>> COREY BASHAM: LET'S GO.
GO AHEAD.
>> TERRI ALLARD: OUR GUEST TODAY
LEARNED ABOUT FALCONRY AT THE
AGE OF EIGHT.
AND HE'S BEEN PASSIONATE ABOUT
THIS ANCIENT SPORT AND ART EVER
SINCE.
JOIN US TODAY AS WE VISIT WITH
FALCONER KEVIN MARKEY.
COME ON!
COME ON!
[LAUGHTER]
>> KEVIN MARKEY: FALCONRY IS A
4000 YEAR OLD SPORT THAT I GUESS
BOILS DOWN TO IT IS THE ART OF
TRAINING A WILD HAWK OR FALCON
OR OWL TO HUNT.
SO IN ESSENCE, WE'RE NOT
ACTUALLY TRAINING THEM TO HUNT.
THEY ALREADY KNOW HOW TO HUNT,
NATURE HAS GIVEN THEM THOSE
SKILLS, WHAT WE'RE TRAINING THEM
TO DO IS TO COME BACK TO US AND
TO ALLOW US TO BE PART OF THEIR
GAME AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING
EVERY DAY.
AND THAT'S THE HARD PART.
THEY'RE WILD ANIMALS.
THEY DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO
BE RIGHT NEXT TO HUMAN BEINGS SO
THAT CAN TAKE TWO WEEKS OR TWO
MONTHS.
>> TERRI ALLARD: AND TELL US A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF
THIS SPORT BECAUSE IT GOES VERY
FAR BACK.
>> KEVIN MARKEY: YEAH, SO IT'S A
4000 YEAR OLD SPORT THAT STARTED
IN SOME PEOPLE THINK IN
MONGOLIA, NORTHERN CHINA.
THERE'S ANOTHER GROUP THAT
STARTED ABOUT 2,000 YEARS AGO IN
MESOPOTAMIA, THERE ARE
PICTOGRAPHS THAT SHOW PEOPLE
HOLDING BIRDS ON THEIR FISTS.
SO THE SPORT TRAVELS THROUGHOUT
CHINA, THE GREAT KHANS, GENGIS
KHAN AND KUBLA KHAN PRACTICED
IT, AND THEY WOULD ACTUALLY GO
OUT ON TRIPS WITH 10,000 PEOPLE
ELEPHANT BACK AND THEN IT
TRAVELS WITH THE SILK ROUTE INTO
THE MIDDLE EAST.
AND THEN IN TO EUROPE WITH THE
CRUSADES AND IT REMAINED POPULAR
FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
IT PROBABLY CAME TO AMERICA WITH
THE FIRST SHIPS, THERE WERE
PROBABLY FALCONERS AT PLYMOUTH
ROCK, BUT REALLY DOESN'T SHOW UP
IN AMERICAN HISTORY UNTIL THE
END OF WORLD WAR I WHEN THE US
GIS CAME BACK.
>> TERRI ALLARD: AND YOU LEARNED
ABOUT FALCONRY FROM A NEIGHBOR
WHEN YOU WERE ABOUT EIGHT AND
YOU WERE SO EXCITED, TELL US
ABOUT YOUR FIRST BIRD.
>> KEVIN MARKEY: SO I SAW
FALCONRY FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN
I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD AND THAT
WAS 51 YEARS AGO.
AND I SAW A BIRD HUNTING AND A
FRIEND OF MINE AND I
HEARD BELLS WHICH
WE THOUGHT WAS SORT OF ODD AND
WE WATCHED THIS BIRD TAKE A
SQUIRREL TO THE GROUND, ACTUALLY
A FLYING SQUIRREL, AND THIS
GENTLEMAN CAME OUT OF THE WOODS
WITH A GLOVE ON HIS HAND AND
TOLD US WE'LL SHOW YOU ANYTHING
YOU WANT JUST DON'T TOUCH THE
BIRD AND HE EXPLAINED FALCONRY
TO US AND AT THE TIME BEING AN
EIGHT YEAR OLD BOY THIS WAS A
REALLY COOL THING.
