Gyrfalcons

I trained my first gyrkin in 1989.  I named him Kubla.  Kuby became a fine flier and my first “hat” bird a couple of years later.  I raised, hacked and flew several more gyrkins over the years and always marveled at their intelligence, speed and power.  However it wasn’t until I “met” Rosebud, my first hacked imprinted female, that I really started to understand gyrfalcons.  Her attitude and demeanor was (and is) so steady and smooth.  She is perhaps the most incredible falcon I have known.  I flew Rosebud for two seasons.  She was a high flier and a deadly game hawk.  I was seeing things I had never seen before in falconry.  A power and grace that has to be experienced….a speed that I had never seen.  By the end of her second season she was deadly.  “Domination” would be a good way to describe her body language at 1,000 feet over a sharp-tail point on a crisp Montana morning.  Rosebud laid eggs last year at 3 yrs. old.  I made a female from her and named her Rosie Baby.   My love affair with gyrs has just begun!

     In 1999 I started acquiring gyrs from selected breeders and changed my emphasis from hybrids to pure gyrfalcons.  My goal was to create a nice group of outcrossed breeding pairs that would provide me with a diverse genetic pool from which to choose.  Over the years I have learned a tremendous amount about gyrfalcons and through careful selection have been able to produce some exceptional birds.  Many of my gyrs have been flown by falconers here in the U.S. as well as the Middle East with great success.  Rosebud is a fine example.  I am hoping that with attention and careful selection I can continue to breed falcons like Rosebud and continue to improve my lines to provide the falconry community with fine gyrfalcons for years to come. 

     I breed white, silver and grey gyrs.   Unless otherwise pre-arranged, all gyrs are parent raised out-of-sight of people in a family group (2 parents), then placed in large chambers shortly after fledging to socialize with other young gyrs until shipping.   Please place orders early for the upcoming season.  Call or email for details.  Thanks and enjoy the pictures below!