Missouri Falconers Association 2006 Late winter field meet
The club’s
timing the first weekend in March for the last field meet of the season was right on, St Louis was sure the place to be. Roger Peterson
set us up for a great breakfast at the International House of Pancakes first thing in the morning. Company, service, and food
were great. We introduced ourselves to new comers and caught up with what’s new and with whom. Roger broke us into different
groups to hunt in the morning.
We were
lucky enough to go to spots still having good numbers of rabbits. I watched Rob Lyttle’s goshawk take the first couple
of rabbits she spotted. Then we went to a place dubbed the Wal-Mart field, it was staked and surveyed, and I’m sure,
will be missed. We watched a great hunt with Mike Kohler, his daughter, their Jack, and a passage hen tail. The four worked
well together. Mike’s team had been hunting squirrels for several weeks, but the red tail hawk quickly adapted and took
a cottontail in fine style.
The hunt
went well with my goshawk. He hunted with the group, and he and my Jack Russell each took a rabbit after a couple near catches
each. The next hawk hunted was my Harris’ George. Instead of hunting another part of the field, we concentrated on a
large dozer pile close to where we parked. George hunted with four Jack Russell’s in that one dozer pile for 30 minutes
and caught several bunnies for his effort. The group enjoyed watching the dogs work the bunnies in the thick cover. I’m
guessing they bolted 4 or 5 times that number from the brush pile that the hawk caught.
Rob Lyttle
was nice enough to use me as an example to the group, with an in prompt to “falconry techniques and equipment advantages
seminar ”. He explained use of modern day falconry equipment, and the 21st century falconer, including insight
into different gloves, their materials and use in falconry today. I would have to say it was the perfect mornings hunt.
Janis
Shetley was with us and enjoyed photographing the raptors and said she looks forward to attending our next field meet. A picture
is worth a thousand words, if you have time, take a minute and link to our morning hunt. Pictures can be viewed at http://imageEvent.com/jshetley/missourifalconclub
The MFA
club lunch was at Vette’s, right across the road from where we were hunting. We had lunch and a short business meeting
and again were out hawking. Not only did I have great hunts with my hawks, I overheard one young man say to the other, during
an afternoon hunt in Chesterfield, “ This is the best day of my life!” I
was moved. What fun watching others who share a similar passion with raptors involved with the sport.
What a
great day. The weather was perfect to hunt hawks and I got to witness incredible falconry. Not by one or two but every falconer
I watched fly their bird! All I hunted with took game with their hawks. This was an incredible late season hunt. Game at this
time of year was well educated, and the flights at rabbits were outstanding! I didn’t hear of any hawks injured during
the meet. We walked out of the field in time to enjoy the sunset at the tailgate; we aired the dogs and relived some of the
really super moments of the day. What a fantastic way to end the season!
Things discussed at the business meeting at lunch in no particular order
1) The importance of
MFA members belonging to NAFA and a sign up. Anyone else wanting to join
please contact me at afurniture@juno.com I would be happy to set you up. This National club helps falconers worldwide and it is of the up most importance
that all falconers be part of this organization. This is your voice, and the voice of all falconers across the USA, it needs you. Without it, falconers will not be heard. The future of hunting with raptors
in America depends on it and you.
2) It was mentioned by
more than one MFA member that if the club support the North American grouse partnership it should also consider clubs like
Quail unlimited and Ducks unlimited. These clubs help with education, and restoration of wildlife habitat. I am pleased to
see MFA involved with clubs interested in these all-important aspects of wildlife conservation. It will be brought up to membership
in our business meeting in August at the picnic and put to a vote.
3) Missouri Department
of Conservations late winter season duck season and MFA formal request for date changes. I contacted several hawkers by mail,
email, and phone concerning the changing of the Missouri conservation dept. hunting dates for the 2006 –2007 season. All whom I spoke with were
excited for change. As most know the Federal government allows 107 days for waterfowl hunting falconers nationwide. Any days
that gun hunters are allowed to hunt so are falconers. Remaining days would then be backed up from March 10th (latest
date allowed by federal regulation) these are the same type of dates used by states to our north, east and west. The dept
had concerns with late season hunts at large conservation areas and the disrupting large numbers of ducks intent on putting
on food reserves for the upcoming molt. I explained that falconers hunted small water for the most part and I doubted that
falconry in Missouri would impact waterfowl at any state conservation areas. Formal addressing of the changing of
duck season dates for this and next year will be presented to the Missouri Dept of Conservation board of commissioners during
its August 2006 meeting in Jeff City.
4) Election for club
president. Norma will be sending out an email calling for nominations for club president. The election will be held at the
summer picnic in August.
Again I want to thank Roger
Peterson for hosting, and setting up the great places for breakfast and lunch, those who participated in the late winter meet
and those who help to make falconry great in Missouri.
Lastly I would like to thank Norma Jean
and Ted for our newsletters. These two have given for years, to the falconers of Missouri,
their time to make this club strong and our individual voices heard. Hats off to you two! I dare say this club would be but
a shadow of itself without these two’s effort! Please, the next time you see them, thank them for their hard work.
I look forward to seeing you in August, at the club picnic, a great get together with those in the sport. Have a safe molt.
Bob Payne
President Missouri Falconers
Association
