Hello, I am an active…

Hello, I am an active licensed falconer in Ontario and I support this proposal for many reasons.

Opening the wild take permits to any falconer that applies for one would significantly impact education and conservation to not just the species that can be taken but for all native raptor species and our environment as a whole. With more native wild caught birds being used in falconry the more the general public will be able to see and learn about the ancient history of falconry and all our native species. This promotes getting involved and invested if not in the sport itself perhaps in conservation and preservation of all our wildlife. It is a great way of getting people involved.

I am in agreement with the MNRF including northern goshawks to the wild take list. The Ontario hawking club has done extensive research into nesting and goshawk numbers and making sure only one hawk is taken from an area will ensure the numbers stay high while allowing experienced falconers the ability to work with wild goshawks.

Getting rid of the lottery will help in multiple ways. Personally I have entered the draw multiple times and have never been selected. I would love the opportunity to hunt with a wild raptor to increase my knowledge and experience in the falconry world. The other great thing about an open wild take is the ability to release a bird back to the wild after the hunting season to breed and keep populations stable while allowing falconers the peace of mind to know they can trap another bird the following season without worrying about Hopefully getting lucky in the draw.

From an ecological standpoint this proposal will only help all our native raptors and wildlife in general from a conservation and educational standpoint and would be an amazing thing for all falconers in Ontario to be able to experience if they choose as falconers from other provinces and states do.

Thank you for your time.