Falconry & Raptor Council Meeting
May 2, 2011

Below are the results from our meeting with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on May 2nd.  I think the results speak for themselves in terms of progress that we continue to make with the Department and the great relationship we enjoy with the Department.  One new update not included in the below information is that we did receive ten permits for taking passage peregrines, so once again, our historical allotment was mostly preserved. Also, you’ll note below that if in the future Texas only receives six or less permits, we will allocate all of them to Texas falconers. We’re taking this action because as more states participate in the passage peregrine take program, the number of permits Texas receives could diminish to the point where we would no longer receive enough permits to justify allowing non-resident participation in the program.

In the future, if the U.S. can somehow move to the 5% take there should be plenty of permits to go around. Meanwhile, were stuck with the situation we have. If the U.S. does not eventually move to the 5% take and history shows that very few permits in non-coastal states have been filled, there is a chance that some of the non-coastal states, at some point in time, may decide to drop out of the passage peregrine take progam. This action would probably cause more permits to again come to Texas. Of course, this scenario is all just conjecture at this point. We’ll just have to let the next several years play out and see what actually happens. 

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In Attendance:
On site - John Davis, Dave Morrison, Karen Pianka, Megan Russell, Matt Reidy, Don Roeber, John Graham, Sheldon Nicolle
Via telephone – Dr. Bill Satterfield, Steve Oleson, Jim Ince, John Karger 

Passage Peregrine Take Program

• Latest indications from the Flyways indicate that each flyway should receive 12 permits as in the past; however, final decision not to be made until June.
• Group agreed to use the 60/40 percentage policy for residents/non-residents as long as Texas allocates at least six of the permits to residents. So, for example, if in the future Texas only received seven permits, six of those permits would go to residents. If Texas were to receive six or less permits, all of those permits would go to residents.
• An excel spreadsheet randomizer function to be used for the permit drawing this and subsequent years.
• Cost analysis for the non-resident permits has been tabled indefinitely, and will be re-considered at a future date.

New Texas Falconry Regulations and Related Processes

• Department has made significant process in building an FAQ document for the online 3-186a system.  John Graham to coordinate feedback on the latest draft.  Department will then complete and provide the finished FAQ.
• The Department to provide an email blast to apprentice falconers reminding them that in order to progress to the General level, a passage bird acquired from the wild, must have been flown for two separate four-month periods spread across two separate seasons. The Texas Hawking Association will continue re-educating members, as well, on this requirement.

Webless Migratory Game Bird Seasons and Upland Game Bird Season

• The dove extended season continues just after the regular season concludes. All other extended seasons for webless migratory game birds will commence with the start of the extended season for waterfowl.
• Department is double checking the status of an earlier discussion item in the upland game bird technical committee to increase the daily take, by falconry means, from one bird to three birds. Since changes to the regulations impacting upland game are now made on a three-year cycle, any increase will probably not occur until 2014.

Testing Process

• Department plans to have the new test available for review in the next FRC meeting in December.
• Department still has plans to use testing software purchased by the Texas Hawking Association and provided to the Department. This software will randomize questions for each test and provide success information regarding each section of the test, so that an individual who does not pass can have a better idea as to where to focus their efforts.

Next Meeting
December 5, 2011 at 1:30 p.m