Arkansas Hawking Association Presents Karen Rowe with Plaque of Appreciation
Jim Biggs was also in attendance with his imprint anatum peregrine falcon as an example to the commission members of the peregines that falconers were attempting to trap in Arkansas this past fall. The commission and Karen have ardently fought to provide the opportunities for Arkansas falconers to trap wild peregrines in our home state.
Karen was also instrumental in writing and preparing the new state falconry regulations and helped pave the way for Arkansas to transition to the new federal regulations for falconry. The commission voted on and ratified the new regulations for the state during the September meeting on. The new regulations went into effect on January 1, 2011.
Karen, being the modest hero that she is, didn't want a public presentation of the plaque. However, members of the commission, and the Arkansas Hawking Association, felt that the presentation would help signify the close relationship that the Hawking Association has with state agency. The AHA has always work with the state of Arkansas to help preserve the opportunities for Arkansans to practice falconry and for the preservation of raptors as a state and national resource.
Arkansas State Falconry Regulations Approved by Fed
The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC) will be sending out an email notification to all Arkansas falconers who have and email address on file. This email will have instructions as to how to file a Form 3-186A (186 forms) under the new rules. Those falconers who do not have a current email address on file will receive the same information by letter.
The new electronic filing system can be accessed on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's (USFWS) website for filing your 186 forms. The AGFC is currently in the process of providing a list of Arkansas falconers to the UFWS for their database. The database should be updated and ready for use by Monday 1/10/2011, and possibly sooner. If you need to file a 186 form before this time, use the old 186 paper forms and mail them to both the USFWS and AGFC as usual.
Click here to access the online filing system on the USFW service website. There is also a link to access the system on our resources page.
It’s time for the Annual Arkansas Hawking Association’s Summer Picnic of 2013
It is time once again to make plans to attend the annual Arkansas Hawking Association’s Summer Picnic. This year it will be held Saturday, June 8, 2013 at Lake Catherine State Park near Hot Springs, Arkansas. Lake Catherine State Park is off Highway 171 out of Malvern/Hot Springs and offers a scenic view and fishing opportunities for all of us to spend our day. For those of us who are trout fisherman, the tail waters of the Ouachita River below Remmel dam offer great fly fishing opportunities as well, so bring your waders and fly-rod or spinning rod to enjoy the river’s fishery as well. We will meet and eat our lunch (provided by the AHA) at the Lake Catherine State Park Pavilion. The park only has one pavilion located near the picnic area. A map of the park can be seen at here. The festivities will begin around 10 am and run until 4 - 5 pm.
Vendor donations are the raffle items at the summer picnic so expect some great opportunities like books, pictures, equipment and more. Sale of the raffle tickets at the picnic goes to help support the club and our conservation efforts. Please give Cody Fields (AHA Vice President/2013 picnic chairman) or Heath Garner (AHA president) a call or email to let us know you will be attending so we can get a preliminary head count for food purchasing. Come and enjoy camaraderie, and visit with folks and potential new falconers in beautiful southwest Arkansas. See you there!
The Annual Apprenticeship Workshop for 2013
The Annual Apprenticeship Workshop is also scheduled to be held in August. The exact time, date, and place that it will be held is soon to follow, so check back frequently.