SO I ASKED MY FATHER TO CHASE
THE SPORT DOWN OR HELP ME CHASE
IT SO WE WROTE LETTERS AND THERE
WAS NO INTERNET IN 1966 AND WE
WERE NEVER ABLE TO FIND ANYONE
ELSE WHO WAS A FALCONER BUT I
DID SEE THE BACK OF A BOY
SCOUT'S MAGAZINE THAT SAID BE A
FALCONER AND SEND $37.50 TO THIS
ADDRESS AND THEY'LL SEND YOU A
BIRD, WHICH OF COURSE I DID WITH
SOME HELP FROM MY GRANDMOTHER.
AND THE BIRD SHOWED UP ABOUT TWO
WEEKS LATER, IT SAID LIVE ANIMAL
ON THE BOX AND WE OPENED IT UP
AND THERE WAS A HAWK INSIDE THE
BOX.
AND WHEN MY FATHER FOUND OUT AND
MY MOM FOUND OUT IT WASN'T A
GREAT IDEA FOR A 8-YEAR-OLD.
SO HE MADE A PHONE CALL AND WE
SHIPPED THE BIRD BACK AND THEY
SENT US A CHECK AS A REFUND BUT
THAT WAS A BEGINNING OF A
JOURNEY FOR ME, AND A LIFELONG
JOURNEY.
>> TERRI ALLARD: WELL, AND LET'S
TALK ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE OBVIOUS
AN 8-YEAR-OLD, 9-YEAR-OLD,
SHOULDN'T HAVE A BIRD PER SE AND
BE A FALCONER.
BUT THERE IS SO MUCH TIME AND
TRAINING TO BECOME A FALCONER
THAT'S REQUIRED IN ORDER TO BE A
FALCONER.
SO TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> KEVIN MARKEY: SO, NOW AFTER
1972 WITH THE ENDANGERED SPECIES
ACT AND A COUPLE OF OTHER TREATY
ACTS THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE BY
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT,
YOU HAVE TO DO AN EXAM, YOU HAVE
TO TAKE A NATIONAL EXAM, YOU
HAVE TO DO A TWO-YEAR
APPRENTICESHIP WITH ANOTHER
FALCONER SO ALL OF THAT THAT
TAKES TIME, IT'S OBVIOUSLY GOING
TO TAKE TWO YEARS.
IN THAT TWO-YEAR PERIOD YOU 'RE
GOING TO SPEND HOURS AND HOURS
WITH THAT BIRD ON YOUR HAND OR
WITH THAT BIRD IN THE WOODS SO
IT JUST REQUIRES A LOT OF TIME,
RIGHT NOW I HAVE THREE BIRDS.
SO IT DOESN'T TRIPLE MY TIME
NECESSARILY BUT IT STILL AN HOUR
TO TWO HOURS EVERY SINGLE DAY
THAT I SPEND WITH THE BIRDS
EITHER FEEDING THEM OR TAKING
CARE OF THEM, CLEANING THEIR
FACILITIES, GETTING THEM READY
FOR THE HUNT THE NEXT DAY OR
THAT WEEKEND.
SO WHEN MY WIFE AND I TRAVEL WE
TAKE THE BIRDS WITH US.
>> TERRI ALLARD: ON VACATION THE
BIRDS GO TOO.
>> KEVIN MARKEY: IF WE DO A
WEEKEND, WE WERE JUST IN THE
EASTERN SHORE OF VIRGINIA AND WE
TOOK THE BIRDS WITH US.
SO I'M SITTING ON THE TAILGATE
OF OUR VEHICLE AND PEOPLE ARE
GATHERING AROUND ASKING
QUESTIONS.
BUT IT IS A VERY TIME-CONSUMING
SPORT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DON'T
HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE WHO HAVE
TO DEPEND ON THEIR PARENTS TO
REALLY GET INVOLVED.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE TRY TO
IMPRESS UPON PEOPLE WHEN THEY
SAY I WANT TO BE A FALCONER, IS
ARE YOU READY TO CHANGE YOUR
LIFE?
THIS IS NOT A SPORT FOR US
ANYMORE.
THIS IS A WAY OF LIFE FOR US.
THIS IS A LIFESTYLE FOR DONNA
AND I.
WE TRAVEL WITH THE BIRDS.
