Just for fun

[wyodjm]

What I was told by a past Director whom was serving at the time and dealing with the aftermath, was that Operation Falcon was a premeditated attempt by USFWS and National Audubon to outlaw falconry in the U.S. entirely. Is it any wonder that older falconers whom remember these good old days have trust issues and worse with not just the Federal level but also those at the state level whom have shown similar animus. It is not just falconers that are responsible for the ill will. NAFA's surrender on some issues in the 'new falconry regulations' has not helped their reputation or their membership numbers. I doubt I will ever be a member again.

One thing that NAFA did right was to appoint a new President, that was outside of the 'old guard'. Someone without a long history, that some view as on the wrong side of things.

Many people believe Operation Falcon was also an attempt on the part of the USFWS to shut down the Peregrine Fund.

A year after Operation Falcon, (1985) I had a haggard female Golden Eagle on a rehab permit. She was blind in one eye. I had her for a year and had her stooping the lure like a Peregrine while slope soaring her. A week before I was going to release her back to the wild, the USFWS called me and ordered me to ship the eagle to Jeff McPartlin!

The USFWS even sent me a prepaid crate to my door to put the eagle in with a shipping label already on it! All I was to do was drive the eagle to our local airport in Rock Springs! They actually told me not to release the eagle!

I mailed their worthless federal rehab permit back to them and told them to cancel it! I still have the paperwork!