Most important issues

[Yeomanfalconer]

So I have thrown my hat into the Mountain Director ring and wish to concentrate on and become aware of the most important issues to falconers in this region.

The issues of most concern I have heard from others here in Idaho and elsewhere are:

1. Possible loss of the Sage Grouse as a legal quarry.Why keeping falconers from the birds and their habitat would be a managment mistake.

2. An actual green light to take a wild peregrine in Idaho (and Montana ?).
Even just one FGS. Whats the deal ?

3. Bringing people together at the local, state and national levels. For a group of advocates with the same passion, there has never been more division.

I realize that these concerns are biased towards my own immediate area, but I want to know the story everywhere.

State adoption of the Federal regs still seems to be in limbo, making for a period of mis-understanding and assumptions that could be problematic. I would like the NAFA to offer more information to the states clubs(for myself)so

I want to hear it all, whether I get elected or not.

[RyanVZ]

State adoption of the Federal regs still seems to be in limbo, making for a period of mis-understanding and assumptions that could be problematic. I would like the NAFA to offer more information to the states clubs(for myself)so

I want to hear it all, whether I get elected or not.

http://www.n-a-f-a.com/members/RegsStatesQA.htm

The NAFA TAC committee has recommendations and offers help to states to get through the process.

Dr. Dave Eslicker is the chair. dslicker on NAFEX I believe

[Yeomanfalconer]

Thanks Ryan. I am starting to feel less like an Ostrich every day that I actually pull my head out and look around.

[frootdog]

I want to know what your position on having a NAFA meet in Idaho is?

I have brought it a a couple times over the years (among other things it would be nice to have it near the archives), but was told that there is zero support from Idaho falconers regarding this. The Main reason being "they do not want people coming to hunt their sage grouse."

[sharptail]

I want to know what your position on having a NAFA meet in Idaho is?

I have brought it a a couple times over the years (among other things it would be nice to have it near the archives), but was told that there is zero support from Idaho falconers regarding this. The Main reason being "they do not want people coming to hunt their sage grouse."When I was there, winter before last, Sage Grouse is SW Idaho were not doing well, mainly due to loss of habitat. If I remember correctly, a large area north of I-84, in SW Idaho was and likely still is, closed to hunting them at all. It would seem that Boise has boomed and sprawled and sage and the grouse have taken the hit. There was so much presure on the pheasants that any that could not out run the shot gunners and there dogs were dead. The best pheasant hawking I saw was in town in small fields...good for short and broad wingers.

I did end up hawking sage grouse a little, but it was some hours drive to the south and east. If grouse are the target, than eastern parts of the state may be better.

[wyodjm]

3. Bringing people together at the local, state and national levels. For a group of advocates with the same passion, there has never been more division.

There lies the rub. Perhaps the majority of falconers today are just too stupid to figure things out!

[everetkhorton]

Eric:
Thanks for taking the time a effort to run for NAFA director. Great to see the interest growing!

[Yeomanfalconer]

There lies the rub. Perhaps the majority of falconers today are just too stupid to figure things out!

As Nick Fox stated in UTBOP, most of us (falconers) are dyslexic.stupd

[Yeomanfalconer]

Eric:
Thanks for taking the time a effort to run for NAFA director. Great to see the interest growing!
Thanks for the thanks Ev, sumthins growing.

[Yeomanfalconer]

I want to know what your position on having a NAFA meet in Idaho is?

I have brought it up a couple times over the years (among other things it would be nice to have it near the archives), but was told that there is zero support from Idaho falconers regarding this. The Main reason being "they do not want people coming to hunt their sage grouse."

I am in favor of it. There has been some good new activity from the south central part of the state thanks to Idbirdman.

I don't know who would be more alarmed at the thought of hundreds of visiting falconers. Sage Grouse-aholics or the P. Fund (archives). Our local club infra-structure is not strong.

A Boise based meet could be well accommadated. Dirt Hawkers would have a blast. Long-wingers would be doing a lot of driving, but what else is new.

More discusion is warranted. I am excited to see the Utah group stepping up again.

[wyodjm]

As Nick Fox stated in UTBOP, most of us (falconers) are dyslexic.

I reckon. stupd Best of luck with your campaign Eric.

[MrBill]

Dan writes:

>Perhaps the majority of falconers today are just too stupid to figure things out!

Damn, Dan, statements like this certainly won't help bring falconers together. Geez!

Bill Boni
Norman, OK

[wyodjm]

Dan, statements like this certainly won't help bring falconers together.

What will bring falconers together?

[Saluqi]

What will bring falconers together?

Game, beer, maybe some whisky, or an acute threat to the sport.

[joekoz]

Perhaps the majority of falconers today are just too stupid to figure things out!

