But, you are right, there is no limit to the number of cb birds a master falconer can keep.
The way I read the regulations a master falconer can keep 3 birds of prey total and will only be able to keep 5 if their state agrees to increase the limit to the federal regulations. Could you show me where the regulations say a master falconer can keep an unlimited number of captive bred birds? The only other way I know of a falconer being able to keep more birds is if they are issued a breeding permit or a rehabilitation permit.
But, you are right, there is no limit to the number of cb birds a master falconer can keep.
The way I read the regulations a master falconer can keep 3 birds of prey total and will only be able to keep 5 if their state agrees to increase the limit to the federal regulations. Could you show me where the regulations say a master falconer can keep an unlimited number of captive bred birds? The only other way I know of a falconer being able to keep more birds is if they are issued a breeding permit or a rehabilitation permit.
6. The regulations allow Master Falconers to keep up to 5 wild raptors to use in falconry. Currently, Master Falconers are allowed to keep 3 raptors for falconry. Allowing the possession of 5 wild raptors does not change the allowed annual take of 2 raptors from the wild each year (Sec. 21.29 (e)(2)). 7. A Master Falconer may possess any number of captive-bred raptors if they are used in falconry. Allowing the possession of captive-bred raptors does not change the allowed annual take of 2 raptors from the wild or the level of care we require (Sec. 21.29 (e)(2)).
#6 shows the new number of allowed wild birds to be in possesion. #7 shows the number (unlimited) of CB raptors
This is of course once the state adopts the new fed regs.
I'm confused about when the regs go ino effect...on page 59467 it says:
If your residence is in
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, or Wyoming
you may
practice falconry under the Federal regulations in effect on November 7, 2008 (if falconry was allowed in your State at that time) until your State has certified that it meets the requirements in these regulations or until January 1, 2014.
Does this mean they falconers should operate as if these are the regulations now? That's is how the wording sounds to me.
"3. We will allow Apprentice Falconers to possess additional species of Falconiformes and Strigiformes taken from the wild."
Hmm...this is very interesting. So now Red-Tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, Northern Goshawks (Alaska), Red-Shouldered Hawks (Some states) along with Harris' Hawks and more species of other birds of prey and more species of owls will be availiable for the Apprentice falconer? This sounds very exciting, but somewhat worries me. Heck, I've had bad luck with my first 3 red-tails. I don't think I'd be ready for a owl! Honestly, would an owl be a smart choice for the apprentice? I think a Harris' would be an alright bird for an apprentice if you lived in an area where you could trap them like red-tails, such as in the southwestern region of the US. Too bad I don't live there, hehe! Anyways, it will be very interesting which owl species will be made availiable to falconers. Who knows? Maybe barn owls, eastern/western screech owls, Barred Owls, Long-eared, Short-eared owls...this will open up a larger, newer region of falconry!
Just a little something on my mind. I know many falconers discourage the allowence of RS's and Gos's already, what will they think about this?
Bridget
"Falconry is not a hobby or an amusement; it is a rage. You eat and drink it, sleep it and think it. You tremble to write of it, even in recollection. It is as King James the First remarked, an extreme stirrer up of passions." --- T.H. White
You may possess a wild-caught or captive-bred raptor of any Falconiform or Strigiform species except the following: American swallow-tailed kite (Elanoides forficatus), bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), Steller’s seaeagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), northern harrier (Circus cyaneus), Swainson’s hawk (Buteo swainsoni), ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus), flammulated owl (Otus flammeolus), burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), and short-eared owl (Asio flammeus).
So, essentially, apprentices can fly GHOs & Snowys (only owls that I have heard that could be useful for falconry) and almost any other bird our sponsors agree to.
7. A Master Falconer may possess any number of captive-bred raptors if they are used in falconry. Allowing the possession of captive-bred raptors does not change the allowed annual take of 2 raptors from the wild or the level of care we require (
Thanks for the post. Is this a change in the new regulations?
So, essentially, apprentices can fly GHOs & Snowys (only owls that I have heard that could be useful for falconry) and almost any other bird our sponsors agree to.
lets not forget that!!!!
just cause it says we can doesnt mean we should. At 12 or 14 years old, or 30, with no experience at all a GHO would be you absolute worst choice. The word of your sponsor is the word you should follow, as long as it follows the law.
but the power in the feet of a GHO feels SOOOOOOOOOO good on the glove!!!
This is an email sent out to NAFA members. This should answer your questions as to when......
