After clipping the wings on a resident’s request to raise a falcon in Moose Jaw, city council has changed its mind and will now let people raise raptors in the community.
Coun. Kim Robinson introduced a motion during the Nov. 14 regular meeting to amend Bylaw 5432, Keeping of Prohibited Animals, and delete hawks and falcons from the prohibited list as long as the animals are members of a provincial association.
He noted that this motion was in response to the presentation from Brandon Kobelsky and Rick Bryne, president of the Saskatchewan Falconry Association, who addressed council during its Oct. 10 executive committee about the former raising a falcon at his residence.
After the presentation and a discussion, council voted 5-2 against the request. Councillors Robison and Doug Blanc were in favour.
“I’ve done some research on this. … there is an exemption in our laws already that says if they’re provincially licensed (and with a hunting sport group, then they’re acceptable),” Robinson said during the November meeting.
There are provincial rules in place to govern the keeping of these animals and how they’re housed, which were some concerns council had in October, he continued. Further, conservation officers are instructed to monitor the raptors’ well-being closely.
“I did speak with a fellow with lots and lots of experience with falcons in Moose Jaw,” Robinson added. “He said he had never heard of a (negative) falcon domestic animal or human interaction other than wild falcons on the golf course … in response to a nesting issue.”
The motion says the birds must be members of a provincial association and tagged and numbered, Coun. Jamey Logan said. However, he wondered whether it was actually the handler who required a membership number.
Robinson admitted that he was unsure and thought it could be both but knew it was the handler — and not the raptor — who paid the membership fees. He reiterated that, under provincial regulations, the birds must be banded and their registration number recorded with the area conservation office.
Meanwhile, the regulations heavily restrict when the raptors can be out of their cages, while they must be in a secure pen tethered with a strap, which makes their escape unlikely, he added.
“It’s very unlikely that these birds can get away into a municipal area,” Robinson added.
“I assumed as much. I haven’t seen a falcon with a debit card yet,” chuckled Logan.
Logan then introduced an amendment that the bird and handler must both be members of a related association. He pointed out that if a falcon or hawk was numbered and tagged and ended up in the care of someone who wasn’t a member of an association, that could be a problem.
Council then voted 4-3 in favour of the amendment. In favour were Mayor Clive Tolley and councillors Robinson, Logan and Blanc. Opposed were councillors Crystal Froese, Heather Eby and Dawn Luhning.
Tolley said he voted against the initial request in October but changed his mind after receiving a visit and a letter from an environmentalist.
“He reassured me that there are many birds kept in the province safely,” the mayor added, “and it’s a situation where the handlers go into the country to work with their birds.”
Blanc said a former city councillor contacted him and said council approved a resident’s request 10 years ago to raise a hawk in the city. Blanc attempted to reach that resident but learned he had died several years ago.
“But I believed the councillor; he has always done his research on anything he did … ,” Blanc added.
Council then voted 4-3 in favour of the amended motion, with members voting the same way.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Nov. 27.
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