Photo courtesy of Sandra Allinson
Babs, a red-tailed hawk trained by local falconer Sandra Allinson, covers her prey after a successful hunt. Falconry is allowed from mid-September to early March at Oak Mountain State Park and some other state parks across Alabama.
Oak Mountain State Park will offer recreational hunting for falconers for the third year, beginning in September.
The park is one of 17 state parks across Alabama that began the falconry program during the 2016-2017 season as a way to offer a new form of recreation, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) natural resources planner Tasha Simon said. Falconers work with trained hawks and other birds of prey to track and hunt game, such as squirrels and rabbits.
Falconry is regulated by state and federal guidelines, and those interested in the sport must apprentice with an experienced falconer before being able to practice independently. The Alabama Hawking Association is the resource for most people interested in falconry in the state.
The sport requires falconers to teach birds, either raised from youth or wild-caught, to work with humans to flush out and capture prey, as well as returning to their handler’s glove rather than flying away.
Alabaster resident Sandra Allinson is in her sixth year in the sport, after having worked with birds of prey as a wildlife rehabilitator. Her winged hunting partner of five years was a red-tailed hawk named Babs. Allinson released Babs in March, because hawks that were captured as adults can successfully return to hunting in the wild, and she said she plans to capture a new hawk this fall.
“They never lose that wildness about them,” Allinson said, adding that working with hawks is not like having a pet.
Allinson has flown Babs at Oak Mountain since it opened to falconry, hunting for gray squirrels. She said it can be hard to find good hunting grounds that provide either open fields or forests without human interference or possible dangers of the bird getting hit by a car while hunting.
“It’s close to home and it’s a beautiful setting, and there was plentiful game there,” Allinson said. “I’m really grateful to the Alabama Parks for opening some of the parks.”
Hoover resident Mark Schibler just recently became an independent falconer after two years as an apprentice, and he said Oak Mountain is his main hunting ground. Schibler chooses to trap and release a new bird each season.
“Finding hunting territory is a big challenge for most falconers, especially those who live in urban or suburban areas,” Schibler said.
Falconers are also dependent on days with little rain or wind, and Schibler said Oak Mountain’s steep geography means sometimes the birds go where their handlers cannot follow. At the park, Schibler said they also try to avoid hunting near public areas or on days with park events.
Schibler said he wouldn’t recommend the park to hunters who are just starting to fly a new bird, as the size and the distractions at Oak Mountain could cause problems.
“My advice would be to get the know the park administration because we have the same interests at heart: preserving the art in Alabama, selectively exposing interested people — especially kids — to the sport and maintaining a safe ecosystem in the park,” Schibler said.
Simon said Oak Mountain will be open to falconers between Sept. 16 and March 4, 2019. Participants must possess a valid hunting license and falconry permit, and they must call or email the park in advance to inform them of the date and time the falconer wishes to hunt. They are also required to check in with park management about recommended hunting areas and guidelines.
For more information about state park falconry opportunities, call Simon at 334-242-3902 or Roger Clay with the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries at 251-626-5474. Learn more about Alabama falconry permits at outdooralabama.com/resident-commercial-hunting-licenses.
