Our Falconers

Justin has spent most of his life immersed in his passion for wildlife and specifically birds of prey. A childhood spent chasing birds around fields, fishing with his grandparents, wading through streams in the summer and hanging bird houses around the yard with his mother led to spending summers working and winters volunteering with the Missouri Department of Conservation through high school and college. Earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology, and a minor in Biology from the University of Missouri – Columbia, Justin began his journey flying falcons professionally, creating MaxYield Falconry with a vision focused on sustainably abating pest birds from agriculture. How time flies – 23 years’ experience training and working with birds of prey, 8 years flying professionally, breeding falcons and maintaining 20 raptors on “staff”, Justin can truly say he gets to live his passion daily.

Alina studied Neuro-biology at Cornell University and immediately moved overseas, living in multiple countries and traveled extensively for the following decade, actions that conspired to create a deep appreciation for wildlife. Alina is an Oregon Master Class Falconer and has been flying abatement for six years. Applying her falconry skills, Alina volunteered at wildlife rehabilitation centers raising baby raptors, flight and hunt training of releasable raptors, outreach increasing the facility footprint in the community, creating strategic partnerships and conducting offsite education programs. Alina acquired her own USFWS Special Use Permit for Education in 2014 and has completed over a hundred educational programs. Her 501(c)3 PERCH provides public education as well as financial and logistic support for wildlife rehabilitators. Believing continuing education is critical, Alina has completed the Minnesota Raptor Rehabilitation 101 course as well as training with the I.A.A.T.E, IWRC, NWRA and continuing education with USFWS. She has also completed coursework with International Avian Trainers Certification Board (IATCB) for bird training and handling.

Before birding became popular, Carol acquired a pair of binoculars and wandered the Pennsylvanian fields and forest observing birds. As a teen, carving birds in wood was the natural outgrowth of a passion for birds and art. Enlisting in the Air Force enabled her to travel further afield, where she photographed her subjects in several southeast Asian jungles.

When she discovered falconry alive and well in California, raptors captured her. Becoming a licensed falconer in 1990 also lead to managing the prerelease flight cages and hack site for Feather River Wildlife Care until moving to Oregon in 1995. Carol has flown several hawks, and all the falcon species native to North America as well as several hybrids. Relying on years of predator prey observation has enabled Carol to move seamlessly into falconry abatement. She successfully dissuades flocks of starlings numbering in the thousands from devouring blueberries and grapes with a highly trained falcon claiming air superiority.