Falconers seek Oklahoma land to hunt their birds of prey in November
Falconers from across the United States, Canada and several foreign countries, will gather in Enid, Oklahoma, Nov. 9 to 14 for the North American Falconers Association field meet, which is hosted by the Oklahoma Falconers Association this year. NAFA is one of the largest member-based falconry organizations in the world. It was founded in 1961, but falconry is an ancient sport.
“Falconry, or the art of falconry, can be defined as the taking of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained raptor,” said Robert Huber, OFA vice president and co-chair of the NAFA field meet.
Between 200 to 300 falconers typically attend the annual meeting, and organizers are currently looking for landowners within 60 miles of Enid to give permission for falconers to fly their birds at quarry during the week of the conference. Landowners and their families are encouraged to accompany falconers to see the birds hunt, learn more about the falconry sport and its conservation benefits.
“Enid was selected as the meet location due to its location, city amenities and the possibility of varied hunt-able quarry in the surrounding area,” Huber said. “Most common quarry being pursued are rabbits, squirrels, jackrabbits, and ducks. Quail and pheasant may also be hunted, but success rate is very low for these two difficult quarries.”
Huber said three hotels have been blocked off for the event, with the Hampton Inn and Suites serving as the main meeting hotel. The conference will include a weathering yard, which is where the birds will be tethered during the day the during the meeting. It will be located north of the Hampton Inn, and while only falconers are allowed in the area, the public is welcome to view the birds and interact with falconers and learn more about the sport. Nightly events for conference attendees will be held at the Stride Bank Event Center.
“Typically, there are at least a dozen different species of raptor in the weathering yard for viewing,” Huber said. “Raptors that can be expected to be seen will range from the American Kestrels, Merlins, different types of large falcons, Red-tails, Harris Hawks, Goshawks, Golden Eagles and many other types. All of these raptors are trained specifically for hunting.”
Hunting groups are typically limited to five people, except with eagles, that can have as many as 30 people watching them hunt and fly. Huber said Golden Eagles hunt for jackrabbits, and he is specifically looking for landowners who have property with large populations of these species for these birds.
Landowners who would like to learn more or are interested in providing permission for falconers to hunt their birds Nov. 9 to 14 should contact Huber at 405-334-9534. To learn more about NAFA and the field meet, visit www.n-a-f-a.com.
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
PHOTO: Kestrel. (Photo by David White via Unsplash.)
