JOIN KHC

REGULAR MEMBERSHIP is open to residents of the State of Kansas, 14 years of
age or older, who have and hold a valid resident Falconry license, or
Propagation Permit.

CLUB MEMBERSHIP Shall be open to any other person 14 years or older, and all
non-resident falconers.

AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP shall be open to any reputable orization, local, regional,
national, or international, having objectives and purposes similar to or allied with
those of this Club.

Admission to Membership to all categories of membership shall be decided by a
majority vote of the Officers.

If you are interested in submitting an applicaction for club membership, print the
form below, and mail in the completed application, along with a check in the
amount of $10, to the address listed below. You will be informed through e-mail
with instructions on how to gain access to the website and members pages.

As a member you will receive the following benefits:

Quarterly Newsletter (If you do not have internet access or would like to have
the News letter
mailed to you please let us know. Mailings will only be sent within the United
States).
Admission to the annual picnic
Up to 4 meets as well as attendance of annual hunts
Access to available sponcers list
Knowledge of members with years of experience

Falconry in the U.S. is the most regulated of all forms of hunting. One who is interested in
becoming a falconer should consider all that is involved in the sport before making that final
decision. This is not pet keeping, and requires many long hours in solitude with your bird, as well
as many hours, days, weeks, months and years of learning from books, experiences, and other
falconers. The following is a step by step process taken in part from Doug Trapps' home page
on the Internet. Before I get started I would like to say that there is a wealth of information to
be found on the subject of falconry on the Internet and if you have the resources to use it, you
can learn a lot about the where, when, who, how, why, etc. of falconry there.

STEP ONE: Contact the "Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks" Operations Office, 512 SE
25th Street, Pratt, Ks. 67124-8174 and request their information packet on Falconry. It will
include all of the applicable state regulations and requirements for obtaining a joint Federal /
State Falconry Permit.

STEP TWO: Read the regulations provided by the State agency. If you have any questions, call
them and ask them to clarify the issue. Go to the library and read as much about falconry as
possible. Read, read, read, and buy books relating to falconry. Become familiar with the birds
involved, training techniques, and everything else relative.

STEP THREE: Locate a General or Master Class falconer living near you. If you are a member of
the Kansas Hawking Club you will get a listing of the members along with their phone numbers
and addresses. Be aware that some falconers may not wish to help you, but the vast majority
of them will be more than glad to if they can. Make several calls and find one who is
enthusiastic about working with you. Ask if you can tag along on hunting expeditions, and
offer to help in any way you can. After a few trips into the field you should be getting a good
idea whether or not this is a sport you really want to pursue with the dedication that is truly
required, or just an interesting sport to observe from the sidelines. We have members in the
club who are not at a point in their lives where they can participate beyond going to meets
or tagging along to help flush bunnies, but that's fine too. If you do decide that you just gotta
do this thing, then ask a General or Master Class falconer to sponsor you through your
Apprentice level. Believe me, If you show enough determination to get this far, finding a
sponsor shouldn't be too difficult.

STEP FOUR: Start building equipment, or start buying it. Buy a good scale for weighing your
bird. Build a mews, or have one built. Talk to several falconers about what design features
work well for them to provide an environment that will not damage feathers, dull claws, etc.
Make sure to keep reading books. Learning to be a falconer does not happen over night, It is
a continuing process of learning through reading, experience, and communicating with your
sponsor and other falconers. That is why the regulations in every State where falconry is legal
requires an Apprenticeship of at least two years. (I believe this is also a federal requirement).

STEP FIVE: There are two final requirements that must be met to obtain your permit. First you
must have your sponsor fill out and sign a form that should have been provided with the
packet you received from the Dept. of Wildlife and Parks. This along with the appropriate
state and federal fees, (Approx. $75.00 state fee, $50.00 test fee, and $25.00 federal fee) must
be mailed to Pratt before you will be allowed to take the falconry exam. In Kansas this fee is
good for three years from the beginning of the year you are issued the permit. Your sponsor
should be coaching you in the materials you need to learn in order to pass this examination…
Second you must have your facilities and equipment inspected. This is done by your county
Conservation Officer (Game Warden to us old timers). This process should be initiated through
the Department in Pratt, but I would recommend that you obtain his or her phone number
from the department (316 672-5911), and call your C.O. to introduce yourself and coordinate
a time and date for the inspection. Some C.O.'s may not be familiar with falconry equipment,
so be prepared to explain the use of everything on the list.

STEP SIX: Find a food source. The best of these are quail, which are raised with special diets
that provide the raptor with the proper nutritional requirements for captivity. You may trap
Sparrows and Starlings, since these birds are not protected by federal law. Rabbit is a
commonly used food for many a Red-tail if you have access to them or you wind up with a
Hawk that truly "earns it's keep". Just be sure you have a supply of food for the day you bring
that new bird home.

STEP SEVEN: With your permit in hand, go out and trap your first Red-tailed Hawk or, if your
sponsor is familiar with their management, a Kestrel. You are now an apprentice falconer, and
responsible for the life of your bird. Keep in close contact with your sponsor at all times. He or
she is responsible for your success and will eventually have to sign you off to become a General
Class falconer after you have served your apprenticeship.

These steps are simply meant as a guideline, given so that anyone who might be interested in
learning what is involved in the process of becoming a falconer will hopefully get a general
understanding. I can assure you that the biggest factor in becoming a falconer comes from
an unexplainable desire within the individual to get involved with raptors. If you are intrigued
by them enough, you will seek out the rest. Falconry can be extremely rewarding to those who
have the patience and tenacity to pursue it. Remember that YOU must take the initiative to
meet the people and become involved with the activities and events if you are really going
to get the full benefits the sport has to offer.