Quote Originally Posted by goshawkr View Post
Tom,

When you say there was mention of firearms in the old federal regs, how far back do you mean? There hasnt been mention of firearms federally since I became a falconer in the early 90s.

When I was first licensed in Utah there was a state requirement against possesing a firearm while practicing falconry. I see the logic - "let keep those guys from cheating and killing stuff with a gun and prenteding the caught it with their hawk during the seasons when falconry is open and gun hunting is closed...." but its nuts.

Washington has never had that restriction, that I am aware of, and its a damn good thing. There are three incidents I know of where a falconer wase hunting in undevleped industrial areas and got into very dangerous situtations, and all three times the falconer had a concealed weapon permit and was packing. He never needed it, but it was good he had it.

My experience with the hunting community is that they welcome all supports in the fight against the anti-hunting activisim. They may, and often do, get snooty when it comes to fighting over who gets which share of the resources when setting season.
Geoff,
I should have said "believed" there was some reference firearms in the old federal regs. To tell you the truth they are long forgotten as far as I'm concerned. On the state level we did get references to firearms removed from the state regs as they are not necessary in the falconry regs and where there is a restriction as to extended falconry season it can stipulated that taking of quarry in those seasons is by the method of falconry only, rather than bring the gun issue up in the wording.

I believe in the second amendment it says that, in my words, I don't have it in front of me now, that no law will be made that infringes on the right to have and bear arms. So that would tend to make falconry laws that infringe on your rights to have and bear arms invalid don't you think.

In Idaho it was a bit of a hard sell to remove those wordings out of the law and my biggest opponents to change the wording was the very same people that carried sidearms with them while hawking and taking a chance getting an unnecessary violation for doing so. Weird.