R657-20-4. Falconry COR, Permits, and Licenses

  (1) The division may deny issuing a COR or permit to any applicant, if:

  (a) The applicant has violated any provision of Title 23, Utah Wildlife Resources Code, Administrative Code R657, a certificate of registration, an order of the Wildlife Board or any other law that when considered with the functions and responsibilities of practicing the sport of falconry bears a reasonable relationship to the applicant's ability to safely and responsibly carry out such activities;

  (b) the applicant misrepresented or failed to disclose material information required in connection with the application; or

  (c) holding raptors at the proposed location violates federal, state, or local laws.

  (2) A COR is not transferrable.

  (3) CORs do not provide the holder with any rights of succession.

  (4) Any COR issued to a business or organization shall be void upon the termination of the business or organization or upon bankruptcy or transfer.

  (5)(a) A resident must possess a valid COR issued by the Division to take, possess, hunt with, or transport raptors for the purpose of falconry in Utah.

  (b) A falconry COR requires up to a 30-business day processing time from the date an application is received.

  (c) A falconry COR is valid at the Apprentice Class level for a three (3)-year period from date of issuance.

  (d) A falconry COR is valid at the General and Master Class level for a five (5)-year period from date of issuance.

  (6) The falconer must have a falconry COR or a legible copy of it in their immediate possession when not at the location of their falconry facilities and is trapping, transporting, working with, or flying raptors in falconry.

  (7)(a) A falconer must obtain a Raptor Capture Permit prior to capturing or attempting to capture any raptor from the wild in Utah.

  (b) A valid falconry COR is required for a Utah resident in order to obtain a Raptor Capture Permit.

  (c) Nonresident falconers are not required to purchase a Utah falconry COR in order to purchase a Nonresident Raptor Capture Permit.

  (8) An individual possessing a valid falconry COR may use a raptor for unrestricted take of unprotected wildlife including coyote, field mouse, gopher, ground squirrel, jackrabbit, muskrat, raccoon, and European Starling, House Sparrow, Eurasian Collared Dove, and Rock Dove or feral pigeon, consistent with the following provisions:

  (a) A resident falconer is not required to possess any other license or permit take these species;

  (b) A non-resident falconer is required to have a current falconry license or permit from his/her state of residence and a valid federal falconry permit, if applicable.

  (9) A falconer may take any species with a falconry bird for which a Federal Depredation Order is in place under parts 21.43, 44, or 46 of 50 CFR 21, at any time in accordance with the conditions of the applicable depredation order, as long as the falconer is not paid for doing so.

  (10) A falconer releasing a raptor for the purpose of hunting protected wildlife not identified in R657-20-4(8) that are not held in private ownership must first obtain the appropriate licenses, permits, tags, CORs and stamps as provided in the applicable rules and guide books of the Wildlife Board, consistent with the following provisions:

  (a) The hunting of upland game shall be done in accordance with the rule and guide book of the Wildlife Board for taking upland game species; and

  (b) The hunting of migratory game birds shall be done in accordance with the rule and guide book of the Wildlife Board for taking migratory game species.

  (11)(a) A hunting license is not required to take pen-reared game birds with a trained raptor if the game birds are lawfully possessed and banded with a permanent leg band purchased from the Division or other permanent marking.

  (b) Pen-reared game birds used in falconry must comply with all requirements in R657-4 and all requirements established by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.