Articles about Op Falcon were compiled by Rick Holderman and published in the CHC Journal of 1999. Another reference is _The Pilgrim and the Cowboy_, by Paul McKay, ISBN: 0-07-045317-9, which focuses more on the Canadian side of things.

In brief, it was an attempt by USFWS to find Americans illegally selling gyrfalcons and peregrines to people outside the US, primarily to citizens of Arabic countries, who were rumored to be willing to pay $10,000 for a white gyr. At the same time Canada (home of many wild gyrs) was advancing its own operation to discover the same. Illegal purchases were set up and stung. The main outcomes were that innocent falconers were accused, raptors were confiscated and never returned, and USFWS found no illegal sales by anyone other than their own agents, who offered birds at enticingly low prices. The other outcome was a deep level of paranoia and distrust of USFWS by falconers. Fortunately many of both the USFWS and falconers have changed their attitudes about each other over the years.