I am in support of the…

I am in support of the proposal to expand the falconry wild take by eliminating the draw and adding goshawks to the list of approved species. This proposal to allow licensed Ontario falconers to trap a wild hawk without winning a draw provides a fairer process that allows more falconers to have access to wild birds rather than those bred in captivity which are often poor falconry birds due to imprinting. More than 80% of first-year birds die and thus, the MNRF is encouraging more active conservation by using these birds which are trained to hunt and if released are better able to survive.

This approach is in line with what is practiced successfully in other provinces and U.S. states and will succeed here in Ontario, as well.

A falconer who trains a wild falconer becomes more in tune with a wild bird and becomes a better-educated falconer.

The proposal enhances an important part of falconry heritage, which is recognized by UNESCO as “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.

I hope the MNRF will continue to expand the regulations, so other birds of prey can be taken in the near future.

The Ontario Hawking Club has been active in monitoring goshawks, and I strongly support the proposal to allow 5 goshawks to be included in wild take numbers based on the increased provincial numbers. Also, this falconry species represents a new challenge for experienced falconers and will encourage further efforts to monitor and study this species.

My family has not been successful in obtaining a bird through the draw and have since stopped applying. We welcome the opportunity to engage in our family tradition that goes back at least 4 generations. In the past falconers trapped a passage bird and only kept it for the winter releasing a trained bird next spring. By eliminating the draw 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.