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Non-Typical Solutions

Falconry license

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You have to pass a test and be sponsored by a 3rd degree falconer in order to get your license. I just about did it 35+ years ago. Not sure if the rules have changed but it a cool hobby that takes a lot of your time. 

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9 hours ago, Non-Typical Solutions said:

Has anybody messed with falconry?

I’m not really interested in hunting with a falcon but a google search says in Az you have to purchase a license to own a falcon?

Sport Falconry License Application

The sport of falconry (the use of raptors to obtain game animals) began in the 7th century and at times was restricted to the noblest of cultures. Historically, the effect of taking raptors from the wild has little impact to species abundance.  Raptor populations were presumed to be at carrying capacity and falconers harvested only the number of birds that would be lost naturally before reaching breeding age.  But as human populations and human induced population declines of raptors species increased (i.e. the use of DDT), most countries around the world began to regulate falconry.

All North American raptors are protected by federal and state laws including: the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Lacey Act, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Airborne Hunting Act, and various state statutes. Some of these federal laws allow the states to regulate the capture, possession, and use of raptors in Sport Falconry. Falconry in Arizona is defined as “the sport of hunting or taking quarry with a trained raptor.” The Arizona Game and Fish Department regulates the use of North American Raptors in Sport Falconry through state statutes, Arizona Game and Fish Commission Rules and Orders.  These include:

  • Applicable Arizona Revised Statutes – A.R.S. 17-101, 17-236, 17-301, 17-303, 17-304, 17-321, 17-371
  • Applicable Arizona Rules –  R12-4-102, R12-4-104, R12-4-106, R12-4-304, R12-4-318, R12-4-401, R12-4-402, R12-4-403, R12-4-405, R12-4-406, R12-4-407, R12-4-409, R12-4-412, R12-4-422, 428, R12-4-801, R12-4-802, R12-4-803
  • Falconry Specific Rule:  R12-4-422
  • Arizona Game and Fish Commission Orders, See Commission Order 25
  • AZGFD Laws and Rules

Fee: $145

License Valid:  The license is valid until the third December from the date of issuance.

Looking for more falconry information?

If you are interested in Sport Falconry or becoming a falconer, visit the:

Once you have followed the guidance and completed the necessary steps to become a falconer, you can start your Sport Falconry License Application Form 2722-A

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6 hours ago, Big Tub said:

you essentially have to be married to your falcon

Oof, it's hard enough to stay married to a real wife. I'll pass on falcons

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There's a guy in here that has a couple I think ... I can't remember his name right now ... he's posted pictures of them in the past.

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13 hours ago, 654321 said:

Sport Falconry License Application

The sport of falconry (the use of raptors to obtain game animals) began in the 7th century and at times was restricted to the noblest of cultures. Historically, the effect of taking raptors from the wild has little impact to species abundance.  Raptor populations were presumed to be at carrying capacity and falconers harvested only the number of birds that would be lost naturally before reaching breeding age.  But as human populations and human induced population declines of raptors species increased (i.e. the use of DDT), most countries around the world began to regulate falconry.

All North American raptors are protected by federal and state laws including: the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Lacey Act, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Airborne Hunting Act, and various state statutes. Some of these federal laws allow the states to regulate the capture, possession, and use of raptors in Sport Falconry. Falconry in Arizona is defined as “the sport of hunting or taking quarry with a trained raptor.” The Arizona Game and Fish Department regulates the use of North American Raptors in Sport Falconry through state statutes, Arizona Game and Fish Commission Rules and Orders.  These include:

  • Applicable Arizona Revised Statutes – A.R.S. 17-101, 17-236, 17-301, 17-303, 17-304, 17-321, 17-371
  • Applicable Arizona Rules –  R12-4-102, R12-4-104, R12-4-106, R12-4-304, R12-4-318, R12-4-401, R12-4-402, R12-4-403, R12-4-405, R12-4-406, R12-4-407, R12-4-409, R12-4-412, R12-4-422, 428, R12-4-801, R12-4-802, R12-4-803
  • Falconry Specific Rule:  R12-4-422
  • Arizona Game and Fish Commission Orders, See Commission Order 25
  • AZGFD Laws and Rules

Fee: $145

License Valid:  The license is valid until the third December from the date of issuance.

Looking for more falconry information?

If you are interested in Sport Falconry or becoming a falconer, visit the:

Once you have followed the guidance and completed the necessary steps to become a falconer, you can start your Sport Falconry License Application Form 2722-A

Thanks for the information!

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I’ve always thought falconry was fascinating but have never taken the plunge. 

I did hear though (and maybe someone with more knowledge can chime in or correct me if I’m wrong) that when you eventually get to the point of taking the bird out of the aviary for exercise, training, or hunting flights, knowing your bird’s accurate weight is very important.  As was explained to me, they only come back to the handler if they are hungry enough to be tempted by the morsel of meat the falconer is offering. If they are too satiated, they will fly off and sit on a tree or light pole and just checking things out for hours until they get hungry enough to fly back to the falconer or just fly off to look for food elsewhere.

A guy that I knew who was a falconer (back in the 1980's) who would trap wild adult birds, acclimate them to humans, get them to associate him with food and entice them to come to him with meat from distance (which they would do IF hungry enough, hence the weighing mentioned above).  When he no longer had time to devote to the bird, he would just release it back into the wild because the bird was a wild bird and already knew how to be a wild raptor.  If there is an option of raising the raptor from a chick (and I don’t know if this happens) then my guess is that the commitment is for the life of the raptor because release wouldn’t be an option because that bird would be imprinted on humans would not know how to be a wild raptor.

This is website for a falconry store but might have helpful information:

https://www.mikesfalconry.com/home-2

 

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You could reach out the raptor association folks, they are at 43rd and camelback and more around the state I think

They rehab and release injured birds but I bet they would point you in the right direction to get into it; you need to be mentored for years ( I think 2 years) before you can have your own

https://arizonaraptorcenter.org/

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