I'm Mad

I just found out that I do have to be 14 to apprentice.
5 months till my birthday.

Time for a Story

I'm gonna tell you about how I got interested in falconry.
   When I was around 6 I heard my brothers talking about falconry. My brother talked about becoming a falconer and getting a peregrine falcon. The thought of owning a falcon so entirely captured me that I have not forgotten since then.
    My brother, Braden, was the kind of person who says things that aren't true if they'll make him sound smarter. My dad call it BS: Braden Says. Point being: he gave me plenty of false information.
     I thought that I had to be 14 to apprentice, so i started studying at 12 thinking that I would spend 2 years memorizing every measurement of every raptor and all their behaviors and I would memorize everything in the falconry packet from the fish and game.
     Then I learned that I could apprentice at 12.
     I dumped previous plans and saved up enough money to buy the California Hawking Club Apprentice Study Guide and Apprenticeship Manual and buy into the Idaho Falconer's Association. About a week before school ended I promised myself that I would have a falcon by the time school started again. Then I learned about trapping seasons and money and apprenticeship and reality, and I promised myself that I would be apprenticing by the time school started again.
     And I'm almost there.

From My Backyard

I would like to tell you what I saw from my backyard a few minutes ago.



Here, have a sloppy diagram.

So, I was sitting in my backyard when a red-tailed hawk flew over my head about 15 feet off the ground.
Then it swooped into my neigbors' backyard and got dive-bombed by the nearby resident Kestrels.
     Ahhhh kuna.

Out Camping

     I just got back from my week long camping trip. I saw a red-tailed hawk and should've seen a ferruginous hawk. I was at a rest stop and read a sign that talked about the ferruginous hawk and the high population there. made me mad. But I got a northwest american raptor feild guide, that cost eight dollars and wasn't really worth it if you ask me. My dad got it for me though so I didn't pay anything.

     I think the main reason that he bought it for me is because it had been a fairly crappy camping trip up until then. It was our family reunion. This was the side of my family that we don't really belong in. All of them have lived in the Boise area of idaho their whole life and had grown very close (not to mention that they were all singers and actors and practically rich.) We, on the other hand, had spent most of our time in the tip of idaho and therefore were very disconnected, and not rich or famous. They all stayed in cushy condos, at which there was not enough room for us so we were at a nearby campsite being the "trailer trash." But we stayed a few days after they left and saw the Minnitonka Caves and it was awesome.

     And what does this have to do with falconry??!/!?!?

     I have no idea.

Test?

     It's been 2 days since I got the study guides and I've practically memorized the CHC Apprentice Study Guide and I've read through the CHC Apprenticeship Manual twice. Should I take the test or not? I'm confident in my ability to pass, but the Fish and Game reccomends that you give yourself 6 weeks to study.

     Does anyone else think I'm a freak?

Study Guides 2

Let it be known that on this day (Friday, June 7, 2013) at 12:55 pm my study guides arrived, along with some beautiful blank cards.

My favorite

The books

The whole family

Study Guides

     I just ordered my study guides! California Hawking club apprentice study guide and the apprenticeship Manual, plus a falconry intro package from Western Sporting. Funny thing here, I got the all that for just under $40 from Western Sporting while Amazon is trying to sell just the study guide for $120+.
     Lesson to be learned: Amazon is a rip-off.

The IFA

The IFA is the Idaho Falconers Association. I am now a member. I signed up a few weeks ago. yesterday I opened this e-mail:

Dear Anna,

Your application to join Idaho Falconers Association has been accepted. Welcome!

Please log into the wab site with the username and password you specified when you completed you membership application. (It you don't remmember this information, go to the Login page and click the "Forgot My Username/Password lind; a new username and temporary password will be emailed to you.) Once you log in, the system will see that you have a Pending Payment and will take you to this page to pay by credit card and/or check. You must pay the indicated amout to become an active member.

Your membership number is        If you have any questions about the application process or your account,
click Reply or contact the :


Phone:
mailto:

Sincerely,
Dave (01/01/16) Smith
President




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the ClubExpress platform and website. It was generated by:
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Schaumburg, IL 60173
1-866-HLP-CLUB (475-2582)


I AM SO HAPPY!!!

