NEWS Bulletin FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Milton Harmon
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NEWS Bulletin FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: Ryan VanZant, 918-914-3577 Meet Chair ryan.a.vanzant @gmail.com Brandi Nickerson, 940-507-0333 Meet Registration Brandi7777@yahoo.

1 NEWS Bulletin FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: Ryan VanZant, Meet Chair Brandi Nickerson, Meet Registration For more information, contact: Peter Tirrell, Press/Media Coordinator Dianne Moller, NAFA Public Information Officer Falconers and Birds of Prey Gather in Elk City, Oklahoma, for National Field Meet Elk City, Oklahoma: Birds of prey have captivated human hearts for untold centuries. If you are one of those captivated, the North American Falconers Association (NAFA) invites you to come see some of nature s most proficient hunters up-close-and-personal. NAFA will host its annual field meet in Elk City, Oklahoma, during November 13-18, The Oklahoma Falconers Association is the local host (see Facebook: Throughout the week, the meet headquarters at the Clarion Hotel in Elk City will be occupied by an impressive number of hawks, falcons, and eagles. In addition, falconers from all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom and other areas of the world will be present on a daily basis except

2 2 when they re out hunting with their birds around Elk City and the surrounding areas of western Oklahoma. Falconry is a time-honored, traditional hunting method that dates back to the very beginning of recorded human history. To practice falconry, falconers use trained birds of prey hawks, eagles, and falcons as partners to take wild game. Falconry also is identified and recognized as an art and a cultural heritage by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Today, falconry is practiced by an estimated 5,000 men and women throughout the United States. The annual field meet is held once a year. It is NOT a competition or a falconry exhibition. It is largely a social gathering or get together where falconers can meet other falconers from the far corners of the country (and the world) to exchange information, share experiences, purchase falconry equipment and gear from a wide variety of falconry craftspeople, and discuss training methods and falconry standards. Along with the basic camaraderie between falconers, the annual meet provides a venue for the annual NAFA business meeting where issues pertaining to falconry are discussed and decided. Interested observers are encouraged to visit the weathering yard (outdoor holding area) during the meet to see hundreds of raptors of all varieties from the smallest to the largest, including American kestrels, red-tailed hawks, peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons, Harris s hawks, goshawks, and golden eagles, along with several exotic species from other parts of the world. Visitors are welcome to take all the pictures they want from outside the weathering yard enclosure. And with the falconer s permission, they can also take an up-close-and-personal shot outside the weathering yard enclosure. As a group, falconers are friendly folks. Visitors are encouraged to ask questions, and perhaps even arrange to accompany a falconer on a real-time hunt to see and enjoy the passion of falconry.

3 3 Media personnel who want interviews on-site or for radio, TV, and social media, are encouraged to contact NAFA press/media Coordinators Peter Tirrell and Dianne Moller. Bottom line, come out and enjoy these majestic and stunningly beautiful birds with us. Feel free to come see some of nature s most proficient hunters at the Clarion Hotel in Elk City. The weathering yard is located on the grounds at the Clarion.

4 4 FALCONRY FACT SHEET FALCONRY IS: Falconry is hunting wild game in partnership with a trained bird of prey. Falconry is a time-honored, traditional hunting method that dates back to the very beginning of recorded human history. Falconry is the most highly regulated hunting activity in America, requiring a special State license and all required hunting licenses. In some cases, an additional federal falconry permit is required. Aspiring falconers go through a two-year apprenticeship period under the supervision and guidance of an experienced falconer. Falconry is the primary force behind restoring the peregrine falcon from the brink of extinction. Falconers were the first to notice the decline in peregrine populations, and many falconers donated their own birds for the successful captive breeding and restoration programs that allowed the peregrine falcon s removal from the Endangered Species list Falconry is practiced by men and women, youths, adults, and seniors. Falconry is a non-consumptive form of hunting and resource utilization. Falconry has no impact on populations of wild birds of prey, nor does it impact game populations. Falconry birds continue to do what they did in the wild, only with the addition of a human partner. Additionally, most birds taken from the wild are returned to the wild to join the breeding population. Falconry is based upon centuries-old tradition while also including cutting-edge technologies such as radio telemetry and Global Positioning Satellite technology. Falconry is based upon sound resource management and conservation. Falconry is an intimate form of bird watching. Through a mutual bond of trust and respect, falconers are allowed to observe, and participate in, a dynamic aspect of nature s circle of life. FALCONRY IS NOT: Falconry is NOT a competition. Falconry is NOT about keeping birds of prey in captivity for the purpose of exhibition or display. Falconry birds are released nearly every day and can choose whether or not to return to their falconer. The bird can fly the falconer cannot. Falconry is NOT about starving a bird into submission. A falconry bird is a fit, healthy athlete capable of performing at the utmost peak of its physical abilities and endurance. Falconry is NOT about keeping an exotic pet. Falconry is NOT a weekend-only, when-you-get-around-to-it activity. Falconry requires a daily commitment to the bird s health and wellbeing that includes regular hunting and exercise.

