Non-Resident Take of Peregrine's in Utah

The Utah Wildlife Board approved an on-going take of eyas peregrines.  The Utah falconry club (Utah Falconer and Raptor Breeders Association) recommended that 10% of the available eyas population be made available to non-resident falconers.  This proposal was accepted.  Utah's Division of Wildlife Services (DWR) media Specialist, Mark Hadley - 801-538-4737 reported "Applications for peregrine falcon capture permits will be available beginning March 4 from Division of Wildlife Resources offices and the Division's Internet Web site (www.wildlife.utah.gov).  Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on March 29.  If the number of applications received exceeds the number of permits that are available, a draw for the permits will be held April 16."  The take period is May 4, May 11 and from May 13 to June 30.  Special federal rules apply to taking peregrine eyases as long as the monitoring period exists.

If you can not find the application on that web site, the DWR general number is 801-538-4700.  Ask for Arlo Wing - direct line 801-538-4784.  First, please try to find the application at the above reference, then try the general number for help finding the application.  Then if you can't find it, call Arlo last so that he does not get inundated by phone calls.

Taking an eyas peregrine sounds great but here are some reality checks: 

A take is only allowed in the southern part of the state.  Most of the eyries, in the part of the state where the take is open, are on federal park lands.  So even though your in a peregrine Mecca, most of the eyries remain "off limits."   The eyrie cliffs are typically hundreds of feet high to well over 1000'.  If you don't know enough about climbing/repelling, don't risk your life.  The eyries are not easily located - about 1/2 of the residents who attempted last year, failed (5 of 12 birds allowed were taken - 7 were not.)  There is a federal requirement that 1/2 the birds taken are male and 1/2 female.  The guess would be that the non-resident bird could be either sex but the DWR may have another perspective.   You can dehydrate quickly in the Utah desert.  Screaming eyas imprints (the rules are geared toward taking young birds to avoid the chance of bumping young from the eyrie prematurely) are not fun - especially peregrine's.

All that said, come and have the fun of at least looking - Utah is a beautiful state!.  If you find an active eyrie and get to take a wild peregrine - what an adventure to keep the memories of through your life!