DONNA IS AS MUCH A SPOKESPERSON
FOR FALCONRY AS I AM.
SHE KNOWS AS MUCH AS I DO.
OVER THE YEARS SHE ACTUALLY
INTRODUCED ME TO MY FIRST
FALCONER.
>> TERRI ALLARD: WELL, LET'S
TALK ABOUT, OKAY HOW DOES THE
SPORT, HOW DOES IT WORK?
>> KEVIN MARKEY: SO ONCE THE
BIRD IS TRAINED AND ITS REALLY
COMFORTABLE COMING BACK TO YOUR
FIST TO A SMALL PIECE OF MEAT
YOU TAKE THEM OUT TO THE WOODS.
SO THEY UNDERSTAND THE HUNTING
PART OF THIS, ITS BUILT INTO
THEIR DNA, YOU DON'T HAVE TO
NECESSARILY TRAIN THEM,
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DO SOME
THINGS TO HELP THEM ALONG, BUT
FOR THE MOST PART THEY GET IT.
SO YOU TAKE THE BIRD INTO THE
WOODS OR INTO AN OPEN FIELD, YOU
RELEASE THEM FROM YOUR HAND.
SO NOW YOU NO LONGER HAVE
CONTROL OF WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN AND MANY TIMES OVER MY 35
YEARS IN THE SPORT ALL KINDS OF
CRAZY THINGS HAPPEN.
THE BIRDS FLY AWAY, THE BIRDS
LAND ON A CHICKEN COOP, THE
BIRDS LAND ON SOMEONE'S HOUSE
AND THEY WON'T COME BACK OR THEY
FLY VERY ACTIVELY RIGHT ALONG
BESIDE YOU AND THEY HUNT.
AND THEN WE'RE THERE AS MOSTLY
TO BE THE BIRD DOG.
WE'RE THE BIRD DOGS IN THE
OPERATION.
SO I'M BEATING THE BRUSH,
LOOKING FOR GAME FOR THEM TO
CHASE AND ONCE THEY PUT TOGETHER
THAT, HEY, A RABBIT RAN OUT WITH
THAT HUMAN THEN THEY START TO
PUT THAT TOGETHER, THEY STAY
WITH YOU EVEN MORE.
>> TERRI ALLARD: RIGHT, AND THEY
HUNT, HARRIS HAWKS HUNT IN
PACKS.
YOU BECOME PART OF THE PACK.
>> KEVIN MARKEY: YES.
YOU DO.
SO THE TIGHTER THE PACK STAYS,
THE CLOSER THE BIRDS STAY TO
YOU.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I
LOVE HARRIS HAWKS IS BECAUSE OF
THE PACK HUNTING AND THE TEAM
HUNTING ASPECT, THEY'RE THE ONLY
SPECIES OF RAPTORS IN THE WORLD
THAT DO THAT.
SO IT'S KIND OF EXCITING TO SEE
A PACK OF BIRDS HUNTING AND
THEY'RE HUNTING, AND THEY'RE NOT
JUST HUNTING, THEY'RE HUNTING
COLLECTIVELY, EACH ONE OF THEM
HAS A ROLE, ONE'S HIGH, ONE'S
LOW, ONE'S LEFT, ONE'S RIGHT,
ONE'S A FLUSHER.
AND IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO
WATCH, ITS SPECTACULAR.
>>TERRI: BUT THEY'RE
NOT PETS.
>> KEVIN MARKEY: NO, NOT AT ALL.
NEVER, THEY'RE NOT PETS.
THERE OUR HUNTING PARTNERS, IT'S
A PARTNERSHIP FOR US IN THE
WILD.
THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY'RE GOING
TO DO IN NATURE ANYWAY.
WE JUST GET A FRONT ROW SEAT AND
ITS AMAZING.
>> TERRI ALLARD: WELL WHEN THEY
LIVE ON THEIR OWN IN NATURE,
THEIR LIFESPAN AS A HARRIS HAWK
IS MAYBE SIX YEARS, RIGHT, BUT
IN CAPTIVITY THEY LIVE LONGER.
