>> 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?