New Jersey Falconry Club Winter Field Meet 2020

[Goshawker]

NJFC 2020 Winter Field Meet
February 7th - 8th, 2020
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Guest Speaker Steve Chindgren
Steve Chindgren is a world-renowned falconer born andraised in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Chindgren’s drive, dedication and passion to the sport isunparalleled. He dedicates himself to the hawking season every Septemberthrough February at his infamous House of Grouse Ranch in Eden, Wyoming.He has produced eight different films on the sport of falconry including thepopular Red Grouse Hawking Scotland and House of Grouse.
Steve’s has justreleased his new book The Art of Hawking Sage Grouse.
Holiday Inn 1 Pureland Drive Swedesboro NJ 856.467.3322
Room Blocks are up. Use NJF when booking
Friday Night Social and Apprentice Workshop 7:00
Banquet Saturday Night 6:00
Meet Registration Page is up on our website.

Meet Registration is for people flying birds only.
Meet Registration is Free to all NJFC Members.Register at desk when you arrive.
www.newjerseyfalconryclub.com

[jdrmd]

Wow, nice speaker. He is one of the few people I would travel to hear speak...but not all the way up to New Jersey. I really enjoy his videos on youtube and hope to meet him sometime.

[FredFogg]

Any game in NJ? :-)

[joekoz]

Fred:

This will be the 7th year in a row that the New Jersey Club has held its meet at the same location, and every year it draws more and more out of state falconers to the meet. For the last several years it has drawn falconers from as many as 6 states. The reason. Close by access to lots of game (last year one out of state falconer took 5 bunnies), and club members who are welcoming and helpful. Although the meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, New Jersey allows for Falconry to be practiced o Sundays and many who attend hunt o Sunday prior to heading home.

[goshawkr]

... Although the meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, New Jersey allows for Falconry to be practiced o Sundays and many who attend hunt o Sunday prior to heading home....

Still blows me away that some states have prohibitions on hunting on Sundays....

[JRedig]

Still blows me away that some states have prohibitions on hunting on Sundays....

Welcome to 1921!

[Jneumann57]

Always see tons of game when I go to NJ. I remember one year hunting pheasant across the street from a strip mall.

[rkumetz]

Always see tons of game when I go to NJ. I remember one year hunting pheasant across the street from a strip mall.

Where can you be in NJ where there is NOT a strip mall?

[rkumetz]

Still blows me away that some states have prohibitions on hunting on Sundays....

Falconers may get access on Sundays but it is likely that attempts to open Sunday for firearms and bowhunting will be met by challenges from bark covered granola crunching types claiming that Sunday is the only day they are safe in the woods.

[robbeth]

Where can you be in NJ where there is NOT a strip mall?

Lots of farm land in NJ

[rkumetz]

Lots of farm land in NJ

I grew up in Bergen County. Strip malls chased me to Sussex and the right out of state. My brother lives near the gap and that isn't much better. It is really sort of sickening. When my dad was a teenager Boonton was the sticks.

I decided to move out because a place surrounded by NYC and Phili is not going to have farmland forever. Every year more hawking fields turned into condos.

As you may have already figured out, I am not really a people person.

South Jersey does still have some nice places. I wonder for how long though.

[Jneumann57]

I grew up outside of hackettstown. There are still plenty of places to hunt up that way.
I was upset about the rockport game farm shutting down

[robbeth]

I live in south Jersey lots of farms left. Not like it used to be but still a lot central still has quite a bit too in certain areas. Northern NJ is what most people think of . Don't get me wrong I want out of the state too. lol but not because of lack of hunting ground or game. Our meet is one of the best .in a good area Lots of game and good people.

[rkumetz]

I live in south Jersey lots of farms left. Not like it used to be but still a lot central still has quite a bit too in certain areas. Northern NJ is what most people think of . Don't get me wrong I want out of the state too. lol but not because of lack of hunting ground or game. Our meet is one of the best .in a good area Lots of game and good people.

The problem with places like Jersey is that what is left of the rural landscape exists on a ticking timer. When I was a kid there were open spaces but now when I go back they are all strip malls and townhouses.
You are simply too close to too many people and more keep arriving. They all sort of squish of the population centers looking for cheaper housing or for a small chunk of a lawn that they can't have where they are.

When I finally left Jersey I had the choice of going south or out of state. As you are no doubt aware, there are other issues in Jersey (such as urban centers sucking tax dollars out of everywhere else and politicians who answer to nobody except those who bought their offices for them) so I opted to move to VT having spent a lot of summers fishing and where the "woodchucks" were friendly and sensible people who espoused an attitude of "if what you are doing doesn't interfere with what I am doing then it is none of my business." Once I got here I realized that it was precisely that attitude that allowing the people from the NY-NY metro area and MA to move in and ruin it. I cannot for the life of me understand why you would move to a place because you liked it and then try to make it just like the wretched place that you moved from. Unfortunately I can't move any farther north unless I learn to speak French. I am literally a 10 minute walk from QC.

