Members of the Arkansas Hawking Association attended an Akansas Game & Fish Commission meeting September 2010 to present Karen Rowe with a plaque to show our appreciation for her sevice as Falconry Coordinator to the AGFC. The plaque was presented to Karen during the meeting by Billy Workman, Central Regional Director, and the inscription was read aloud before the commision.

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. The new Arkansas State Falconry Regluations went into effect on January 1, 2011.

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 is time once again to make plans to attend the annual Arkansas Hawking Association’s Winter Meet.  The meet is held at Butler Lodge in Ethel, close to DeWitt and Stuttgart.  Butler lodge is a full service hunting lodge owned and operated by Ida Butler.  Her accommodations and culinary delights are a treat we look forward to each year.  The meet will be held February 3-5, 2012.  Call and make your reservations with Ida at 870-282-3283.  Many years have passed since Ida has increased her rates but she had to this year by $10.00. Accommodations are $85.00/night including 3 meals per day.
Come and enjoy camaraderie, hunting and the sport of falconry in Southeast Arkansas.  See you there!

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