New from Chicago Area

[AndrewH]

Hello all!

I am new here I belong to a few other forums, as I figure I would get a very good knowledge base from multiple forums.

I recently signed up online to GLFA and tried to pay online however the paypal information would not allow me to pay because it said osmething with the sellers information.

I suppose the easiest wya would be to pay by check? does anyone know ifthe Batavia PO box address is correct?

thanks again! look forward to asking alot of questions and getting alot of great information.

[Lowachi]

Hello all!

I am new here I belong to a few other forums, as I figure I would get a very good knowledge base from multiple forums.

I recently signed up online to GLFA and tried to pay online however the paypal information would not allow me to pay because it said osmething with the sellers information.

I suppose the easiest wya would be to pay by check? does anyone know ifthe Batavia PO box address is correct?

thanks again! look forward to asking alot of questions and getting alot of great information.(welc) Welcome aboard fellow Illinoisian. I'll p/m you the treas. e-address(if you'd like) and he can get ya squared away. If you got the Batavia address from the web site, it should be correct.thumbsupp

[AndrewH]

(welc) Welcome aboard fellow Illinoisian. I'll p/m you the treas. e-address(if you'd like) and he can get ya squared away. If you got the Batavia address from the web site, it should be correct.thumbsupp

THAT would be awesome! Just currious, I have been reading a bunch of things on if you should take the Test first or you should find a Sponsor first, and the thoughts are if you show that you are very interested and you take the test then you show potential Sponsors that you are not just "looking" but others say that you will want to speak to your sponsor before you start doing much like building mews and such because of the potential for doing it wrong and then having to spend the time and energy and money to fix it... any thoughts?

and are there any good study guides for the Illinios test?

glad to see some other illinoisians on here :D

a little back ground I have been hunting since I was 10, between trapping and shotgun, to Archery when I was 14 so at least about 18 years worth of Hunting under my belt, the next thing for me is to hunt with Raptors. it sounds like it is more thrilling and even more challenging than bow hunting.

Any other hunters out there? (besides falconry hunting)

[Cory Martin]

welcome to the forum andrew. i don't know much about your test (seeing how i'm from mississippi right now), but from what i heard from everyone when i was getting ready to take my test...the best thing to study is the california hawkers study guide. it is set up as a multiple choice test, but gives the correct answer after the options, and then gives a real good explination of why. you can usually get it on ebay for around $15. the thing about the test before sponsor/sponsor before test...really depends on the person that's going to sponsor you. I had my sponsor before taking the test, but then there are those that just won't sponsor anyone who hasn't taken the test to prove they are really interested. i'd ask around and see what the potential sponsors had to say though. good luck getting started....and i hope i helped a little.

[MtnMan]

Welcome Andrew!

I grew up not too far from you, in Barrington. I still come down that way every few months to visit my parents.

I'd recommend the California Study Guide too, but if it was me I'd try to get in touch with some local falconers before I took the test, and for sure before I got started building anything (mews, etc...).

I do lots of other hunting besides falconry too, but most has taken a "back seat" since I started with the birds. I primarily hunt with muzzleloaders (only flintlocks though) for deer, turkeys, and upland birds, but also hunt with regular centerfire rifles and shotguns.

I was really into bowhunting for a lot of years, but haven't picked up my bow since I've started falconry. They hit at the same time of year, take lots of time, and given the choice I prefer falconry... My son is getting old enough to hunt, and is interested in archery, so I may decide to get back into it to some extent.

[AndrewH]

Thanks Guys, yeah everyone has the same suggestions so that is Great, because that tells me that everyone agrees on at least thaht much.

Yes Mtnman I grew up In Algonquin, so I knew quite a few people near the Barrington area, where in Barrington did you live? when did you graduate highschool? alot of question I know. :D

I Cant wait until Bow season this year, I plan on going this year, This is the first time in my life where I have had plenty of time to donate to my own personal time. it is GREAT. before with school and work I was always finding it hard to get out and put my time in the stand but now its like I have more free time than I know what to do with!

Next time youre in town you should look me up we can go have a few drinks and share some hunting storys!

I do have another question, the Test from what I got out of my conversation with the DNR guy was that it is the "Old Federal test" that has not changed in a few years, and from the research I have done there are a few OUTDATED questions on there, so I am using that online test that was derived from the orriginal Federal test as an extra study guide. and in my nights free I have been making my own test hopefully some of you can help me answer questions I can not find in my books. I think they are more geared for experience falconers. well at least the ones I have thought of. maybe not even related to what a beginer like myself will need to know for the test. my first goal is to Pass the test and then find a sponcer to learn everything I can and get some hunting experience (under them)

Thanks Guys keep the good advice coming!!!

Andrew

[Lowachi]

got a msg from the Treas. he's got your info/check...so thatt's taken care of. Next , I'd start asking around for sponsoring-prone persons and pick yerself a good one, and start studying for the test.thumbsupp

[MtnMan]

Thanks Guys, yeah everyone has the same suggestions so that is Great, because that tells me that everyone agrees on at least thaht much.

Yes Mtnman I grew up In Algonquin, so I knew quite a few people near the Barrington area, where in Barrington did you live? when did you graduate highschool? alot of question I know. :D

I Cant wait until Bow season this year, I plan on going this year, This is the first time in my life where I have had plenty of time to donate to my own personal time. it is GREAT. before with school and work I was always finding it hard to get out and put my time in the stand but now its like I have more free time than I know what to do with!

Next time youre in town you should look me up we can go have a few drinks and share some hunting storys!

