By Mary Klett, ASA Communications Team
In January 2022, ASA’s Executive Committee, Finance Committee and Think Tank members visited with ASA’s Arizona chapter in Scottsdale. They got an education bonus when Josh Umar, ASA of Arizona’s executive director, displayed his love for falconry. (And by the way…thank you to Dick Roberts, president, Josh Umar, and the other members of the chapter who met with them.)
The history of falconry – the hunting of wild animals in their natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey – goes back thousands of years, and is practiced around the world. It is even considered a living human heritage by UNESCO. Falconry in the United States has a much shorter history, but the passion here is just as intense.
While Josh grew up with his father’s love of birds, they were the more traditional caged cockatiels, parrots, and love birds. Josh decided early in life that while he loved birds, he was not going to keep them as pets.
When his father told him about falconry and he watched a few videos about six years ago, Josh knew he had found his birding path. The attributes that hooked him were twofold:
- In falconry the bird and falconer form a voluntary relationship. The bird can always fly away during any given hunt and not come back. Every day, you have to earn trust from the bird by being a worthy partner. It takes lots of time, dedication and patience, but the reward is a partnership with a wild bird that is incredibly rewarding.
- It’s a rough life out there for a raptor. More than 85 percent of first-year hawks and falcons die through predation or human interactions (habitat destruction, window/building/power line strikes, poison, pollution). When trapping and training a bird of prey for falconry, odds are you are saving their life until they can be released as a mature adult to breed.
The process to become a falconer is intense. There are inspections, 2-year apprenticeships, and licenses. It’s not for the faint of heart. Yet, the more Josh learned and talked with others who were experienced, the more it “gets in your bones.” Josh said, “I consider it a privilege to share time with this bird.”
While all states have falconry clubs and their own rules and regulations, Josh believes that Arizona has some of the best falconry opportunities in the world, and it’s a major reason why he moved to Arizona.
Josh emphasized that raptors used for falconry are wild animals, not pets. They stick around you because they see value in associating with you, not because there’s affection like the kind that may exist with domesticated animals. And you have to prove your value every day. Ideally birds are out hunting 6-7 days a week, with a minimum of 3 days a week. When they capture their prey, you can never simply take it from them. To preserve the relationship and trust bond, the falconer must trade them for something they value more.
Josh emphasized that this hobby is not for those looking for something passive to do in their spare time. Yet, it’s incredibly rewarding. “Being a falconer taught me a lot about relationships, and of being trustworthy, consistent, and bringing value to whomever you want to associate with. If you have those qualities and always keep the needs of your partners in mind, you can can close any gap that exists between you–even the barrier between species; between wildlife and humans.
And it’s a real confidence booster. If you can train a wild bird to return to you, there’s almost nothing you can’t do!”