>> KEVIN MARKEY: THEY LIVE MUCH
LONGER, THEY GET VET CARE, THEY
GET REGULAR MEALS, IF THEY'RE
INJURED THEY GET TAKEN CARE OF.
IT'S NOT UNUSUAL TO HEAR OF A
HARRIS HAWK OR ANY HAWK OR A
FALCON TO LIVE 10 OR 15 YEARS.
THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN IN
MARYLAND WHOSE BIRD WAS 35 YEARS
OLD.
>> TERRI ALLARD: OH, MY
GOODNESS.
>> KEVIN MARKEY: AND THE
GENTLEMAN'S NAME WAS FLOYD
PRESLEY AND THE BIRD'S NAME WAS
ELVIS AND HIS HARRIS HAWK WAS 35
YEARS OLD.
>> TERRI ALLARD: SO HOW MANY
FALCONERS IN VIRGINIA AND IN THE
COUNTRY?
>> KEVIN MARKEY: THERE'S ABOUT
70 TO 80 THAT ARE ACTIVELY IN
THE STATE THAT ARE ACTIVELY
HUNTING AND THEN THERE'S
PROBABLY ANOTHER 25 MAYBE A
LITTLE BIT MORE THAT HAVE
LICENSES BUT THEY DON'T ACTIVELY
HUNT.
THERE'S ABOUT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN;
4,000 AND 4,500 IN THE WHOLE
COUNTRY BUT IT'S PRACTICED ALL
OVER THE WORLD AND SO A FEW
YEARS AGO WE RECEIVED UNESCO
WORLD HERITAGE STATUS BECAUSE
THE SPORT IS 4,000 YEARS OLD AND
IT'S PRACTICED ON THE ENTIRE
PLANET WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
PROBABLY THE ARCTIC.
>> TERRI ALLARD: AND WHAT -- YOU
SAY THERE'S SOME RULES.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF GOLDEN RULES
ABOUT FALCONRY.
>> KEVIN MARKEY: YEAH, SO YOU
NEVER STEAL FOOD FROM THE BIRD.
>> TERRI ALLARD: THAT'S NICE.
THAT'S GOOD.
>> KEVIN MARKEY: SO MOST OF THE
RABBITS OR THE SQUIRRELS GO TO
THE BIRDS SO YOU NEVER WANT TO
STEAL FOOD.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THESE
BIRDS THAT THE GAME THAT THEY
CATCH IS THEIRS.
NOW, WE DO A FAIRLY ELABORATE
SORT OF SCAM THAT WE TRADE THOSE
HEADS OF GAME FOR TIDBITS OR
PIECES OF MEAT AND SO IT MEANS
COVERING THE GAME UP, TRADING
THEM OFF OF IT.
BUT THEY NEVER SEE US STEALING
THE FOOD.
AND IF THEY DO THEY GET A LITTLE
UPPITY ABOUT THAT AND THEN YOU
CAN HAVE A REAL PROBLEM BECAUSE
THEN THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO WANT
TO HUNT WITH YOU.
SO YOU NEVER WANT TO STEAL FOOD
FROM THEM.
THEY GET REGULAR MEALS, THEY GET
TAKEN CARE OF ON A REGULAR
BASIS.
YOU WANT TO FIND THEM GAME AS
OFTEN AS POSSIBLE OR THEY'LL BE
GOING TO GO WILD.
THEY ARE GOING TO GO NATIVE ON
YOU.
AND THEY DON'T REALLY NEED YOU,
THEY'RE FREE FLYING SO YOU HAVE
TO BE VERY CAREFUL, THERE'S THIS
BALANCE THAT YOU'RE STRIKING
WITH THEM THAT I WANT TO BE
THERE, I WANT TO BE CLOSE TO YOU
BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE ALLOW
THEM TO DO WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO
DO.
>> TERRI ALLARD: RIGHT.
AND WHERE DO THEY FLY?
I MEAN --
>> KEVIN MARKEY: EVERYWHERE.
WELL, EACH BIRD HAS ITS OWN TYPE
OF AREAS BECAUSE OF THE PREY
THAT THEY ARE CHASING YOU KNOW
GENETICALLY OVER EONS OF TIME
THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN THESE
ABILITIES, A FALCON BEING VERY
FAST TO HUNT OUT IN THE OPEN AND
CHASE OTHER BIRDS, RED-TAIL
HAWKS BEING BIG AND STRONG.