Dear NAFA Member,
Below is a copy of an email from Dr. George Allen of the USFWS regarding the publication of the revised falconry regulations. Dr. Allen provided this to help briefly explain the timing of the implementation of the revised federal regulations.
The new falconry regulations are not applicable for falconers in any State right away. Each State will operate under the current regulations until it transitions to the new ones, which won't be before 1 January 2010, and could be later. I've got to make the transition smooth for the States and for falconers. If we make the changeover in the middle of a year, folks will be confused about which regulations are applicable that year, and 3-186A reporting will be confused because some folks will report under the old system, and some electronically. It makes more sense to me to make a clean change at the beginning of a calendar year.
Even if a State finishes its new regulations this year or early next year, we need time to review and certify them. In addition, the State will need to work with our database person to make sure that the State database is compatible and can readily provide falconer information to us so that falconers an complete 3-186As online (if the State chooses to let them do so).
Finally, I plan to publish a Federal Register notice telling everyone which States will change over to the new system the following year. Because it costs us money to publish in the Federal Register, I propose to do this once a year, sometime in the fall. In that notice, I will inform everyone which States have completed the certification and will begin State-only permitting the following January.
These considerations are why I don't expect any State to begin operating under the new regulations before 2010.
I hope all of you NAFA members appreciate, as I do, the enviable position we are in to be recognized as the key stakeholder for the American falconry community, allowing us excellent communications with the Service. NAFA is beginning to formulate ways to help states in the transition to these new regulations. We anticipate a lot of collaboration with state falconry clubs on this effort in upcoming months.
Thank you for your continuing support of NAFA!
Good Hawking,
Dan Cecchini, Jr., President North American Falconers' Association
"Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid." -John Wayne
but the power in the feet of a GHO feels SOOOOOOOOOO good on the glove!!!
A 12 year old might arguee that point =P
and this is where falconry teaches good parenting skill.
if you give in and let the kid get the GHO, then you can equate that to a bird coming for the tidbit and grabing it and running.
if they are that prestiant on getting a bird you dont want them to get then dont sponsor them, you hold the power.
gotta question, since it sounds like captive bread birds are special, are they providing a form of "ownership" of purchased birds? or are they still protected like a wild bird?
Just so everyone knows I did find the first mistake in the new regulations! HEHE
I talked with George Allen and he confirmed that my mistake was the first one found.
Here's the mistake:
(C) You must submit a document from a General Falconer or Master Falconer (preferably your sponsor) to your State, tribal, or territorial wildlife agency stating that you have practiced falconry with wild raptor(s) at the Apprentice Falconer level or equivalent for at least 2 years, including maintaining, training, flying, and hunting the raptor(s) for least 4 months in each year. That practice may include capture and release of falconry raptors.
This is contradictory because the regulations also state that apprentices can own captive bred birds. Since the regulations clearly call out the term wild as meaning a bird that was taken from the wild this seems to be at the very least a contradiction.
They are going to strike the word wild from this section of the laws regarding promoting from apprentice to general.
I'd also like to try to clarify an ongoing issue involving possession of falconry birds. I should not have put the statement in the proposed propagation regulations stating the birds held under the permit are not private property, and long ago took I it out of the version of the propagation regulations that will address comments and make final changes to the regulations.
MBTA falconry and propagation raptors are private property, but their possession still has more constraints on it than does possession of most private property. I believe that some folks have taken my correction about the private property statement to mean there are now no constraints on the possession of falconry and propagation raptors. That is not correct. The rights and responsibilities of a permittee under the MBTA or the BGEPA are unchanged. Possession of raptors for falconry or propagation is still subject to the same constraints that have always been in place. A permittee must comply with his or her permit conditions, and he or she may not undertake activities or actions not allowed by the permit.
No falconry bird or propagation bird of a species listed in 50 CFR 10.13 is exempt from the MBTA or MBTA regs. For example, because hybrids are defined as MBTA birds, they are covered. Captive-bred birds of MBTA species are still covered under the MBTA. Raptors taken from the wild for falconry still may not be bought or sold. In the future, falconry birds and falconers' facilities and records will still be subject to inspection.
In short, I've been corrected - and we won't say falconry raptors are not private property. However, that does not mean that anything else is changed. As I told someone else, I think that some people are failing to distinguish between "private property" and "exempt from the MBTA." I have said that raptors held under falconry permits are private property. However, both wild-caught and captive-bred MBTA raptors are still protected under the Act.
If you or others have additional questions on this point, please let me know.