I do have another question, the Test from what I got out of my conversation with the DNR guy was that it is the "Old Federal test" that has not changed in a few years, and from the research I have done there are a few OUTDATED questions on there, so I am using that online test that was derived from the orriginal Federal test as an extra study guide. and in my nights free I have been making my own test hopefully some of you can help me answer questions I can not find in my books. I think they are more geared for experience falconers. well at least the ones I have thought of. maybe not even related to what a beginer like myself will need to know for the test. my first goal is to Pass the test and then find a sponcer to learn everything I can and get some hunting experience (under them)

Thanks Guys keep the good advice coming!!!

Andrew

Sounds good Andrew, I'll let you know next time I plan to head down, and maybe we could meet up.

I graduated from BHS in '89. I lived on Station St, about a block SW of the Jewel/Osco. After HS I went out to Missoula, MT for college, then moved to Wisconsin where my wife is from. I've spent 15 years trying to drag her back out to MT, but no luck yet frus

I don't know the specifics for the Illinois test, I took it in Wisconsin, but I'm guessing they're very similar. The CHC Guide, and the online test samples were almost identical to the test I took. The test I took was 110 questions, with the last ten being pretty "Wisconsin-specific".

Good luck with the studying, any questions just holler...

[Roper]

WELCOME

if you like bow hunting it is a lot like falconry .... nothing nothing nothing and then something... walk walk walk ,, oh a bunny ..

If youwant to be a long winger ,, you drive and drive and drive and drive and drive and drive oh look there are some huns,,but I cant get in the right position .. so you drive and drive and drive and drive and drive....
Oh there is a duck on a pond, you put your bird up, perfect postion and you move in, just in time to watch the duck get up and your bird... well it has drifted off, somewhere else, so you pull out the ole receiver and wait for a signal .. no signal . so you drive and drive and drive beep, as your heart pounds out of your chest, so you drive some more and finally you get a signal with the falcon in some guys barn ,,
you knock on the door and try to explain that "your bird, is in his barn, he thinks your nuts, figures your some stupid bastard from the city.
He finally agrees to let you go into his barn with the curiousity getting the best of him as he has just gotta see what the hell this guy is talking about. You guys see the falcon and the guy goes to his grain bin and trys to put corn and oats down on the ground to help you get your bird down.

You pull out your lure and down the bird comes and he looks at it and says Ya that there's a chicken hawk.

All in all you will find some good people in this bunch of misfits like Rich B
good luck and welcome

[Roper]

Phil I gotta ask this; as you stated that the last ten questions of the test was pretty wisconsin specific...
so like what were the questions,
1. What beer goes best with falconry ?
2. what beer goes best with my falconry oufit?
3. do I even need a falconry outfit as long as I have the right beer?
4. What beer do Wisconsin falconers prefer?
5. Is the sitation I got with drinking while hawking a DUH ?
6. need i go on ?
oh that was the 6th question:Dtoungeout:D

[Lowachi]

Phil I gotta ask this; as you stated that the last ten questions of the test was pretty wisconsin specific...
so like what were the questions,
1. What beer goes best with falconry ?
2. what beer goes best with my falconry oufit?
3. do I even need a falconry outfit as long as I have the right beer?
4. What beer do Wisconsin falconers prefer?
5. Is the sitation I got with drinking while hawking a DUH ?
6. need i go on ?
oh that was the 6th question:Dtoungeout:D

Cold Beercrazyy!!!!! Leinenkuel's not bad during the moult

[MtnMan]

Phil I gotta ask this; as you stated that the last ten questions of the test was pretty wisconsin specific...
so like what were the questions,
1. What beer goes best with falconry ?
2. what beer goes best with my falconry oufit?
3. do I even need a falconry outfit as long as I have the right beer?
4. What beer do Wisconsin falconers prefer?
5. Is the sitation I got with drinking while hawking a DUH ?
6. need i go on ?
oh that was the 6th question:Dtoungeout:D

If the beer is right, you won't even notice whether your outfit is the "right" one. Heck, if the beer's right you may find (like the rest of us) that the outfit itself is optional...

Come to think of it, how often do you find that the beer you have is the "wrong" beer?

[Roper]

After a day of hawking is there a wrong beer?

[frootdog]

After a day of hawking is there a wrong beer?amennnclappclapp

[Lowachi]

amennnclappclapp
And I'll drink ta that!!!!!!!clappclappamennn

[AndrewH]

got a msg from the Treas. he's got your info/check...so thatt's taken care of. Next , I'd start asking around for sponsoring-prone persons and pick yerself a good one, and start studying for the test.thumbsupp

AWESOME... I signed up for the Seminars up at SOAR with Berni, and it was AWESOME! I had a couple of questions and learned ALOT... I have ordered the CHC guide and I have been reading a number of books on the subject even gone as far as putting my own study guide, built form questions others have said were on the Federal test. I was hoping to talk to a couple of the Liscenced fellows up at the Seminar.

let me know if you think this is the wrong way to think about this. My oppinion when it comes to choosing a sponssr is that this is as much of an interview for them as it is for me. they want to know that I am serious but in the same sence I do not want a sponcor whois going to be a "paper sponsor" i guess you call them. I think if I am going to learn from someone I want to learn form the BEST. and lets face it, I know my learning style (hands on) and if my sponsor is a hands off kind of person I probabaly will not learn as much. there is ALOT to learn from books but for me being there and seeing interactions is the best method for me.

am I off with this thinking? I just want to learn as MUCh as possible. and who ever it is that says we are always apprentices, I agree ;)

thanks guys for all your patience and youre suggestions.

does anyone have any sugestions of a "Must have book?" I am also looking into leatherworking, does anyone have a beginers book that they recomend?