Kentucky Passage Tundrius Peregrine Falcon Take Opportunity Guidelines

Beginning in July 2020, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources will administer a random drawing allowing one eligible Kentucky Falconer the opportunity to take one passage tundrius peregrine falcon from the wild in Kentucky. The revised regulation can be found here.

Eligibility for Drawing

Eligible falconers must apply to be entered into the drawing by July 31st of the current year. The application can be found HERE. To be eligible for the passage tundrius peregrine falcon take opportunity drawing, falconers shall:

• Be a resident of Kentucky.
• Have a valid Kentucky resident hunting license or be license exempt.
• Have a valid Kentucky master class falconry permit.
• Not have been convicted of violating any Kentucky falconry regulation in the past five 5 years.

Awarding the Take Opportunity

The department will notify the drawn falconer, by their preferred method of contact as indicated on the application, no later than August 15. It is important to note:

• This opportunity is nontransferable.
• Upon notification, drawn falconers must contact the department’s Falconry Coordinator by phone or email within 10 calendar days to accept the passage tundrius peregrine falcon take opportunity.
• Failure to accept a passage tundrius peregrine falcon take opportunity within 10 calendar days will result in a forfeiture of the passage tundrius peregrine falcon take opportunity.
• If the passage tundrius peregrine falcon take opportunity is forfeited, the department shall conduct additional random drawings until the passage tundrius peregrine falcon take opportunity is accepted or until the take period has passed.

Once a falconer has accepted the passage tundrius peregrine falcon take opportunity, they:

• Will not be eligible to participate in the random drawing for the subsequent two years,
• Must carry on his or her person an authorization letter provided by the department to take one passage tundrius peregrine falcon during all capture attempts.

Guidelines for the Take of a Passage Tundrius Peregrine Falcon in Kentucky

• A passage tundrius peregrine falcon may only be taken from the wild between September 20 and October 20 of the year the passage tundrius peregrine falcon take opportunity is awarded.
• The drawn falconer may only take or attempt to take a passage tundrius peregrine falcon from a county in which the trapping of a passage tundrius peregrine falcon is allowable, as established by the department. See the map here.
• The drawn falconer must immediately release any captured peregrines of a non-tundrius subspecies or birds with a band or research marker, except that bands and research marker information must be photographed or otherwise recorded and reported to the department within 48 hours of release.
• The drawn falconer must report to the department’s Falconry Coordinator the take of a passage tundrius peregrine falcon within 24 hours by phone or email at FWFalconry@ky.gov.
• Within 10 calendar days of taking of a passage tundrius peregrine falcon, the drawn falconer must make arrangements for the department to:
• Inspect the passage tundrius peregrine falcon; and
• If the captured falcon is determined not to be a passage tundrius peregrine falcon, the bird shall be surrendered to the department on site.
• Band the captured passage tundrius peregrine falcon with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service falconry band.

Release of Wild Caught Peregrine Falcons in Kentucky

A falconer who intends to release a wild caught peregrine falcon previously used in falconry must contact the department’s Falconry Coordinator to:

• Have the department band the bird with a permanent band; and
• Release the bird only in a county approved in writing by the department’s Falconry Coordinator.