TKing
01-30-2013, 12:00 PM
Hi All! My name is Tasha King, and this will probably be a very long winded intro because I am so excited that this forum exists! I have been extremely interested in falconry since I knew of its existence, some 20 years now (ok, so when I was 8!). I just had an epiphany while attending the Hoggetown Medieval Faire this past weekend and seeing the Raptors of the Gauntlet show, that due to recent life changes, I can now become involved in the sport. Yes, a brand new epiphany, but I am already dreaming at night about training my hawk, lol. I am here to soak up as much knowledge as possible for the exam and to network. So far, I have received the information packet from FWC and am simply reading, for hours on end, about the sport/art of it all.
A bit about me...
I moved to Gville at 18 due to personal home issues (originally from Nashville, TN) and obtained a minimum wage petshop job. Long story short within 10 years, I now own my own business, home and take classes on and off. I worked 7.5 years at the Lubee Bat Conservancy as the Head Keeper and the zoo field is my true passion. My business pays well with fewer hours (Professional pet sitting), but dogs and cats are so boring when I have worked with giant fruit bats (Pteropus) and have had so many wonderful shadowing opportunities at various zoos. I am itching to work with wildlife again and falconry would be perfect! Animals are my life...I currently have 3-4 dogs (I foster for greyhound rescue), 4 cats, 1 water dragon, bf has snakes and uromastyx, 2 milk frogs, 2 chickens, 1 spotted pufferfish, 1 parrotlet and a goffins cockatoo.
I have absolutely no experience with hunting. I am actually quite the oxymoron, haha. As much as I have loved the idea of a hunt (I only played the Oregon Trail because of the hunting part of the game and one of my first games to buy for xbox was a hunting one, lol), I am a vegetarian (almost vegan) and do not wear leather. However, I do love skulls and pelts and commonly pick up roadkill to process for decoration. Sawing the head off a giant, weeklong dead feral pig is no easy feat, but I do have a nice skull from it, lol. I commonly feed my pets raw meat and kill my own rodents for my bf's snakes. I have no problem with the life cycle, I just can't eat or wear it myself. Due to my own gradual, spiritual enlightenment and the need to get out in nature, I know I would LOVE to go out with my bird and hunt. I already know I will freeze back her kills, and, if she is very successful, my cats and dogs will be most happy as well. It is such a wholesome sport and I can't wait to get more involved!!! If there is anyone local, I would love to go to the field with them and experience it all. At the moment, I am thinking microhawking would be best. I know, not for beginners..it's not even legal in fl as I think the smallest you can get as an apprentice is a Merlin now that new laws have been passed. I know my opinion could easily change over time and with experience.
Anyways, long winded, right? Now my next step is to get lots of books. I received a list of good ones from FWC and will search around on here, but if anyone has any suggestions, I will welcome those as well. Thanks all!!!
A bit about me...
I moved to Gville at 18 due to personal home issues (originally from Nashville, TN) and obtained a minimum wage petshop job. Long story short within 10 years, I now own my own business, home and take classes on and off. I worked 7.5 years at the Lubee Bat Conservancy as the Head Keeper and the zoo field is my true passion. My business pays well with fewer hours (Professional pet sitting), but dogs and cats are so boring when I have worked with giant fruit bats (Pteropus) and have had so many wonderful shadowing opportunities at various zoos. I am itching to work with wildlife again and falconry would be perfect! Animals are my life...I currently have 3-4 dogs (I foster for greyhound rescue), 4 cats, 1 water dragon, bf has snakes and uromastyx, 2 milk frogs, 2 chickens, 1 spotted pufferfish, 1 parrotlet and a goffins cockatoo.
I have absolutely no experience with hunting. I am actually quite the oxymoron, haha. As much as I have loved the idea of a hunt (I only played the Oregon Trail because of the hunting part of the game and one of my first games to buy for xbox was a hunting one, lol), I am a vegetarian (almost vegan) and do not wear leather. However, I do love skulls and pelts and commonly pick up roadkill to process for decoration. Sawing the head off a giant, weeklong dead feral pig is no easy feat, but I do have a nice skull from it, lol. I commonly feed my pets raw meat and kill my own rodents for my bf's snakes. I have no problem with the life cycle, I just can't eat or wear it myself. Due to my own gradual, spiritual enlightenment and the need to get out in nature, I know I would LOVE to go out with my bird and hunt. I already know I will freeze back her kills, and, if she is very successful, my cats and dogs will be most happy as well. It is such a wholesome sport and I can't wait to get more involved!!! If there is anyone local, I would love to go to the field with them and experience it all. At the moment, I am thinking microhawking would be best. I know, not for beginners..it's not even legal in fl as I think the smallest you can get as an apprentice is a Merlin now that new laws have been passed. I know my opinion could easily change over time and with experience.
Anyways, long winded, right? Now my next step is to get lots of books. I received a list of good ones from FWC and will search around on here, but if anyone has any suggestions, I will welcome those as well. Thanks all!!!