After posting the remembrance of Jeff Cooper below, I decided to dig up our correspondence. I had written him complimenting this essay and recommending the flight of eagle against wolf as one of the ‘great hunts’. He replied on 6 august 2002:
“Certainly falconry must be included among the great hunting experiences. The activity, however, is entirely beyond my ken, so I have no comments to make upon it.I will not, however, hold still where the wolf is the target, unles you are speaking of cubs. For a bird to kill a wolf is one of those things “I gotta see”.
“However, I do take note, and I appreciate your interest.
“Cordially,
Jeff Cooper”
I responded with more material and received the following:
“Puppies perhaps. Hundred pounders, Unlikely.
“Cheers!”
This is the photo I sent:
(pic captured from Kazakh website)
THAT ain’t no puppy.
I was adjusting Anakin’s backpack mount the other night. He was wrapped in a towel on my lap — the towel slipped and his tiny tiercel foot was suddenly embedded in the meaty part of my thigh… can an eagle take down a wolf?? Pain made me a believer…you should see the bruises! Well, on second thought, maybe you’ll all just have to take my word for it. 🙂
Sorry Rebecca, we demand proof!
Congrats on your new book, by the way!!!
Reid I already asked for a picture of Rebecca’s meaty parts and she demured.
What’s a prematurely dirty old man like me to do?