This is a deeply misguided…

This is a deeply misguided proposal that simply seeks to pander to individuals who seek to keep wild birds only for personal pleasure and amusement. The existing draw system is perfectly fair as-is, and permission to catch a wild bird of prey should be a privilege and not an expectation or right. Far too many falconers already view the hobby as some sort of show of masculinity and dominion over nature in breaking and "taming" a wild bird, and as a means to keep a fun pet for a year that they can later release. The "no guarantee" aspect of a 25 bird draw ensures that only those serious about the hobby will actually follow through and pursue it - it should NOT be open to and guaranteed to all every year. The amendment to add goshawk is troubling, seeing as two accipiter species are already legal take and Northern Goshawk is a notoriously difficult species to keep. Goshawks already experience intensive poaching pressure from falconers in Ontario and this will only facilitate further illegal activity. The desire for the "challenge" of keeping a passage goshawk for a year is not adequate justification to take from a population that already experiences pressure and also happens to fetch a handsome sum on the black market. Those who wish to work with goshawks should buy captive-bred birds which are available from a variety of sources. If cost is an issue, then they should not be involved in an already expensive hobby if they aren't willing to invest in a bird.