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Show orts A14 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2009 Covering what matters most UUTV/JtVJL twins try their hand at falconry Jeril Bills STAFF WRITER "The first time that you try and feed your hawk, it doesn't know what you're Falconry is a long-stand- doing," said Nate. He said ing hunting method that has that the falconer can hold been used since as early out a chunk of meat, but the as 700 BC. Twin brothers hawk won't recognize that Nate and Matt Anderson of it's food until it tastes it, so Spanish Fork, decided to he has to get the hawk to get involved in the hobby taste it, even if that means when they helped a family shoving the meat into the friend build flights for some bird's mouth when the bird falcons. tries to bite him. According "We saw his falcons, and to Nate, this process could he got us really interested in take a couple of days. it," said Nate. "But once they know That happened when the that you have food, they boys were 14 years old, and start wanting it more," he they have been doing fal- said. conry ever since. Then you have to get Matt described falconry the hawk to jump to your as "the art of taking a raptor glove. from the wild and training "That's probably the him to hunt for you." hardest step in training a It's not an easy process. hawk," said Nate. "They'll Apprentice falconers are re- reach as far as they can quired to trap their first bird. to get the meat, but they To trap theirs, the boys used won't jump. But as soon as a bal-chatri, which Matt de- they take their first jump, it scribed as a wire cage with spreads like wildfire." fishing line nooses all over After getting the bird to it. A falconer puts a rabbit jump, the boys were able or pigeon inside the trap, to let the hawk fly on a crethen sets out the trap when ance, a line to which the bird he sees a hawk. The hawk's is attached with a ring so it talons get caught in the trap, won't fly away. During this and the falconer keeps and stage of training, the falconer trains the hawk. stands on one end of the creThere was a problem ance and calls the bird by its with the Andersons' trap, name. The idea is to create however. The fishing line on an association in the bird's it was brittle from age, and mind between its name and they had difficulty keeping food. Once the technique is hawks from breaking away. repeated enough to cement "We caught nine birds the association in the bird's before we actually kept one mind, the falconer can let in the trap," said Matt. the bird fly free and call it It took them a couple back whenever necessary, months, but the boys final- either by calling its name or ly caught their birds. Then by waving a leather lure.The began the equally difficult See F A L C O N R Y ' A l l task of training the birds. Courtesy photo ADD HAWK: The Anderson twins have undergone the lengthy process of capturing and training their own red-tail hawks. Team roping Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News SOUTHPAW: Spanish Fork's Tyler Duffin recently signed to pitch for the College of Southern Idaho. Above, Duffin pitches in the state tournament. Duffin signs with CSI Chad Vest STAFF WRITER Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News TEAMWORK: On a cloudy Saturday, July 11, 171 teams came to participate in Steve Young's jackpot team roping at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds. After three hours of roping action, Shandon Torres, above right, was declared the winner. The Roosevelt header received a saddle and $600. His teammate, Chase Hinkins, above left, also received $600. Other top finishers were: second place, Mike Walburger and Dusty Ricks, $515 each; third, Roger Hutchison and Mike Edwards, $410 each; fourth, Paul Buckner and Jim White, $300 each; fifth. Ace Anderson and Jeff Bitton, $195 each; and sixth, Tyrel James and Jeff Bitton, $110 each. Round winners were: first, Shandon Torres and Buzz Bates, $50 each; second, Rod Moore and Chase Hinkins, $25 each; and third, Tyrel James and Jeff Bitton, $10 each. Tyler Duffin, a pitcher from this year's SFHS 5A state title team, was planning on playing golf in college — prior to the 2009 baseball season. "I thought of playing golf in college until this year," said Duffin with a chuckle. The lefty turned in a stellar senior year on the hill in limited action and was the first Don to record a no-hitter in a short-lived contest against the Mountain View Bruins in the Dixie Sunshine Tournament. To top that off, the Dons traveled to the Anaheim area to participate in the prestigious "National Classic" tournament, which invites the See D U F F I N - A l l |