Rendezvous Presentations 2024

This presentation covers Tyler’s personal experiences and opinions on the different desert quail species of quail how they are as a valuable falconry quarry species, and how they compare to each other, as well as the dogs used to pursue them.

Martin got his first bird, a red-tailed hawk, when he was 12 years old. From that moment on, he was hooked on falconry, and has been flying for the last 48 years. Since moving to Aguascalientes, Mexico in 1988, he has been hunting with passage peregrine falcons, chasing ducks during the winter and long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) and Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) during the summer. Martin shares his experiences hawking these challenging quarry in Mexico. (These quarry are not game species in the U.S. but can be hunted legally in this part of Mexico)

Jackrabbits are important to ecosystem function and maintaining biodiversity by virtue of their outsized contribution to animal biomass. Historical, ongoing, and novel contemporary threats have resulted in substantial declines for many of these important species. Yet, because jackrabbits are generally undervalued by both the scientific community and the public, research has lagged and stymied enactment of conservation efforts to reverse trends.

A discussion on the ecology and conservation of North America’s prairie grouse. Prairie grouse are icons of the Great Plains, intertwined with Native American culture, and indicators of intact landscapes. They also provide excellent quarry for falconers, bird dogs, and shotgunners. We will explore the history, science and mystique of these prairie gems.

Falconer, filmmaker , and author Steve Chindgren presents his keynote presentation at The Archives of Falconry's annual Rendezvous banquet in Boise, Idaho USA. Steve presents a new video on sage grouse hawking produced specially for this event.

Heath discusses hawking snipe with passage peregrines in Arkansas. He reviews their life history, habitat, and the nuances of locating snipe and successfully slipping tiercel peregrines on this challenging quarry.