The US Fish & Wildlife Service and State Wildlife Agencies
have recently been conducting join statewide inspections over parts of the
country. To help our VFA members prepare for the possibility of an
inspection we have posted the guidelines that were created by NAFA.
Note: The
North American Falconer's Association generously allowed us to post this so
that "all" falconers (NAFA members or not) have access to the latest
information pertaining to the State & Federal inspections. I
encourage everyone in the VFA to join NAFA and/or drop them an email thanking
them for these guidelines and allowing us to use them.
This page will be updated as new information becomes
available.
North American Falconer's
Association "Inspection Guidelines" (PDF)
Recommendations for
Dealing with Inspections
* Create two binders for your paperwork, one for originals and
one for copies. The one with the copies is best kept in your mews so
there is no need to go into your home. Have additional copies of each
document in case the inspecting officer would like one.
(I use document protectors and have several copies of
each document.) The Original folder can be kept in your home
or a safe deposit box. If kept in your home remember that the inspecting
officer "CAN" go into your house where it is kept.
* If at all possible, move your freezer into your mews.
If not, remember that the inspecting officer "CAN" go into your home where you
store the hawk's food. Be aware of the laws in VA about quarry bag
limits and how many can be legally stored in your freezer.
(Note: I will try to get that info from the VDGIF and
post it here)
* DO NOT tell the inspecting officer hawking stories! In
a professional and courteous manner, answer all questions pertaining to "your"
falconry activities but don't get into a chit-chat. Do not bring up
other falconers or their activities. (Note:
I am not advocating hiding ANY illegal activities. We should never
condone or be party to illegal activities by any falconer. I am
suggesting that you confine your comments to "your" falconry activities so it
doesn't become a "he said, she said" conversation)
* Prepare your equipment (or have an extra set) as though you
are going through your initial apprentice inspection. In some of the
inspections falconers were actually asked to produce individual pairs of
jesses and swivels and asked other questions about equipment. Make sure
that every piece of equipment that is required by law is quickly available for
the inspecting officer so you can get out of the inspection as soon as
possible. Remember, if you have to go into your garage or bedroom to get
a perch the inspecting officer "CAN" go in there with you.
* Be sure your equipment, mews and weathering yard are neat,
tidy and completely conform to regulations. (Of
course this should always be the case for the benefit of your birds)
* ANYONE and
EVERYONE that comes to your
house for an inspection IS a
State Wildlife Official or a USF&W Officer. They
ARE there to find violations
not be your friend. Do not be taken with stories of training officers or
routine inspections because they have already lied about that in other
states.
* Sample Inspecting Officer Question:
How do you man your birds? Your answer, I hold them on the fist while
watching TV. Result: You just gave
the inspecting officer permission to inspect your TV room! Anywhere you
conduct any of your falconry activities is subject to inspection.
* Sample Inspecting Officer Question:
Who do you go hawking with and where? Joe Smith and I hawk over
at the Jones farm a lot. Result: You
just provided the inspecting officer with a question to ask Joe Smith.
If Joe Smith forgets to mention the Jones farm or decides not to provide them
with an answer suspicion has been raised!
* Preparation is the key to getting through an inspection
without a violation. As you begin to gather your equipment and paperwork
and realize you may have lost or misplaced something now is the time to get
that rectified. Once the inspecting officer is there it will be too
late.
Other
News: The following is copied from the Moscow
news. (Webmaster's note: the dollar amount has
been greatly inflated as in most articles about seizures. Even though
this happened half way around the world and a few years ago, with things like
this going on you can expect more inspections and stings. As long as we
all honor our laws and regulations and prepare our facilities, equipment and
paperwork we don't have anything to worry about)
$5M Worth of Smuggled Falcons Seized at
Russian Airbase
MosNews 11/01/2004
Law enforcement authorities have seized 127 rare falcons worth
$5 million that were being smuggled to Syria from a Russian military airbase
in Kyrgyzstan, in the biggest bird smuggling racket uncovered in the region.
The hunting birds were found as they were about to be flown from Russia’s Kant
airbase in the former Soviet republic, Reuters reported.
“This is an unprecedented case,” Kyrgyz Special Prosecutor Galina Pugacheva
told Reuters, saying it was the biggest bird smuggling racket uncovered in the
impoverished ex-Soviet state.
When investigators moved in, the birds, hidden in boxes, were being loaded on
to a passenger plane at the airbase, near the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. They
had not been fed for two days and one of them had a broken leg. The birds were
recovering in a nursery and would be returned to their natural habitat.
The Russian military, which rents the Kant airbase from the Kyrgyz government,
said it had nothing to do with the smuggling, Interfax news agency reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Kyrgyzstan last year to open the
base, saying its purpose was to help fight “international terrorism” in the
region.
