Subject: Falconers and Peregrine Chicks
Date: Dec 8 20:41:23 2002
From: winterwren1 - winterwren1 at juno.com


> They're not even attempting
> breeding programs. Exactly what are such "sports" or "hobbies" other than
> animal abuse for personal amusement?
>
>
> First of all, I would like to say just how dissapointed I am in this post.
> It's totally full of lies and BS! You must be an activist.

Apparently you view "activist" to be a pejorative term. In this case, it
sounds like I should be honored with such an epithet. To disappoint you,
though, I am just a garden variety Northwesterner who cares about wildlife.

I would challenge
> you any day and bet you millions of dollars on that quote above by you.
The
> fact that you say we don't have any breeding progarms is a outrages lie.
> Were do you think all of our gyr falcons, harris hawks, european goshawks
> and hybrids come from?!!

Since you seem to be an expert, does the State license falconers to create
hybrids on their own? What are the controls on your hybrids escaping and
interbreeding with wild raptors? As the State goes to great pains to
protect wild salmon from farmed salmon, what is it doing to protect wild
falcons from homebred hybrids?

We breed them, for hunting, etc. I would also like
> to point out to you, that falconers contributed GREATLY to the pregrine
> falcons when they were in a world of hurt. We were one of the few groups
> that actually dedicated our lives to breeding those birds and releasing
them
> in the wild so that their population would increase.


Thank you. But that was then and this is now. Have you heard the song, "If
you love someone, set them free..."???

Falconry is NOT animal
> abuse whatsoever, if it were, it would be illegal!! I would like you to
> mention one situation where it's animal abuse. There isn't one. We hunt
> those birds every day possible. There are many falconers that hunt them
more
> than twice a day, and catch multiple times, it's all natural!

No, it's not natural. In the wild, those birds would be hunting whenever
they want and the rest of the time would be flying high, enjoying
themselves. I can't think of a better description of animal abuse than to
keep the fastest flying birds in the world in a cage.

Those birds
> get all the medical attention they, need, they're like our kids, so I
> suggest that you don't slam the falconry community again and any other
> hunter because like I've said, and many other birds on this list, we have
> the best interest in mind for our natural enviornment (if it weren't for
> Ducks unlimited, you wouldn't have nearly as much habitat as there is
now).

I've never accepted the hunter argument that we wouldn't have the animals
they hunt if not for them. To help preserve a species so you can go out and
kill them yourself is the epitome of a cruel notion.

> So don't go on tweeters and start talking crap about the falconry
community
> when you nothing absolutely nothing!!!
>
> Blake Iverson
> Arlington, WA
> coopershwk at hotmail.co
>
> P.S. I'm sorry for all those that don't like this message, but I'm NOT
about
> to let some activist bring any hunting community down.

Fortunately the hunting community, in general, is shrinking due to old age
and antiquated, species-chauvinistic ideas being unpalatable to the majority
of the population. If you want to serve as a falcon rescuer when one is
injured, that would be an admirable contribution. We need all our falcons
out there, contributing to the wild breeding population, not sitting in your
cages waiting for you to be kind enough to open the door.

Christine
Unconvinced in Everett