My daughter is an active…

My daughter is an active falconer. I have had the opportunity to see her train a wild caught red tailed hawk and have seen the bond that they share grow. I support this proposal for a number of reasons.

I helped my daughter while she was trapping, by driving. I could see how large an area is required to find a juvenile hawk. We trapped for a long time without success. The proposal would allow falconers to trap anywhere in Ontario thus increasing the chances of finding a hawk. This is especially important for apprentice falconers.

My daughter would tell me how different the hawk she eventually trapped was from other birds she had trained. Being able to trap one hawk per calendar year would allow falconers to learn more about training and hunting with wild caught birds.

My daughter also assisted the Ontario Hawking Club (OHC) monitor goshawk populations. I agree with the proposal of allowing a draw on goshawk trapping permits, and that is should be limited to general falconers.

I believe that falconry is an important tradition, as UNESCO has designated. It would be a shame if this tradition could not carry on into the future. Falconers need to know a lot about the environment that their quarry and raptor species inhabit to be successful. The ability to trap a bird in the fall and release it in the spring is part of that tradition.

I am hopeful that this proposal will go through.