Name? Chris Kimble
OFA Positions? I have been VP, president elect, and president of the OFA.
Where do you live? Hydro, OK
Job? I’ve worked in a clean room at Imation and Kodak in Weatherford, OK, for the last 6 years or so doing various production work, but I’m soon to be working at Danny Ertsgaard’s breeding operation in Oregon.
Family? I have lots of family in western OK. I'm also fortunate to come from a very close knit family. My parents have been married since they were in high school and I have a younger brother and sister as well as an adopted sister. Both of my siblings are married with children and my parents cared for a number of foster children while us kids were growing up.
What got you interested in falconry? I book I use to read in 3rd grade, I don’t recall the name of it, it was some sort of reference book, but it had a picture of a kestrel with a leash on it. Naturally I wanted one and being the book worm that I was, I searched for info about raptors and it led me to falconry….been hooked ever since.
Who was your sponsor? (or mentors and influences?) Jerry Beales was my sponsor, and Joe Wood was a close friend, pastor and falconry mentor of mine.
What birds do you currently fly? I'm currently working with a passage female Redtail.
What birds have you flown in the past? Redtails, Harris’, Kestrels, a couple Gyr x Prairie Hybrids. Redtails and Harris’ Hawks are my favorites.
What was your favorite bird and why? I get pretty attached to most of my birds but I had a male Redtail named Jake that I was very fond of and a male Harris’ that I still miss. They were just really well mannered and very easy to work with.
What birds do you plan to fly or would like to fly? I would like to fly a Golden on jacks if the opportunity ever presents itself. And I would like to achieve some level of success with a falcon on ducks...I’ve never killed a duck with a raptor before!
Favorite Quarry? Fox Squirrels, hands down. Starlings are fun too.
Do you have other animals? I’ve had a plethora of animals ranging from insects to pythons. I always have some sort of critters around the house. I really like tropical constrictors and parrots.
Favorite falconry story? There are so many really, but I think my favorite memories are from hawking with my cousin Ryan. He and I have a lot of random misadventures! I think the most fun I’ve ever had was car hawking with him and his kestrel.
Funniest falconry story? Its hard to pick just one, but I guess I would have to say the funniest thing I’ve seen since I started hawking, was the time I unknowingly pushed a skunk out of an irrigation pipe into the waiting hands of David Bell! It wasn’t funny at the time, but looking back I can’t help but laugh about it.
Favorite quote? “What is practiced in moderation in this generation will be practiced in excess in the next.” Not sure if that’s exactly right, or where it came from but I’ve always felt it speaks very true.
What is the best tip that you would give someone new to the sport? Never stop learning.
Who have you sponsored? Randall White, Ryan Christensen, Walter Ginn, and John Dominguez.
What goals do you have for your falconry experience? To give something meaningful back to the sport, whatever it may be. I would also like to produce my own birds to fly one day.
Contact Info? Chris Kimble, 580-302-3905,
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Social Networks? Facebook
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