Episode 52: Al Ross

Israel and Jon take some time out to announce some very important updates concerning current happenings and the future of the podcast. This is MUST HEAR INFO for everyone who regularly listens to the podcast! As always, thanks for all of your support and we appreciate you all!

Recorded in early September, 2018 by John Goodell. On February 5th, 2019 Tom passed away at the age of 91. This episode was originally published, in part, on the Northwest Nature Matters podcast. Now, Goodell has provided us with the rest of the audio that was never shared. Featuring international falconry icon Tom Cade, founder of The Peregrine Fund. With additional commentary by Kent Carnie, founder of The Archives of Falconry. 

Kent Carnie, 91 years old. His age is a big part of what makes this episode so special as it gives us a rare glimpse into early American falconry, and a career in falconry beginning before most listening to this episode were even born. Kent is to thank for the world-renowned Archives of Falconry, and in this episode Kent takes us through his life’s story, and the story of the Archives.

When we consider falconry, we think of great adventures pursuing wild game with trained birds of prey. But we also think of its rich history, we think of conservation, the arts, biology, and so many other facets of a sport that encompasses but also transcends the mere act of chasing quarry… And in this episode, John Goodell brings us through his career as a biologist, conservationist, falconer, museum curator, and now Curator for the Archives of Falconry… So much of everything we love as falconers, in one conversation with one great guy. 

Al Ross, warmly known as "Mr. Merlin" amongst his peers, has long been a pioneer in the sport of falconry. Growing up without the knowledge or access to information later falconers would enjoy, he discovered and learned much of what he's now recognized for developing, almost entirely from studying the raptors in the wild themselves. From being the first to make a game hawk out of a Harris's Hawk, to "outer-mewing" Merlins season after season, to showing the world new things that these capable little falcons were able to do... Even those who have known Al Ross from the beginning still have a hard time keeping up!

Howling winds buffet us as Jeremy Kessler and I hunker over my podcasting equipment at the table in Steve Jones' customized school bus. In this episode, we learn about Jeremy Kessler. At the time of recording, Jeremy is flying a cast of falcons… and brings a very interesting perspective into this episode. Despite the most careful planning and preparation, falconry often spirals into a chaotic sport. Many of us spend our days doing everything we can to avoid chaos, to ensure everything goes off without a hitch. Jeremy embraces the chaos.  

Each year, a hardy group of falconers tow their campers and teepees far into the remote southwestern Wyoming desert, where they situate them around Steve Jones' customized school bus. In this episode, we learn about Steve Jones, widely known for his American Falconry Magazine. From his falconry origins, to the beginning of their annual grouse camp tradition, flying casts of falcons, and so much more! 

If you know Gary, you know how he wants the spotlight anywhere but on him… But with such a wide-ranging reputation, it was only a matter of time before we would catch him on his trips to Wyoming to hawk Sage Grouse. Between hawking, working his Setter “Hope”, fishing for trout, arrowhead hunting, or competing with Steve at a thousand games of cornhole, pinning him down was no small task. Boberg is widely known, and loved. Decades of hard hawking alongside his California peers and his positive, genuine personality have made him a staple of West Coast falconry friendships. In this episode, we get to know Gary’s story… A lot of you will know many of the names he drops. We experience California as it once was, through Cooper’s Hawk hunting exploits and the golden age of duck hawking in the state, as we follow Gary’s illustrious falconry journey from boyhood to his latest endeavors with eagles and chasing the pinnacle moments of grouse hawking.

Pinning Dave Marshall down proved to be no small feat. But with the request being heard so many times, I persisted. “We want to know the story of Marshall!” Being the premier designer and manufacturer of a falconer’s most important, aye, crucial kit, Marshall Radio is a titan in the falconry world. To them is owed not just the salvation of many a falconry bird, but more so the newfound joy that GPS has brought to falconers around the globe, as we can watch and marvel at our bird’s prowess, with the freedom and security only real-time data can provide. The story of this company is intrinsically tied into the story of its namesake, Dave Marshall. That’s the story we all wanted, and the story episode 40 of the Falconry Told Podcast has only just begun to tell.

How do you pay your respects to someone who drastically impacted the course of your life? Inspiring you to pursue your own journey of discovery, along the same lines of passion this person set? We’re not sure, but in this episode, Israel Matson pays his respects to William “Bill” Davis, the first falconer he watched practice the art, and a true giant of a human. So we look at a short glimpse into the man who Bill was, as well as at his favorite form of falconry, pursuing squirrels with Red-Tailed Hawks. Because Israel’s story regarding Bill has to do with the impact he made on him as a pre-apprentice, this podcast is also dedicated to the would-be, curious, interested pre-apprentice falconers out there. The ones interested in the sport, but looking for a better understanding of the process to becoming a licensed, practicing falconer.