So, you probably read that I must pay my dues through credit and/or check, niether of which a 13-year-old generally has.

Hadn't crossed my mind.

So, I started begging my dad to use his credit card to pay for me, after which, I would pay him with the cash that I saved up. He finally did.

NEWEST MEMBER OF THE IFA!!!

The HOA Covenants

Well, I just read through the section of the HOA covenants regarding Animals/pets:

          4.18 Animals/Pets No animals, birds, insects, pigeons, poultry or livestock shall be kept on the Property unless the presence of such creatures does not constitute a nuisance. This paragraph 4.18 does not apply to the keeping of up to two (2) domesticated dogs, up to two (2)domesticated cats, and other household pets which do not unreasonably bother or constitute a nuisance to others. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, consistent and/or chronic barking my dogs shall be considered a nuisance. Each dog in the subdivision shall be kept on a leash, cubed, and otherwise controlled at all times when such animal is off the premises of its owner. Such owner shall clean up any animal defecation immediately from the Common Area or public right-of-way. Failure to do so may result, at the Board's discretion, with a Limited Assessment levied against such animal owner. The construction of dog runs or other pet enclosures shall be subject to applicable Architectural Committee approval, shall be appropriately screened, and shall be maintained is a sanitary condition. Dog runs or other pet enclosures shall be placed a minimum of ten (10) feet from the side and/or rear Building Lot line, shall not be placed in any front yard of a Building Lot, and shall be screened from view so as not to be visible from Common Area or an adjacent Building Lot.

So, as long as I comply with a few annoying rules, I can own a falcon.

The Worst Thing for a Falconry Struck Girl to Hear from Her Mom

"I don't think the HOA will let you keep a falcon in your backyard."

We can move...

Footnotes

A couple of nights ago, while reading from a Squidoo lens, falconry was opened to me. I had committed to being a falconer and to start apprenticing ASAP, but, due to my extreme stubbornness, there were some realities I refused to face. Most of those realities no longer need to be faced. I've added "How to Become a Falconer" the Squidoo lens to the helpful sites page. To anybody planning on being a falconer (or not) READ THIS!!

After realizing that this lens's explanation of falconry had saved my falconry-loving butt, I made a list of everything that I needed to get done in order to get ready for this... on my feet.

I have an explanation for this. If I write it on  paper, I know I'm gonna lose the paper. I can't write it on my hands because that's where I write my homework assignments from school. The next thing I think about are my feet. I wanted to have this list with me everywhere I went so that if I had a spare moment, I could get something done. I'm sorta planning on having my feet everywhere I go.

The Worst Thing for a Falconry Struck Girl to Hear from Her Dad

"The mews is too big for the backyard."

Well where else am I gonna put it?

Intro, Intro, Intro

I created this site more for me than for you. It's great if you can get something from this, but it's main purpose is to be a place where I can keep track of my progress and record thoughts and experiences. Don't take this as an "I'm booting you off my site" I'm just saying that if you read some weird stuff on here, that's because it made sense to me and at that moment I wasn't really concerned about being Follower Friendly.

Falconry is the art of hunting in cooperation with a trained raptor. That means that when I'm finally licensed you will be reading about me hunting with my hawk. Probably a Red-Tail. So far I'm just studying for the apprentice falconer exams.

Now that you've met the site and the sport, I guess you'll have to meet me. I'm 13 years old and I LOVE FALCONRY!! I also love art, writing, and the antique typewriter that I got for my 13th Christmas. I have five brothers, three older ones and two younger ones, and a dog. He's a cross between a Chihuahua, Dachshund, and Italian Greyhound. I have tons of self confidence so don't think that this person you're reading about is just the cover-up of the real person. It's all me, all the way.

Just to catch you up...

I heard my brothers talking about falconry when I was about 7, give or take. I heard him talking about owning a falcon and fell in love with falconry. At the age of 12 I started studying thinking that I would study for 2 years and then begin apprenticing. I hit a few bumps. Then I read some more, made some footnotes, studied some more and more and more, and now I'm set on falconry.