5 5 AVAILABLE NEWS/FEATURE STORIES For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact: Ryan VanZant, Meet Chair Or Peter Tirrell, Press/Media Coordinator or Dianne Moller, NAFA Public Information Officer NAFA Website: In Elk City, Clarion Hotel A BRIEF HISTORY OF FALCONRY: Although its origin is uncertain, falconry is an ancient activity, with earliest available records dating back to at least 722 B.C. in what is now modern-day Iraq. Records of trained goshawks introduced to Japan from China date back to 244 A.D. European records emerged in 400 A.D., indicating that falconry was limited primarily to royalty and the upper classes. Falconry most likely traveled to the New World with the Spanish exploration of Mexico in the early 16 th Century. However, the first reports from Hernando Cortez expedition into Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City) cited the availability of raptors for sale in the markets of Montezuma s Aztec empire. The first falconry club was formed in North America during the 1930s, but disbanded during World War II. Individuals continued to practice falconry through the Post-War period and the North American Falconers Association (NAFA) emerged in the 1960s. From there, state organizations formed. For 50 years NAFA has served the falconry community. NAFA s mission and purpose is to improve, aid, and encourage competency in the art and practice of falconry among interested persons; to provide communication among and to disseminate information to interested Members; to promote scientific study of the raptorial species, their care, welfare and training; to promote conservation of the birds of prey and an appreciation of their value in nature and in wildlife conservation programs; to urge recognition of falconry as a legal field sport; and, to establish traditions which will aid, perpetuate, and further the welfare of falconry and the raptors it employs. NAFA holds annual field meets and supports periodic regional field meets. It also publishes The Journal and Hawk Chalk. PEREGRINE DELISTING: Falconers played a huge role in the formation of the Endangered Species Act and the restoration of the peregrine falcon that resulted in the delisting of the peregrine falcon from Endangered classification. It was falconers who noticed the rapid decline in peregrine falcon populations during the mid-1960s. Falconers pushed for the creation of the Endangered Species Act

6 that protected the peregrine falcon (and other species like Bald Eagles) so that steps could be taken to rescue the peregrine falcon from the brink of extinction. Falconers developed captive-breeding programs. Many falconers donated their own birds to the restoration of the species through captive breeding. WORLD FALCONRY DAY: World Falconry Day is held every year on November 16th. It coincides with the anniversary of the recognition of falconry by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). In 2010, UNESCO) added falconry to its lists of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (see CRAFTSMEN OF ANCIENT ARTS: The art of falconry includes the mastery of several ancient crafts some of which have remained intact since the beginning of recorded human history, and others that have been affected and updated by modern technologies. Renowned craftsmen in leather working (hoods, jesses, leashes, etc.), wood working (falcon blocks), metal-working (blocks and perches) and bell making will all be in attendance at the NAFA meet. CUTTING-EDGE TECHOLOGIES: While much of falconry practice has remained unchanged, falconers also take advantage of cutting-edge technologies in radio telemetry and Global Positioning Satellite technology to reduce the chances of losing their bird(s) in the field. A falcon down on quarry can easily become a meal for a passing golden eagle or greathorned owl. It happens in the wild every day. Telemetry, and knowing how to use it, is often a matter of life and death for the bird. Experts and manufacturers representatives will be available to discuss the ins and outs of radio tracking devices to customers and the media. FALCONRY ART, MAGAZINES AND BOOKS: Falconry inspires art, writing and other forms of cultural expression. Falconry birds are romantic and charismatic living symbols of speed, grace, courage and trust. They have been revered in art, literature, and modern-day media, used to define culture and country, and considered keystone species and symbols of environmental health. The rich spiritual and cultural domain of falconry has been explored by authors such as Chaucer and Shakespeare, exploited by royal classes and copied to preserve the peregrine falcon. Falconers not only have a passion for their birds but they also have value and knowledge of the environment and perspectives and ethics regarding nature that they pass on through vocabulary, arts, practices and craftsmanship. The NAFA Meet has an array of exhibits and displays that feature original artwork (from t-shirts to hard-to-find antiquarian prints) and books sometimes including long out-of-print classics from medieval times. Also available are an array of videos, computer programs to track a bird s performance to the latest edition of American Falconry magazine the only magazine in North America dedicated to the art of falconry written by falconers. 6

