I've read all the posts on this thread and find it represents much of what I hear from a variety of people, plus and minus. I'll give you my summary take on the "facts of life" for falconry.
1. In these internet connected days and a zillion cable channels, we will never practice falconry unnoticed again.
2. Falconers come from every race, religion, from left of Lenin to right of Atilla the Hun, from paupers to princes, men, women, kids, single, married, divorced, widowed, young to old, straight, gay, drop-outs to Ph.ds, politically involved to never vote, city folk, country folk, etc! TRANSLATION: Of course we have difficulty getting along and cooperating - we often have little in common EXCEPT falconry. So we'd best realize THAT is the basis for our fellowship and working together. We work TOGETHER or we "die" separately!
3. U.S. falconers are .00145% of the population! Politically we are like gnats on the butt of a very large elephant.
4. The anti-hunting groups have several THOUSAND times as many members and/or followers and war chests to match.
5. Fish & Game management and field personnel are coming more and more from people who lack a background OR an interest in the field sports. That never hunted in their life biologist may some day run your F & G department. Furthermore, their budgets are getting whacked and so maybe they're looking at killing off any program that's "more trouble than it's worth". Some states have less than 20 falconers!
6. A growing population, more intensive land use, "green" technology that ISN'T wildlife or field sport friendly (ethanol and wind farms come to mind), landowners who more and more fear litigation, etc. are all problems BEYOND our control that, nonetheless, affect us.
All of this should be viewed as a TSUNAMI rising beyond the horizon that one sunny fall day could wipe us from the historical landscape if we don't work TOGETHER to prepare for the absolute CERTAINTY we WILL face such a potential disaster.
My focus as a NAFA DAL is to foster cooperation, innovation, and excellence in preserving, maintaining, and practicing falconry. After the terrible tragedy I lived through this past year, I have great love and respect for the falconry community that came together and helped pull me though it, but as your NAFA DAL I have zip, zero, nada patience for whiners, complainers, or slackers who don't want to be part of the solution to our problems.
We have such diverse and excellent talents and skills, combined with our passion for the sport and birds of prey, that we DO have the ability to face down our adversaries. But this is ONLY true if we set aside the piddly things we fuss over and focus on having a unified, organized, and focused falconry community.
Thanks for hearing me out on this.
Originally Posted by Hunter45
I've read all the posts on this thread and find it represents much of what I hear from a variety of people, plus and minus. I'll give you my summary take on the "facts of life" for falconry.X 1000%
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