Member Spotlight Tim O ' Neill , Esq .
by Alison Percy , Esq . on behalf of our Membership Committee
Now Accepting Member Spotlight Applications for 2021
Master Falconer and Attorney are two titles you normally do not hear together . In fact , in the State of Florida there is believed to be only one person who holds both titles : Timothy P . O ’ Neill , Esquire .
Falconry is the art of hunting with hawks or training hawks to hunt in cooperation with a person . Tim had his first encounter with a Master Falconer on a weekend trip to Shakespeare ’ s birthplace while studying abroad in England during his sophomore year . Outside the home , there was a Master Falconer with his hawk . The Master instructed Tim to hold up a piece of meat for the bird , which was 700 feet in the air . Tim was skeptical and thought there was no way the hawk could see the little piece of meat in his hand from so far away ; however , as soon as he lifted his arm , the hawk swooped down and swiftly , but gently took the meat from his hand . That one adrenaline pumping moment was all it took to spike Tim ’ s interest in falconry . Ten years later , he began the long journey to becoming a Master Falconer .
Becoming a Master Falconer is no easy feat . First , you must pass an extensive written exam administered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ( FWC ) with at least an 80 %. If you pass the exam , you become an apprentice . The first thing an apprentice must do is build a three-part enclosure on their property with proper perches , shelters , and bath arrangements . The enclosure is then inspected by FWC . Once the enclosure has been approved , you can then obtain a bird . The hardest part of being an apprentice is finding a sponsor . The sponsor spends at least two years teaching the apprentice how to hunt and trap . After the apprenticeship , you become a General Falconer for five to seven years before finally becoming a Master Falconer . Currently , Tim has two Harris Hawks for abatement and owls for education . Tim is on the Board of the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter . One of his favorite things about falconry is teaching the children and watching them light up with excitement while calling the birds to their fist .
Initially , Tim got into falconry for the hunting aspect . He loves to watch the hawks hunt for prey in their natural habit . Lately his falconry hobby has become more of a job . It now consists mostly of abatement , conservation , and education . Abatement is the act of using a raptor to pursue depredating birds or other wildlife to mitigate damage the damage they cause . Tim has an abatement permit which allows him to use his hawks to abate problems caused by migratory birds or other wildlife . His most recent job was at a restaurant located near the ocean . The restaurant hired Tim because it was actually cheaper to hire him and his hawks than to continue compensating guests .
After reading an article about falconry becoming a lost art , Tim decided he needed to do his part to help grow the sport . He has served as a sponsor to four apprentices and at one time had two apprentices at once . Being a sponsor is an extremely time-consuming commitment . There are daily phone calls with your apprentice , regular visits to see their bird , and hunting excursions .
Timothy P . O ’ Neill is an Associate at Cohen Norris Wolmer Ray Telepman Berkowitz & Cohen . His practice focuses mainly on real estate litigation and commercial litigation .
Timothy was born in St . Louis , Missouri . He obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Evansville and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 1997 . He was admitted to the Florida Bar that same year . Following law school , Timothy clerked for two years for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit here in Palm Beach County and served as a law clerk in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida .
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