Falconers have played an…

Falconers have played an important role in raptor conservation, and by allowing more falconers to have access to wild birds, the MNRF is encouraging more active conservation and citizen science.
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 is an important falconry tradition. In this way, the effect of falconry on the wild raptor population is inconsequential.