7 7 A QUICK GLOSSARY OF FALCONRY LANGUAGE Like any specialized activity, falconry has its own language. Below are some key falconry terms. ACCIPITER: The family of hawks that include the goshawk, the Cooper s hawk and the sharp-shinned hawks that are often seen hunting small birds at back-yard bird feeders. BELL: a small jingle bell that is used to locate a bird when it is on the ground with quarry; it is usually attached to the bird s leg or tail. BLOCK, or PERCH: THe perching surface designed specifically for a falcon (block) or hawk (perch) so that they can rest comfortably in the weathering yard. CAST, CASTING: The word cast has several different meanings in falconry. It refers to the safe method of holding a bird for any necessary medical procedure. It also refers to a group of hawks or falcons hunting together in cooperation (for example, several falconers fly a cast of group of two or three Harris s hawks cooperatively). A casting is the regurgitated remains of the bird s previous meal. The bird eats everything fur, feathers, bones, etc. The meal is initially held in the crop where the digestible portions of the bird s meal are processed through the digestive system. What cannot be digested is then formed into a casting that is regurgitated the next morning. EYAS: A nestling bird of prey. When the bird begins to learn to fly, it becomes a brancher. FALCON: Any species of long-winged birds of prey. The falcon is known for its long, slender, pointed wings that allow it to master the sky. These are the high-speed jets of falconry the birds that can reach speeds of over 200 mph in a stoop, or dive. There are several species of falcon from the American kestrel (the smallest North American falcon) to the Arctic gyrfalcon (the largest). In between are the peregrine, the prairie falcon and the merlin (among others). FALCONRY EQUIPMENT AND GEAR: The equipment used in falconry that includes hoods, gloves (or gauntlets), blocks, perches, leashes, etc. HAWK: A broad-winged bird of prey, or buteo. The red-tailed Hawk is probably the most abundant bird of prey in North America. These are the hawks that can easily be spotted on telephone poles hunting along the highway, or soaring in the sky. The hawks are generally the soaring raptors and include the Red-tail, the redshouldered, the broad-winged, rough-legged and ferruginous hawks. HARRIS s HAWK: Known as a para-buteo, the Harris s hawk is an anomaly among birds of prey. While most hawks and falcons are solitary hunters, the Harris s hawks live in a social group like a pack of wolves. They hunt cooperatively and raise their young in a family group. Also known as the bay-winged hawk. HOOD: What people often call the hat or cap worn by a falcon or hawk. The hood is an ancient piece of falconry equipment) that effectively keeps a bird calm under stressful situations such as being surrounded by a group of unfamiliar humans. JESSES: The leather straps that attach to the leash. Jesses are removed for the bird s flight/hunting time. STOOP: The falcon s spectacular high-speed dive from high altitude. TIERCEL: A male peregrine. The term falcon is assumed to be the female. The term tiercel refers to the male that is typically about one-third smaller than the female. WEATHERING YARD: An outside safe area for a falconry bird to rest, bath, and drink, before or after its time in the field. At the NAFA meet in Elk City, the fenced-in and guarded weathering yard will be located on the grounds of the Clarion Hotel.

Greenlaw Mountain Hawk Watch Fall 2012

Greenlaw Mountain Hawk Watch Fall 2012 Our fourth season of data collection has been completed. There were numerous exciting moments and our season total was the second highest on record. Single-day high