Stacia,
I suspect your, and many other’s assessment of the risk of falconry being threatened is overblown. Even if we accept a amorphous threat to falconry, your particular bugbear is misplaced.
I live work and hunt in the pioneer valley, home to one of the most liberal counties in the country.I started my apprenticeship roughly 10 years ago and while I make no effort to have a public presence I have met a lot of people while hawking.I have ever only met two people hostile to what I was doing, and that was while trapping, not hunting.Based on my interactions with the public I just can’t believe there is any concerted move to outlaw falconry.Resist liberalizing regulations, sure but that isn’t the same thing is it?
So you believe there is a movement to outlaw falconry, when was the last time you spoke to your state and federal representative about it?Do you vote? Have you written opinion pieces in news papers defending the value of falconry as living human heritage?Do you take members of the public with you hunting to demonstrate that it is not in fact barbaric?
I find your choice of action re this cover to be especially problematic as the gist of what you’re saying seems to be “I’m afraid of losing my falconry, so you must protect me by presenting your falconry in a way that I approve of” which totally lacks any sort of personal responsibility and in fact apes the ethos of the animal rights bogyman, namely “I don’t approve of this action, therefore it must be stopped”
Jacob L'Etoile
Western MA