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Falconry
is a sport that requires a substantial amount of time, effort
and financial resources. If you love raptors and spending time
in the outdoors on a
regular basis this may be the sport for you. There are few
things more rewarding to a falconer than watching his/her bird
chase and catch wild game. Falconry is
strictly regulated on the state and federal level. All
potential falconers must first take and pass a test given at
the state level. A passing grade of 80% must be obtained.
Would be falconers are
required by the state to serve a 2 year apprenticeship under a
licensed falconer . Apprentice's will be guided through those
early periods with a new bird by his/her sponsor. Sponsors
will be your source of information on construction of mews,
equipment needed and the do's and dont's of trapping. Falconry by
definition is the taking of wild quarry with a trained raptor.
It is certainly not acceptable to trap a bird and then to
allow it to spend most of its time during hunting season sitting in a mew.
There are
several handy books on falconry that can be purchased
online. A very good source for falconry equipment can be found
at www.northwoodsfalconry.com
. Would be falconers should purchase the book North American
Falconry and Hunting Hawks by Beebe & Webster. It
certainly will be required if you are to try and pass the
exam. Northwoods has several resources to help pass the
exam.
Interested
parties can contact the state at the address below to request
a copy of the falconry package that lays out the process
involved in becoming a licensed falconer in the state of
Georgia. Tom Blackburn is the treasurer of the Georgia Game Hawkers Club (GGHC) and can
be contacted at (770) 241-1640.
Georgia
Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife
Resources Division
Special Permit Unit
2065 U.S. Highway 278, S.E., Social Circle, Georgia
30025
(770) 761-3044
United
States Fish and Wildlife Service
Migratory Bird Office
P.O Box 49208 Atlanta, Georgia 30359
(404) 679-7049 (Carmen Simonten)
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