BLAZE Magazine Special Edition 2006-2016 | Page 47

After several attempts, Dixie pinned the squirrel, hidden inside a patch of Spanish moss, to the oak tree. Above: Symeon Robins and his red-tail, Gizmo, had similar success when the squirrel tried to change trees. Below: Mike Germana shows off his American kestrel, the smallest falcon in North America, commonly known as a sparrow hawk. “Two for two,” Brewer said. “It doesn’t get any better than those two hunts.” Joe Ryan of Dothan, Ala., a master falconer and president of the AHA, said there are about 60 or so active falconers in Alabama who hold a meet once a year to practice what turns into their passion. Falconers in Alabama are required to obtain a permit from the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division and can have up to five raptors at any given time. Falconers are limited to trapping two raptors in any calendar year. One of the reasons raptors need to be replaced is sometimes they just keep going once they are released on a hunt. “They are not bound to us by any means,” Ryan said. “We follow them wherever they want to go. Sometimes they leave and don’t come back. To get into falconry is definitely a lifestyle change. I fly every day or every other day, depending on how much time I have.” red-shouldered hawks are the two species approved for apprentice falconers. General and master falconers can keep other raptors, although a rigorous application process and special permit are required for master falconers to keep an eagle. The birds are meticulously cared for to the point the raptor is weighed on digital scales daily to try to ensure the bird is healthy and to prepare it for a hunt. Germana said the red-tails, which are the easiest to keep and train, will hunt squirrels, rabbits and mice. The kestrel usually hunts sparrows and starlings, an invasive bird species. Mike Germana from Oneonta, Ala., is a master falconer who brought a red-tailed hawk and a kestrel to the meet. The red-tailed hawk and “Everything we do depends on the bird’s weight,” Germana said as his kestrel tried to break free of its tethers. “Every day you Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org weigh them before and after you feed them. You feed them enough to where they drop a small amount of weight to where they are responsive and want to hunt. You want them just a little bit hungry. Every bird is different. I’ve had red-tails that hunt at 750 grams, and I’ve had one that hunted at 900 grams. This little female kestrel hunts at 96 grams. “Falconry is just an adrenaline rush. It’s the most amount of fun you can have, killing a single squirrel with a red-tail. It’s a lot of work for one squirrel, but it’s a blast.” SPECIAL EDITION 2006-2016 | | 47