within the falconry community concerning a lot of what we are about is going to cause and has caused us problems. Some want to maintain a status quo, some are arguing for equality under the law while others are arguing for more regulations/control. One must not forget about the privatization issue which really is a non issue because they are private property. You buy it you own it, you take it legally you own it. There are always limits to all ownership such as you can't buy or sell wild taken birds but they are still yours. Be very careful falconers, your petty divisions could mean the future of our sport. A good friend of mine tells me time and again, "We are the last generation!" I have more trust in the future generations of falconers and hope I'm right. Unfortunately my good friend is often right. Again, be careful falconers.

Brad.....Altho I agree with the division part....am I spose to sit back and use the KY?

Greg

[Ben C]

I am a fully paid up member and have hunted/trapped with Bill and Craig, and other members of WRTC. Once you begin to delve into what they are really talking about, their stance on preserving the trapping history, both for migratory and resident hawks, what the WRTC represents is FUNDAMENTAL to any falconry heritage the WORLD over.

I wont get pulled into the politics as I am clearly an outsider....and some of the arguments are close to the bone...........but they are a positive organisation that I am happy to support.

Buy the next issue of International Falconry Magazine for the first of a two part expose of them.

[MitchellBrad]

Brad.....Altho I agree with the division part....am I spose to sit back and use the KY?

Greg

Course not. It's the division within the falconry community I was talking about. Falconers are their own worst enemies.

You threw me completely off with your KY comment. You can't sit back and use KY. You have to bend over while being up close and personal!!

[Tony123ABC]

Not so fast there hotrod, I know some very bendy people:rolleyes:

[Eagle Owl]

I am trying to decide if this thread should be moved to Politics or Club 18+!:lol: :rolleyes:

[TexasFalconer]

Is it getting hot in here or what? Maybe a cold shower...

[rmayes100]

4250 are licensed falconers in the US, anyone have a guess how many are actually practicing and have birds at any given time? Not a very big pool of supporters falconry has here.

[GregMik]

4250 are licensed falconers in the US, anyone have a guess how many are actually practicing and have birds at any given time? Not a very big pool of supporters falconry has here.

If MN is a typical example, it is about one half to two thirds.

Greg

[SquirrelHawkin]

We've got 13 in Connecticut!!!:supz:

[BlueJack]

I think there are 400 and change licensed in CA. A lot are not active but still that's a pile of falconers. It's getting real hard for the So Cal falconers to access land any more. The fields are mostly all developed and a lot of guys are dropping out or moving away. It's a shame really. This state used to be a gamehawkers paradise. It's still nice where I live though. Guess that's why I moved here.
Keith

[rmayes100]

I think there are 400 and change licensed in CA. A lot are not active but still that's a pile of falconers. It's getting real hard for the So Cal falconers to access land any more. The fields are mostly all developed and a lot of guys are dropping out or moving away. It's a shame really. This state used to be a gamehawkers paradise. It's still nice where I live though. Guess that's why I moved here.
Keith

That's getting to be a problem everywhere. Development is killing a lot of good hunting places (and habitat for wildlife in general). Someone else might have better numbers than me but I think I've heard we have around 100 licensed falconers in Colorado, the number of active being probably around half of that. I don't think I've ever seen more than about 20-30 falconers at any of the Colorado Hawking Club functions I've been too.

[Ben C]

That's getting to be a problem everywhere. Development is killing a lot of good hunting places (and habitat for wildlife in general). Someone else might have better numbers than me but I think I've heard we have around 100 licensed falconers in Colorado, the number of active being probably around half of that. I don't think I've ever seen more than about 20-30 falconers at any of the Colorado Hawking Club functions I've been too.

GUYS trust me.......we managed to get good flights, good quarry on a ****y little island with twice the amount of falconers....

[rmayes100]

GUYS trust me.......we managed to get good flights, good quarry on a ****y little island with twice the amount of falconers....

I guess it's good to get a reality check sometimes. It's still sad to see a strip mall or subdivision go in where you used to hunt.

[Ben C]

I guess it's good to get a reality check sometimes. It's still sad to see a strip mall or subdivision go in where you used to hunt.

ABSOLUTELY.........I dont condone the march of progress on the scale that you guys have in some parts.