I miss my family but every time I go down I break out in a rash and can't wait to leave. Now I am in search of a new place to go where they are less likely to allow the people who are chasing me from where I came from to ruin it for everyone. The one thing that I do miss about Jersey is the much better falconry regs. All of the Subaru driving, granola munching, bark covered tree huggers here think that falconers are satan's offspring and F&W people tend to keep clear to avoid risking their pensions.

[Goshawker]

Since when did a Field Meet Announcement turn into a dissertation on Urban Development? How about starting a new thread for that and stay on topic.

[Captain Gizmo]

I believe this thread has met the three posts on topic before diverging protocol.

Relevancies,
Thomas of the Digressions

[rkumetz]

Since when did a Field Meet Announcement turn into a dissertation on Urban Development? How about starting a new thread for that and stay on topic.

Not often that I get to talk about much with falconers from NJ after leaving but your request is duly noted.

[goshawkr]

Since when did a Field Meet Announcement turn into a dissertation on Urban Development? How about starting a new thread for that and stay on topic.

Hey, I for one am ecstatic to see a group of falconers who have it worse than I do in that regard. I lost ~75+ acres of hunting fields to development in the last year alone.

[robbeth]

I tried to steer it back on course.. But seriously it is a great meet.
And anyone that can make it should come.

[joekoz]

I grew up outside of hackettstown.
I was upset about the rockport game farm shutting down

I live about 10 miles from Rockport, and can assure you there is no one more upset then me.

For anyone that isn't familiar with Rockport they use to raise anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 pheasant there for wildlife management area stocking every year. They had almost 60 acres of penned in area with 15 feet high netting covering the pens.

After I got my first Goshawk 9 years ago the surrounding area was my go to place to hunt. Lots of pheasant would escape, and do to the surrounding residential properties gun hunting wasn't allowed. Took more then my share of pheasant hunting there with my goshawks over the years.

[robbeth]

If your planning on coming. Book your rooms while there are still discounted rooms available. Should be a good one .

[robbeth]

We secured a Marshall FM500 for the raffle !!

[dboyrollz76]

I watch a lot of Steve’s videos he seems like nice guy and he’s entertaining and funny. Not to mention the awesome flights.

[robbeth]

Friday is the last day for the discounted rooms.

[Dillon]

I'm planning on attending and hope to meet some local falconers. I don't have a bird, since I'm a recent transplant, so I'm jonesing for a vicarious falconry fix.

[Coeus]

Dillon,

There will be plenty of falconers that will be more than happy to have you tag along. Definitely introduce yourself, and if you cannot find anyone to go out with, try and find me and you should be able to tag along with me on Saturday. Granted I can remove myself from any responsibilities that the club requires.

[robbeth]

There should be plenty of people to go out with. We always seem
To have a good turn out and a lot of people gather in the lobby before going out. Like Alex said don't be afraid to introduce yourself.most of us are friendly

[goshawkr]

Dillon,

There will be plenty of falconers that will be more than happy to have you tag along. Definitely introduce yourself, and if you cannot find anyone to go out with, try and find me and you should be able to tag along with me on Saturday. Granted I can remove myself from any responsibilities that the club requires.

Alex,

Didnt Dillon just give you the out you need?

[Coeus]

Geoff,

As much as I want that to be the out that I need, it may not be. I will definitely find time to put the peregrine up though. Just a matter of finding a slip for him.

Also, thank you for the Goshawk Meet hat. Much appreciated.

Alex,

Didnt Dillon just give you the out you need?

[goshawkr]

Geoff,

As much as I want that to be the out that I need, it may not be. I will definitely find time to put the peregrine up though. Just a matter of finding a slip for him.

Also, thank you for the Goshawk Meet hat. Much appreciated.

Your welcome Alex. Britt was doing a lot of vicarious living while I was at the meet, so it seemed like the two of you were there. Be great to see you guys out at one. We have a guy that comes over from Wales, so you wouldnt even be the most far traveling attendee.

Its awesome that you are so proactive about running the NJ meet. That is a thankless job.

[Coeus]

Your welcome Alex. Britt was doing a lot of vicarious living while I was at the meet, so it seemed like the two of you were there. Be great to see you guys out at one. We have a guy that comes over from Wales, so you wouldnt even be the most far traveling attendee.

Its awesome that you are so proactive about running the NJ meet. That is a thankless job.

Geoff,

Well, hopefully we can make it this next year or the following year. After that, we will be looking at moving out that way anyways. So, we will have plenty of time to get together.

[Coeus]

To All,

Incase you plan on attending the NJ Field Meet, but have yet to book a hotel room, please be advised that the block room rate is no longer available.

Fortunately, the hotel still has rooms available, and will be more than happy to help you obtain a room. So please call the Holiday Inn at Swedesboro, New Jersey to book your room.

The sheer amount of game, coupled with raffle items, and, of course, Steve Chindgren attendance, will make this a meet you don't want to miss!!!!

[robbeth]

Thanks to all who came and made it another great year !

[Goshawker]

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[Goshawker]

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