Larry Schramm

Larry Schramm (Portland, Oregon) was a pioneer in Oregon falconry. He started his falconry carreer in the 1920s. By the late 1960s, he put Oregon on the map. Larry was the first ever to bred Peregrine Falcons in captivity in North America. While most of us take backyard breeding for granted these days, in the late 1960s, the possible lost of Peregrines from the wild was a reality. This also meant a loss of Peregrines for any falconer. Read about Larry’s success in breeding peregrines and see the pictures of his falcons in the articles published in the 1968 and 1973 NAFA Journal:

Below are some articles found in the popular press about Falconry in the late 1800s and early 1900s. These can be a fascinating read, but note the errors and mistakes in not only the depictions of the raptors (for example, a goshawk labelled as a falcon), but also in how it is reported to train a falcon or hawk. Now imagine yourself in Oregon in the 1920s trying to figure out falconry on your own. That is what Larry Schramm did. He went on to be the first to breed Peregrine Falcons in captivity in North America. From humble beginnings! Enjoy these articles, and let us know if you find more out there on the web.

Note that these are scanned articles and may not be high quality. Additionally, as was commonplace in the day, they are in small print. Use your web browser to increase the page size in order to increase the readable font.

  1. English Falconry (The Spirit of the Times, NY magazine) 1851
  2. Falconry (The American Naturalist) 1870
  3. Sport of Hawking I: Peregrine (Forests and Streams) 1886
  4. Sport of Hawking II: Peregrine cont. (Forests and Streams) 1886
  5. Sport of Hawking III: Gyrfalcon (Forests and Streams) 1886
  6. Sport of Hawking IV: Lanier/Prairie Falcon (Forests and Streams) 1886
  7. Sport of Hawking V: Merlin & Kestrel (Forests and Streams) 1886
  8. Reviving the Ancient Sport for Americans (LA Times) 1891
  9. Falconry (American Periodicals) 1894
  10. Women in Falconry (LA Times) 1896