Reflection of the 40th Anniversary NAFA Meet
By Michael Garcia

Making the trip from Illinois to Colorado, required many details and preparation: a Colorado hunting license, certificate of health, import permit, portioning food for my two Red-tailed Hawks, obtaining dry ice, packing first-aid items, pigeons, hunting clothes, dress clothes, and the bird’s equipment. I am sure I forget a few things, however, since I was driving a Geo-Metro, it would have not fit anyway!

To celebrate the start of the 40th Anniversary NAFA Meet, Mother Nature presented us with the meteor shower of the century, and I was privileged to view this as I drove to Lamar, Colorado, for the meet.

I was looking forward to renewing old friendships, and was blessed to make new friend this year as well. The week of hunting and seminars reinforced my love of being a falconer. I enjoyed a special reward of taking an apprentice out with me one day, and still remember the look on her face as her hawk took its first bunny. These are the types of experiences that only we can share and understand.
GLFA was represented by a fine group of serious game hawkers: Cathy Bauer-Tintinger, NAFA Field Meet Chair; Rob Sulski, NAFA Great Lakes Director; Scott Hartman, GLFA Director; Bob Tintinger, Karen Girsheim, Jeff Simpson, Russ Wischover, Colleen Dorczuk, Tom Ennenga, Mark Snyder, Rich Borquist, Steve Twiddy, Tom Collins and former GLFA member, now Colorado resident, Roger Tucker.

As I sat and enjoyed the banquet and closing activities on Friday night, I recalled the good times I had during the week. Remembering the hunting, and the sharing of ideas, techniques and strategies, I was somewhat sad to see this year’s NAFA come to an end.

After saying my good-byes, I left Lamar for my trip back to Chicago. Not far into the drive home, I stopped near Cheynne Wells, Colorado, to observe Mother Nature’s spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis. This was a grand finale to a great meet! I am looking forward to next year’s NAFA meet in Kearny, Nebraska … but this year’s meet is going to be a tough act to follow.