[QUOTE=MrBill;133912]

Dan, statements like this certainly won't help bring falconers together.

What will bring falconers together?
__________________
Dan McCarron, Wyoming

Jack Welch's Rule # 1 of 6:

Face Reality As It Is, Not As It Was Or As You Wish It Were.

I'm not so sure that we as falconers all have a clear understanding that we need to get past our own egos and work as a united front to insure our rights are not compromised by the Anti's who are united. NAFA & AFC are our VOICE. WE need to band together to support and leverage this fact!

[Ron Clarke]

Joe's right -- we have to be constantly vigilant for bad news from the antis. If the wrong celebrity or wealthy person gets out of bed tomorrow and decides to make a cause of going after falconry, we'd be in deep weeds. If one of the big groups takes a serious shot at falconry, we're in for a nasty ride.

Another major threat we can't afford to forget is the constant and continuing erosion of favorable conditions and regulations, whether by ill-intended design or bureaucratic accident. Only a handful of state and federal agency regulators understand and appreciate our sport/art/way of life. They have a difficult balancing act to do and will not always rule in our favor, but at least they know the score and can make informed decisions. They are valued allies, indeed. But the majority of regulators don't have falconry prominently in mind. Falconry is an anachronistic curiosity to many. A few are skeptical. Some are downright hostile. Whatever the intent, conscious or not, the effect of the attitudes and actions of a few can be negative: certain eyries are put off limits to falconers in Oregon; golden eagle take is legal, but made administratively impossible; passage gyr take is restricted in Colorado; all North American goshawk take is potentially jeopardized by a listing in Canada. The list is diverse and the list goes on.

We'll need all of our eyes and ears and thinking power to stay on top of this stuff. Time spent bickering is energy taken away from these important jobs. Sure, "spirited debate" (and debate fueled by spirits!) is a time-honored activity for falconers, but we can't afford to lose sight of the big picture and the real threats. Every falconer can and should have a say in local, state, provincial, regional, and national falconry organizations. We can all contribute something and each of us should try.

[everetkhorton]

Both Ron & Joe have some very good points. One of the simplest thing you can do is join your State Club and NAFA. When your leadership has to voice the concerns of falconry, at the State or Federal level nothing is better than being able to say, " We represent 99% of all falconers in the State." There are many falconer that do not like the politic of falconry, they just want to be able to take there birds to the field and hunt, we all wish it was that easy. But it is not, and we all should thank those that are working to keep falconry legal, with out those people we would not be taking our bird to the field to hunt. You may think this is BS, but I assure you it is not, and I hope it NEVER gets tested. JMO

[MrBill]

Joe writes:

>Perhaps the majority of falconers today are just too stupid to figure things out!

[QUOTE=MrBill;133912]

That wasn't my quote, Joe. Don't even tie me into that statement.

As I told Dan in private, we could talk to the cows come home about how to bring falconers together and accomplish absolutely nothing. I think Paul's comment is closer to reality than anyones thus far, particularly, "an acute threat to the sport."

Bill Boni
Norman, OK

[Tony James]

Game, beer, maybe some whisky, or an acute threat to the sport.

Hi Paul,

good sport and a nice time together, perhaps toasting our successes in the field, are things to cherish. But I suspect an 'acute threat to the sport' is the thing most likely to unite us.
Unfortunately we have to accept that the things that represent the biggest threats to what we are, are not big fisted and walking obviously towards us, but are, like a virus, sneaking up on us, trying to weaken us and slowly doing so whilst we bicker amongst ourselves.
It's easy to unite behind our champions as they deal with obviously powerful threats, but less easy to do when the threats are barely recognised by most of us. But in many ways, it takes more dedication and skill to recognise and deal with the near invisible attackers, and I for one am very grateful to those who take their turn to stand guard.

Best wishes,

Tony.

[everetkhorton]

Joe writes:

>Perhaps the majority of falconers today are just too stupid to figure things out!

[QUOTE=MrBill;133912]

That wasn't my quote, Joe. Don't even tie me into that statement.

As I told Dan in private, we could talk to the cows come home about how to bring falconers together and accomplish absolutely nothing. I think Paul's comment is closer to reality than anyones thus far, particularly, "an acute threat to the sport."

Bill Boni
Norman, OK

Bill:
So you see no need to have ANY falconry organization in the U.S., because they have accomplish absolutely nothing.

[MrBill]

Ev writes:

Bill:
So you see no need to have ANY falconry organization in the U.S., because they have accomplish absolutely nothing.

Come on, Ev, that's not what I said. And, I have no idea how you got this impression. I've now posted numerous comments about why people should join NAFA. The question was, "What will bring falconers together?." And my response to that question, which you quoted, had nothing to do with falconry organizations.