OKLAHOMA FALCONERS ASSOC.
2022 ANNUAL PICNIC
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Oklahoma Falconers Assoc.
Annual Picnic
Saturday June 4, 2022
Perfect weather, great food and the best gathering of friends one could ask for, was on par for the OFA annual get together!
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Our picnic and business meeting was held at The ODWC Education center at Arcadia Lake in Edmond again this year. We can't say how grateful we are to have such a proficient working relationship with our State Officials.
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The morning started with Matt Mullenix making a presentation on micro hawking and The Four Fundamentals of Falconry. We appreciate Matt making the drive from his home in Louisiana to share his knowledge!
Thank you to Daniel, who volunteered to whip up a Cajun shrimp boil for our lunch! Like always, the OFA sponsors the food and asks the membership to bring sides or a dessert. Thank you also goes to Phil & Gayla for flying in fresh crayfish to sweeten the pot!
I look forward to our picnic every year. It's chance to mingle with old friends, make some new ones and reminisce about the old days!
We were fortunate to have a great turnout. Most of the membership, many newcomers, Becky from the State Office and several members of The Kansas Hawking Club all helped make our day!
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Following our business meeting, our usual annual raffle was a go!!! We can't thank Chris and Jessica enough for all the leg work gathering all the exceptional items! You really outdid yourselves this year! If you see any of the companies, artisans and members that are listed to the right, remember to thank them for their ongoing support. Without them we wouldn't be able to raise the monies to sustain the club.
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Another year is in the books friends. I hope the rest of your summer goes well and your birds have a clean molt.
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I hope we meet in the fall with bird in hand and game to chase!
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Cheers till then!
SQUIRREL BILL HB 1112
Left to right, Rep. Talley’s assistant, Rep. Talley’s wife Carol, Rep. Talley, Robert Huber, the Gov, Corey Jager, Wildlife Leg. Liaison, J.D. Strong, Director Wildlife, Sen. Allen and his wife.
Exciting news happening for squirrel season in Oklahoma! Thanks to the combined efforts of Director Huber, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife, local legislature, and others, the first wildlife bill signed into law this year in Oklahoma was focused on Squirrel Season and biology. In years past, the season was not determined by the Dept of Wildlife but rather the legislature. Director Huber explains below,
“The squirrel season was set by statute in Oklahoma most likely back in the 1920s or 1930’s when squirrel was a primary food source for Oklahomans. In order for Oklahoma falconers to request an extended squirrel season we had to request a bill to remove the season dates from statutes. I volunteered to spearhead the process for the Oklahoma Falconers Association and drafted a bill to remove season dates and empower the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife to set season dates based on biology.“
The bill is a wonderful collaborative success for falconers and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife.
2023 ANNUAL PICNIC
The 2023 Picnic was another great OFA gathering. The comradery, the food, the raffle always seems to set the bar higher every time!
This year we added a few unique things to the agenda.
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Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who helped putting this year's event on. Joel made all the arrangements for feeding everyone. Hannah gathered some real nice donations for our raffle and everyone that helped set up, tear down and clean up! Without all your help, this event would not be possible.
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This year we had our board elections. Unfortunately, we couldn't thank our outgoing President personally, as he had a previous engagement. Kris served as President Elect and President for four years, donating his time and expertise to our association. I personally want to thank him for his dedication to our club and the sport of kings in Oklahoma.
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I stepped up from President Elect to President, Samantha was voted in as President elect, Robert is now our Vice President, Dave remains as our Secretary, and Chris is staying our Treasurer. I am honored to serve your club with this very proactive panel and look forward to the next two years.
Our club gained a few new members this year, with new members and new apprentices. I hope they are blessed with a great season with bountiful slips.
We were also able to spend some time with many of the original founding members as well. I regret not getting the chance to visit with all of them, but there is always next year!
Falconry experience runs deep in Oklahoma and we are lucky to have some of the best in the country in our club!
That leads me to our umiqe additions to the agenda this year.
Two years ago, it was presented to the membership, that we honor and recognize, a select few that have gone over and above for the art of falconry in the State of Oklahoma. It was also agreed, we should only have two honorary lifetime members at any given time.
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The board, unanimously voted to honor two gentlemen that deserve more than I can convey. To say thank you is not nearly enough. To honor them with a lifetime membership, doesn't do their service justice. But I digress...
We asked Robert Huber to present and introduce Dr. Kenton Riddle and Robert Summers to do the same for Steve Sherrod.
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These two gentlemen built their carriers around falconry and rose to the top of their fields. The wealth of experience and information Ken and Steve retain is invaluable to all falconers across our nation! I personally, thank you for offering your knowledge to any falconer willing to ask for help!
