• IMongoose@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Feds are loosening up Eagle take and to a lesser extent peregrine take for falconry in the US.

    Golden eagles used to be illegal for falconers to take from the wild until a few years ago, now there is a lottery to take problem eagles off of ranches. They used to issue permits for ranchers to shoot them, and wind turbines to hit them, but wouldn’t let falconers take them as hunting partners which was very silly. It’s loosening up a bit now which is good. Less dead eagles this way.

    Most states have a lottery system to take peregrines already but their population is thriving. I can see states getting rid of the lottery in the next few years. The 50 or so birds taken by falconers each year across the US would be a rounding error to their population anyway.