I am a licensed falconer in…

I am a licensed falconer in Maine where we are allowed to take wild raptors for use in falconry. We require apprentice falconers to trap their first hawk so that they best learn the basics of falconry and better understand the nature of raptors. Monitoring by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has repeatedly shown that there is no impact of falconry on Maine raptor population. The conservative use of natural resources is a universal practice of Modern Civilization. The proposed changes to Ontario's falconry regulations are well within this practice, which is successfully used in falconry throughout the United States and many of Canada's Provinces. Falconers have and will continue to play a critical role in the conservation of wild raptors. I strongly recommend that the proposed changes to Ontario's falconry regulations be adopted.