2016/2017 OFA Meet - Guymon, OK
Though the forecast indicated icy roads and crummy weather, a small group of falconers converged on the tiny town of Guymon Oklahoma in the early part of January, in order to attend the 2016/2017 Oklahoma Falconers Association Field Meet. Those who decided to make the drive were reward with falconry conditions bordering along the lines of perfection, and experienced an incredible weekend with good friends, loads of game, and awesome flights!
There were so many memorable moments from the weekend it would be difficult to mention them all, but some of the ones that stick out the most in my mind were from Mitch's goshawk chasing quail and pheasants. These flights went so far that the only way of seeing the later parts of the slips, were by following the chases through binoculars! The tenacity, and the hawks willingness to stick with the birds over those distances was inspiring, and an absolute treat to watch.
Chris, Gayla, and Stephen's harris hawks pursued cotton tails and quail with endless vigor, and Jerel, Shane, and Parker's red tails were given shots at jack rabbits over the course of the weekend. We chased small birds with the perlin, watched some great dog work from Rob's young vizsla, and our evenings were spent laughing over food and drink, while telling stories and planning our adventures for the next day.
When it was all said and done, everyone who attended put game in the bag, and I think it is safe to say that this OFA meet ended up being one for the record books! Of course, a get together like this is impossible without the generosity of the many landowners, who allowed us to come hunt on their properties. On behalf of the OFA board and all of our members, I wanted to extended our biggest THANK YOU to each and every one of you, for allowing us the opportunity to have such a wonderful adventure!
All the best,
-Dan-
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