2023 Exams to be Held Online Aug. 11;
Registration Deadline Aug. 9
The New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that examinations for
individuals seeking a license to practice the sport of falconry, become a
volunteer wildlife rehabilitator, or use leashed tracking dogs to find
wounded or injured big game animals are scheduled for Friday, Aug. 11,
2023.
To provide broader access to
the examinations, DEC is offering the examinations online. In-person
examinations will not be offered.
To register
for any of these exams, visit DEC's website and follow
the directions provided on the website. Participants will receive an
email acknowledgment of registration, and later, an additional one-time
link to use to access the website on the date of the exam.
The deadline for registering
to take any of these free exams is Wednesday, Aug. 9. The link to the
registration webpage can also be found
on each of the individual special license webpages.
Apprentice Falconry License
Falconry has a rich history
and tradition throughout the world and requires a significant commitment
in time and effort. Apprentices are limited to possessing one bird,
either an American kestrel or a red-tailed hawk. A falconry
study guide and examination manual are available at no
cost from DEC. The cost of a five-year falconry license is $40.
To qualify for the Apprentice
Falconry license, applicants must:
·
score 80 percent or higher on the written
exam;
·
be at least 14 years of age;
·
possess a valid New York State hunting license;
·
maintain DEC-approved facilities for
housing falconry raptors; and
·
be a resident of New York State.
Wildlife Rehabilitator License
Wildlife rehabilitators provide for the care of injured, sick, and orphaned
wild animals for the purpose of returning rehabilitated animals to the
wild. Prospective applicants are encouraged to gain experience by serving
as an assistant to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. A wildlife
rehabilitator study guide and examination manual are
available at no cost from DEC. There is no cost for the five-year
wildlife rehabilitation license.
To qualify for the Wildlife
Rehabilitator License, applicants must:
·
score 80 percent or higher on the written
exam;
·
be at least 16 years of age;
·
be interviewed by DEC Regional Wildlife staff;
and
·
be a resident of New York State.
Leashed Tracking Dog Handler
Leashed tracking dog handlers
use their dogs to track and recover dead, wounded, or injured big game.
Leashed tracking dog handlers provide a valuable service in aiding
hunters in locating wounded big game that otherwise may go unrecovered.
A leashed tracking dog study guide is
available at no cost from DEC. There is a $50 license fee for the five-year
leashed tracking dog license and a $25 non-refundable application fee.
To qualify for a Leashed
Tracking Dog Handler License, applicants must:
·
score 80 percent or higher on the written
exam; and
·
possess a valid New York State hunting
license.
To register for any of these
exams, visit the DEC Special Licenses Unit website. The
link to the registration webpage is provided on each of the individual
license webpages.
For questions or assistance,
please contact the Special Licenses Unit at: NYS DEC Special Licenses
Unit, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4752; phone: 518-402-8985; fax:
518-402-8925; email: SpecialLicenses@dec.ny.gov.
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