Eliminating the draw is a…

Eliminating the draw is a huge improvement. It enables all apprentice falconers to be able to trap their first bird of prey. Not only does the apprentice gain experience trapping, but they can release their bird back to the wild at the end of the hunting season, knowing that they'll be able to trap a new bird for the next season. This is the way that falconry has been practiced for thousands of years. Releasing birds back to the wild to breed in the spring, and trapping a young bird the next fall season are an important falconry tradition. In this way, the effect of falconry on the wild raptor population is inconsequential.

The Ontario Hawking Club has been very active in monitoring goshawks, and I strongly support the proposal to allow adjustment of the numbers of goshawks based on new information as it becomes available in the future. I, personally, am involved in the goshawk research and, based on my research, knowledge and understanding, I support the addition of the Northern Goshawk to the approved list of falconry birds.