MARTINO: Brown shows off his unique hunting companion

By JOHN MARTINO
Tribune columnist

February 03, 2008 01:08 am

— Slow and deliberate, Ron Brown picks his way along an overgrown, brushy fence row, stopping to kick thick stands of weeds. A thick leather glove covers his left hand. Back-dropped against a gray sky a red-tailed hawk circles effortlessly overhead, gracefully maneuvering in the changing wind currents. Without warning, a rabbit rockets from a dense clump of foxtail. Tucking its broad wings, the hawk drops from the sky and Brown witnesses one of nature’s most awesome events.
Brown has always enjoyed hunting. As a young man he would take to the field in search of deer and small game with a firearm. As his skills grew, so did his passion for challenges so, he took up archery. Now Brown continues to hunt, but with a whole new twist. He is now immersed in what is perhaps the most natural and purest form of hunting man can experience. He has taken up the art of falconry.
Hawks are powerful birds. Before the invention of gunpowder, falconry — the art of using hawks or falcons for hunting — was considered the sport of kings. Even today falconry is shared only by an elite few.
Since childhood Brown has always been fascinated with birds of prey, as most people are. A sleek package of speed and elegance, raptors soaring through the sky have the ability to capture the attention of even those who are not outdoor oriented.
Through a twist of fate, Brown found himself retiring early from the Kokomo Police Department due to health reasons.
“Now I have falconry to take up my time,” he said.
In the beginning, through careful research, Brown began acquiring as much information as possible. He later contacted the Indiana Department of Natural Resources where he was given a list of licensed falconers. He contacted Master Falconer, Dan Bloodgood, from Frankfort. That first conversation lasted several hours with Bloodgood detailing everything associated with the noble sport of falconry.
After months of gathering information and talking to experienced falconers, Brown obtained his first red-tailed hawk, a female he named Terra. He kept the bird for one year before releasing her back into the wild.
“She was an awesome bird,” he said, “but I wanted a smaller, faster male.”
His current hawk is named “General Patton” which he calls “General” for short. Many days you can find Brown walking brushy fields and fencerows with General either soaring majestically overhead or perched in a nearby tree looking for game that Brown may push into the open.
The bond between the two is strong and many times they will share the fruits of the General’s success.
“When the General takes a rabbit, I will give part of it to my bird, and I’ll take the rest of it home to eat,” Brown explained. It is not uncommon to see the pair driving around town with General sitting on his own perch in the back of Brown’s extended cab pick-up truck.
When it’s time to go home after a day of hunting Brown will put a small piece of meat in his leather covered hand. Even at a distance General has no problem seeing it with its keen eye sight. It then soars in landing on Brown’s gloved hand. But the retired police officer has not been without injuries either.
“There have been a few times when he landed on my arm and missed the glove,” he explained. “Their talons are amazingly sharp and I have ended up with puncture wounds several times.”
There are only 79 licensed falconers in Indiana. Modern falconry is perhaps the most highly-regulated sport in the United States, requiring both federal and state licensing. Anyone interested in this activity must first start out as an apprentice, working under the tutelage of an experienced falconer. After a period of several years that person can obtain a general license. The pinnacle is the graduation to a Master Falconer.
In Indiana, apprentice falconers must begin with either an American kestrel or red-tailed hawk. To obtain one of these birds, licensed falconers must trap them. Brown prefers the red-tailed. “Because of the area I like to hunt and their ability to take larger game — my favorite is the larger birds,” he explained.
If you think it is unfair to keep a bird of prey in captivity, guess again. By contrast, birds of prey in the care of conscientious falconers are given a head start on survival. They are free from vulnerabilities they would certainly encounter in the wild. Provided with a consistent food source, veterinary care and the opportunity to hone their hunting skills over time, falconry birds defy the dire statistics of nature, living almost twice as long as they would in the wild.
“Falconry is a form of hunting unlike all others,” Brown said. “It is more than a sport or activity. It is a full time obligation and a lifestyle that demands a serious commitment. These birds are not pets and must be exercised and allowed to hunt often to maintain their mental and physical health. I try to get General out at least five days a week all year long.
“Getting involved in falconry can be amazingly rewarding,” he continued, “but a lot of thought needs to go into it before getting started. It should not be a casual decision.”
In addition to hunting, the Kokomo resident enjoys giving presentations to schools and civic groups. “I love educating people on the art of falconry. Especially the kids!”
Youth turkey shoot
The Tipton Moose Legion recently held the club’s first youth turkey shoot. In this type of competition, participants take aim at standardized paper targets. This event entailed three shoots in each of the three age brackets.
In the 8-and-under age class, Isabelle Milkey was unbeatable, capturing three first place finishes. In the 9–12 age bracket it was Makenzy Milkey, Emily Hinkle and Corey Hinkle coming away with first place finishes. In the 13-17 age bracket top place honors were awarded to Ryan Milkey, Gary French and Dustin Hinkle.
If you are interested in taking part in these fun shooting events, the Tipton Moose Legion offers turkey shoots every Sunday beginning at noon.
Tribune catches of the week
Bryant’s Outdoor Store: Kokomo’s Jim Baker hauled in several eating-size bluegill and a channel catfish tipping the scales at 9 pounds while ice fishing an area pond. Baker hooked his fish on tear drop ice fishing jigs tipped with beemoth.
Jack’s Tackle Center: Jeff Fager and this outdoor writer pulled in 85 bluegills, keeping 64 for the table, after a recent outing to an area pond. The fish averaged 8 inches in length with several of the largest stretching 91/2 inches. They were hooked on tear-drop jigs tipped with beemoth.
Malone’s Nyona Lake Bait and Tackle: Kenny Roe cleaned 40 bluegills averaging 8 inches in length after an ice fishing trip to Nyona Lake. Roe caught his fish on tear-drop jigs and beemoth.
John Martino is the Tribune’s outdoors columnist. He may be reached through the sports department at (765) 454-8574.

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