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Washington Administrative Code (Last Updated: November 23, 2016) |
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Title 232. Fish and Wildlife, Department of (Wildlife) |
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Chapter 232-30. Falconry regulations. |
Section 232-30-152. General falconer classes of permit and permitted raptors.
Latest version.
- (1) An applicant for a general falconry permit must be at least sixteen years of age. If sixteen or seventeen years of age, a parent or legal guardian must sign the application and will be legally responsible for the general falconer's activities until the falconer is eighteen years old.(2) An applicant must submit a document from a general falconer or master falconer (preferably the apprentice's sponsor) to the department stating that the applicant has practiced falconry at the apprentice falconer level or equivalent for at least two years, including maintaining, training, flying, or hunting the raptor(s) for at least four months in each year. That practice may include capture and release of falconry raptor(s). The applicant may provide proof of a previously held valid general falconry permit. A falconry school program or education is not acceptable to shorten the period of two years at the apprentice falconer level.(3) A general falconer may not capture a raptor species that this permit classification does not allow the falconer to possess for falconry. A general falconer must release immediately any raptor he/she may not possess.(4) A general falconer may take raptors less than one year of age from the wild during any time of the year. However, an American kestrel or great horned owl of any age may be taken from the wild during any time of the year.(5) Regardless of the number of state, tribal, or territorial falconry permits a general falconer may have, he/she may possess no more than three raptors for use in falconry.(6) A general falconer may take the following species of raptors from the wild in Washington: Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), kestrel (Falco sparverius), merlin (Falco columbarius), prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus), gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus), Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii), goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), barred owl (Strix varia).(7) A general falconer may possess any species of Falconiform or Strigiform except a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), a white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), or a Steller's sea-eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus). A general falconer may use captive-bred individuals or hybrids of the species he/she is allowed to possess.(8) Species of raptors that are not listed in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations at 50 C.F.R. § 10.13 are not covered under these regulations; however, general falconers may practice falconry or hunt with exotic raptors unless otherwise prohibited. Possession, import, and export of exotics may be subject to other state and federal regulations.