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Falconers ask state to allow capture of chicks

| December 29, 2006 1:00 AM

The Daily Inter Lake

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission is seeking public comment on a proposal to allow the capture of a limited number of peregrine falcon chicks as hunting birds.

The commission recently agreed to develop a set of administrative rules that would regulate the taking of peregrine chicks. It now is asking the public to help identify which issues and concerns these new rules should address.

The rule-making procedure was prompted by a request from the Montana Falconers Association.

Falconry is an ancient sport in which various hawks, falcons and other raptor species are raised and trained to hunt game birds and small animals. Historically, raptor eggs or chicks were taken from wild nests; more recently, captive-breeding programs have become a major source of young birds.

As in other states, it's illegal to possess or train a raptor in falconry in Montana without state and federal licenses. People who are new to the sport must complete a two-year apprenticeship, pass an exam and build a "mew" or cage to hold raptors before they can even apply for a license or own any birds.

During a presentation to the commission in October, state officials indicated that there are about 90 licensed falconers in Montana. Although several of them own captive-bred peregrines, the state has never permitted the taking of wild peregrine chicks.

The Montana Falconers Association is asking that licensed, resident falconers be allowed to capture as much as 5 percent of the annual production of peregrine chicks in the state.

A 2004 survey identified 65 active peregrine nests in Montana, with 147 fledged young being counted. A 5 percent take would be about seven birds; however, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will only allow the capture of as many as four chicks, based on the results of its own 12-state environmental analysis.

Peregrine falcons were listed as a threatened species in 1970, but they were delisted in 1999. There are now about 3,000 active nests nationwide.

Falconers were instrumental in that recovery. They helped start The Peregrine Fund, which promoted the introduction of captive-bred chicks back into the wild. More recently, the fund has taken an active role in conservation and reintroduction efforts for multiple raptor species.

During the October commission meeting, the Montana Audubon Society said it supported developing rules to regulate the peregrine take.

Potential issues that would be addressed by the new rules include how often individual falconers would be eligible to capture a peregrine chick, how many nestlings would have to be left in a nest, which nest sites should be excluded from the take, and how old the nestlings should be.

The deadline to comment on the proposed rules is Jan. 15. Comments can be mailed to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department, Attn: Wildlife-Peregrines, P.O. Box 200701, Helena MT 59620-0701. They also can be e-mailed to fwpwld@mt.gov.