EAGLES BEING BIG AND STRONG.
EACH ONE OF THEM HAS SPECIAL
SKILLS SO THEIR TERRITORY LIKES
THAT SORT OF SKILL AND YOU TRY
TO MATCH UP THE TWO OF THEM THE
BEST YOU CAN.
>> TERRI ALLARD: AND YOU TALK
ABOUT FALCONRY IN SCHOOLS AND AT
UVA AND PVCC, TALK ABOUT SOME OF
THE EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH YOU DO.
>> KEVIN MARKEY: SO MANY, MANY
YEARS AGO ONE OF THE GENTLEME
THAT GOT ME STARTED IN NEW YORK
TOLD ME OF A COUPLE OF RULES
THAT I HAD TO ABIDE BY.
AND ONE OF THEM, YOU MENTIONED
PETKEEPING, HE SAID THESE
ANIMALS CAN NEVER BE PETS,
THEY'RE JUST NEVER GOING TO BE
YOUR PET.
AND THE OTHER THING WAS, HE
WANTED ME TO DO EDUCATIONAL
THINGS, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN TO
SHOW THEM THESE BIRDS UP CLOSE.
BUT I LOVE DOING EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS.
I'VE DONE A BIOLOGY CLASS AT
PVCC AND SOME THINGS AT UVA AND
OF COURSE, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
ALL AROUND.
AND THE KIDS THINK THE BIRDS ARE
PRETTY AND SO YOU HAVE TO BE
VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT THEY
CHASE.
SO I TOLD THIS ONE CLASS THAT
THEY CHASED SNAKES AND LIZARDS
AND BUGS AND THIS LITTLE GIRL
RAISED HER HAND AND SHE SAID, I
REALLY LIKE YOUR BIRD AND SAID
WHY, AND SHE SAID BECAUSE I
DON'T LIKE SNAKES.
BUT I DIDN'T SAY THAT THEY CHASE
RABBITS BECAUSE RABBITS ARE CUTE
AND THEY'RE PETS A LOT OF TIMES
SO YOU HAVE TO KIND OF PLAY TO
YOUR AUDIENCE.
>> TERRI ALLARD: SO KNOWING THAT
IT IS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT REQUIRES SO MUCH TIME, AND
SO MUCH ENERGY AND TRAINING, WHY
IS IT THAT YOU'RE SO PASSIONATE
ABOUT FALCONRY?
>> KEVIN MARKEY: OH, BOY!
I DON'T REALLY KNOW.
>> TERRI ALLARD: BUT YOU ARE.
>> KEVIN MARKEY: I KNOW I AM.
UNFORTUNATELY TO THE
DETRIMENT OF MANY OTHER THINGS
IT GETS IN YOUR BLOOD, THAT VERY
FIRST I SAW IT IN NEW YORK 50
YEARS AGO, THAT GENTLEMAN IS A
REALLY SPECIAL GUY.
AND FOR A 8-YEAR-OLD, WHEN YOU
MEET COOL ADULTS YOU KIND OF
BOND WITH THEM A LITTLE BIT.
BUT IT JUST GETS IN TO YOU,
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT BEING
REALLY CLOSE TO THESE BEAUTIFUL
ANIMALS.
YOU GET TO BE PART OF EVERYTHING
THAT'S HAPPENING AND GET TO BE
RIGHT THERE ALONG WITH IT.
I GREW UP MY ENTIRE LIFE I'VE
SPENT IN THE WOODS IN ONE
FASHION OR THE OTHER.
NOW I GET TO DO IT WITH A
PURPOSE.
AND TO WATCH THEM FLY IS JUST
SPECTACULAR AND I GET TO LIVE
WITH THEM.
YOU KNOW, OTHER PEOPLE LOOK AT
THEM AND THEY SAY WOW, THEY'RE
REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND I LIVE MY
LIFE WITH THEM EVERYDAY SO IT'S
A LIFESTYLE, IT'S NOT JUST A
SPORT.
RIGHT, BIG GIRL?