The
Georgia Falconry Association
is a group of individuals
dedicated to preserving
the art and practice
of falconry,
as well as educating
the public on the
conservation, management,
and ecology of raptors.
Members are expected
to adhere to a strict
code of ethics regarding
game laws, treatment
of birds and conduct
in public. The Georgia
Falconry Association
willingly assists
new falconers and
those interested in
the sport.
Falconry,
one of the world's
oldest hunting sports,
is defined as the
taking of wild quarry
in its natural state and
habitat by means
of a trained raptor.
No one knows for
sure when and where falconry
began but based
on pictoral records,
it is thought that
it originated in
either Asia or the Middle
East about 4,000
years ago. Prior to the
invention of firearms
in the early 17th century,
raptors were used as a
method of obtaining food.
The
term "falconry" covers
all trained birds of prey,
not just the birds known
as falcons. Falconry
is the most highly regulated
of all hunting sports today. Permits
and licenses are required from the
US Fish and Wildlife Service as
well as all states. There
are rigid regulations
addressing the possession,
care, and flying of birds
for falconry.