Meet the Humans!
Courtney Douds
Raptor Jawns was founded by Courtney Douds, a Master Falconer with twenty years of experience working with birds of prey. Courtney became obsessed with falconry after seeing the Royal Tenenbaums in theaters as a child, sparking a lifelong passion. She has volunteered at rehabilitation and research centers focusing on raptors, worked as an instructor at Ireland's School of Falconry, worked in abatement--falconry pest control–on a garbage dump in New Jersey, hunted with the Kazakh berkutchi golden eagle hunters of Mongolia (shown in the photo above), and has hunted with red-tails in the United States since becoming a licensed falconer in 2011.
Jade Chen
Jade Chen is a General falconer after completing their Apprenticeship in the fall of 2021. They have already had several successful seasons flying their red-tailed hawks named Mooncake and Candy Corn. Jade loves working with and being around animals, as the many creatures with whom they share their home can attest. Jade enjoys educating others about falconry and birds of prey as much as they have enjoyed becoming a falconer, and are working towards obtaining their own Education Special Permit.
Matt Fox
Matt Fox has always loved being outdoors, leading to four seasons spent working in Yellowstone National Park, where much of his free time was spent hiking the magnificent trails and learning about the park's ecology and geology. Since 2016 he has been closer than ever to falconry and birds of prey, helping to feed and care for them, build their aviaries, and assist falconers out in the field while hunting. His other environmental interests include sustainability, foraging, and gardening.