Peregrines

In a recent meeting of the North American Falconer's Association, Ben Woodruff and his 12-year-old female Golden Eagle named Holly showed up to talk with sheep ranchers. It turns out that Ben's a very successful trainer and through his program, he can orient these birds of prey to hunt and kill wolves. "Even now in Mongolia and Russia, they are still hunting wolves with Golden Eagles. They are totally capable. So people have been for over 5000 years. It is a well documented, well-established form of hunting."

Also present was Jim Hamilton who trains Peregrine Falcons to hunt other birds. " This is a Peregrine. He was caught here in Utah. We've trained this bird, that I can't take the hood off. If I take the hood off, he thinks it's killing time. It gets them all jacked up. These guys kill different things than Eagles do. The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest diver, they have courted them up to 300 miles an hour. They will get up to 800 to 1000 feet in the air and as you flush the birds out, say we are hunting sage grouse, they will actually come down and punch it. They will hit it and not get to the ground. What is the biggest prey that these guys will take on? Sage grouse and ducks.

I don't know about you but what an exciting alternative to hunting upland birds and waterfowl. Watching these Falcons swoop down... Pure adrenaline rush.