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A Glimpse into the Fascinating World of Falconry by Mary Klett, ASA Communication 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: 1. 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 Josh Umar's current Harris hawk, Maebe.
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