Gyrfalcon Trappers in the Russian Arctic in the 13th - 18th Centuries.

Abstract

—During a 500-year period from the 13th-18th Centuries, the Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) population in the European Russian North was under constant trapping pressure. The magnitude of this long-term and large-scale withdrawal is important for understanding the modern concept of sustainable use, especially under the modern threat of poaching and smuggling. For the last 20 years, due to the opening of state borders and access to old archives, we have received new data on the scale and details of this Gyrfalcon trapping. At the beginning of the 17th Century, the Dvina Gyrfalcon trappers (pomytchiki) sent two ships each year: one of the them was directed to the Zimniy coast and thence to the Terskiy coast, while the other went to Gavrilov, Kharlov, Pasov sites, Sem’ Ostrovov (Seven Islands), and Kildin Island. This trapping took place from 12–23 June until 6–17 December. In 1723, four groups of pomytchiki (vatagas) were sent. Ships with food for each vataga cost at least 50 roubles. In 1734, Dvinskoe zemstvo (administrative authorities) annually sent 40 trappers to the Terskiy coast and Kanin. Twenty people were used to ship the birds, and all of this cost at least 700 roubles. In 1729, on the Dvina River there were 19 yards of Gyrfalcon trappers. In Arkhangel North, the peasants of Kuroostrovskiy, Uhtostrovskiy, Bogoyavlenskiy, and Troitskoi volost of the Dvina area, along with peasants from Pinega, were involved in trapping. Lower-ranked officers of Archangel and soldiers of Pustostrov Ostrog also trapped Gyrfalcons. From 50 to 100 Gyrfalcons were delivered to Moscow annually, the highest numbers delivered during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (1645–1676). The current number of Gyrfalcons occurring from Kola Peninsula to the south of Yamal is estimated at about 100 pairs, although the size of the Gyrfalcon population there in the 17th Century is unknown. It is remarkable that both overtrapping and undertrapping were considered as non-fulfillment of obligations by pomytchiki. The surviving place names are evidence of the wide scale and popularity of falcon trappers in the Russian arctic: for example there are (in translation) two Falcon Capes, Falcon Nose, two Falcon Mountains, Falcon Bay, Falconers’ Village in Mezen R. Mouth and others. Maloe Zalesie village was formerly called Krechatinskaya and completely consisted of Gyrfalcon trappers. The toponymes, connected to falconry in areas south of Pomorie, are analyzed in the work of A.V. Kuznetsov, published in 2010. The Gyrfalcon’s wings are on the coat of arms of Arkhangelsk Region. Details and ways of trapping, obligations, and benefits of trappers, composition of vatagas, and food for birds during travel are reported. Received 28 February 2011, accepted 24 May 2011. SHERGALIN, J. 2011. Gyrfalcon trappers in the Russian Arctic in the 13th–18th Centuries. Pages 273–278 in R. T. Watson, T. J. Cade, M. Fuller, G. Hunt, and E. Potapov (Eds.). Gyrfalcons and Ptarmigan in a Changing World, Volume II. The Peregrine Fund, Boise, Idaho, USA. http://dx.doi.org/10.4080/ gpcw.2011.0306