Long Time Coming

I don't know what the numbers are for falconers that belong to their local or state falconry club - but you should be involved.


I got a series of emails yesterday. One was from the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission and the other two were from NC Falconers Guild.

What did they say, you ask?

2010-11 Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Regulations also Effective Aug. 1

RALEIGH, N.C. (July 12, 2010) – The proposed hunting and trapping rule changes approved by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission in March 2009 but delayed for legislative review will go into effect on Aug. 1, 2010.......

Then there was lots of lawyerspeak, and about halfway down the page it said..

• Allow falconry on Sundays, except for migratory game birds.

Yee - Haw!!

It has been a few years now that NC falconers have been working on getting Sunday falconry allowed, and it has finally happened. It has taken public meetings, letters, emails and a few well placed words to local senators. While I cannot claim to have played any sort of pivotal role, I did play, and it took lots of people to make this happen.

This is a huge breakthrough for me, as I often hunt in the same areas as deer hunters. We've come into conflict before.

My hunting is loud and fast as I chase squirrels through the canopy (I'm not usually in the canopy, that would be the squirrels) - deer hunters often don't like this. ( though I had one guy thank me for flushing the deer he shot).

Sunday hunting takes me out of conflict with those deer hunters. It should open up areas for hunting earlier in the season.

The season is coming - time to get ready.