Our other unique addition to our meeting was to recognize and thank, Becky Rouner for her 24 years of dedicated service to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. 21 of those years, she served as our point of contact for falconry at the State level.
Thank you for your years of dedication to the ODWC and the sport of falconry. Good luck on your retirement Becky. I hope your new endeavors bring you all the health and happiness you deserve.
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This brought a close to our annual meeting, with only leaving two more important things on the tables! We had two raffles this year. Our usual fundraising raffle that had some very nice items to take a chance on. The second raffle was spearheaded by Chris and Jessica Kimble, specifically to raise funds to have Oscar Pack's name installed on the Wall of Remembrance. Again, Hannah did an excellent job, with several tables of prizes to take home. Chris and Jess donated many of the items to raise the money for Oscar. I am happy to say they raised more than enough to get the feat accomplished!!
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I am proud to be a part of the OFA. I have never met a better group of like minded people!
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Till next time friends. I hope your summer goes well and your birds have a clean molt. See you in the field with bird in hand!
2023 APPRENTICE WORKSHOP
2024 APPRENTICE WORKSHOP
The Oklahoma Falconers apprentice workshop will be held on August 24, 2024 in Perry Oklahoma starting at 9AM. The address is: 319 N. 7th Street, in The 1893 Axe House.
This will be an interactive workshop for apprentice and prospective falconers. We would also like to welcome experienced falconers to join in on the fun.
The day will include a telemetry fox hunt first thing in the morning before it gets too hot. If you want to participate plan to be there early! The rest of the day will include equipment, facilities, a coping demonstration, raptor ID and more. Be prepared to be up and moving around a lot at this workshop. please RSVP by AUG 10th as I need to make sure there will be enough set up for everyone to participate. If you would like to skip the fox hunt, indoor activities will start at 10:30.
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You must register to attend this event! You may visit the Facebook event here, or email Samantha to let her know.
2024 ANNUAL MEETING PICNIC
Our annual business meeting and picnic was held on Saturday 1 June, 2024, in the same place as the last few years. The ODWC has graciously let use their training facility at Lake Arcadia, once again! We can't ask for a better setting to conduct our educational presentations, serve lunch and enjoy fellowship with other like minded people.
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First, I would like to thank Brooke for taking the lead conducting our summer meeting and annual picnic. Everything went smoothly without a hiccup! Another nod goes to Tai and Samantha for orchestrating our annual raffle. Our club would not be able to survive without all of the donations afforded us. Please take the time to shop the wares and thank all those that donated. Their links are available to the right of this page.
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It was great to see most of our members again, welcome some out of state falconers, as well as meet several people interested in falconry in our great State.
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The morning commenced with Heath Garner, President of The Arkansas Hawking Association and Vice President of The North American Falconers Association, making a presentation on trapping lonwings inland. It is obvious Heath put a great deal into perfecting his craft over the years. I, for one, was listening to every word!
​​The morning commenced with Heath Garner, President of The Arkansas Hawking Association and Vice President of The North American Falconers Association, making a presentation on trapping lonwings inland. It is obvious Heath put a great deal into perfecting his craft over the years. I, for one, was listening to every word! I look forward to implementing some of his ideas into my trapping regiment this fall.
After the well received presentation, we enjoyed a great BBQ lunch and plenty of sides and desserts. Thank you to everyone that brought all those treats to the table!
Once everyone was full, our annual business meeting kicked off. The most important issue on the agenda was to recognize our 2024 Lifetime Membership Award recipient.
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Robert Huber has been practicing falconry in Oklahoma before there were rules and regulations for it! He is a founding member of the OFA, current board member as well as a board member of NAFA.
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Rob has dedicated countless hours to the club and our sport, besides flying many different species of birds. Writing bylaws, chairing numerous State and National events, rewriting hunting regulations, just to name a few!
Unfortunately, Rob couldn't attend our meeting due to prior family commitments. The video of Robert Rainey making the presentation was videoed and presented to him at a later date.
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On behalf of the board of directors and all the members of the OFA...
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Thank you for your tireless dedication!
The day ended with our raffle. There was something for everyone on those tables. I can't express enough gratitude to all the companies and people that keep supporting our club.
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Another event in the books friends. We have a few more coming in the months to come.
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I hope your summer keeps you well and your birds molt clean.
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Cheers for now!
OK Falconers Assoc.com
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EVENTS COMING UP
2024 OFA Picnic & Business Meeting
Sat. June 1, 2024
Edmond, OK
August 24, 2024
Perry, OK
2024 Fall OFA Meet
TBA
2024 Winter OFA Meet
TBA
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November 14-20, 2021
The State no longer registers our falconry birds. You now must register them with the Federal Govt. The link above is a tutorial on how to do so.
2024 RAFFLE DONORS
