A JEFF COOPER RETROSPECTIVE
I recently ran across the expression “To hunt elephant takes legs. To hunt buffalo takes guts. To hunt lion takes heart.” I do not quite know how to interpret that, but it is pretty interesting.
● We have a friend here in Arizona who has a positive phobia about wolves. He has now gone so far as to promote an anti-wolf rally over in the White Mountains. Obviously predators can overdo it, but I think that they are as much a part of the natural scene as the fish in the streams, and while they should be kept under control, they ought not to be set upon by human collective effort. In the West we now have a good and growing supply of coyotes, bobcats, cougars, and a good supply of bears.
Though we have lost several pets over the years to the coyotes, I certainly do not feel that coyotes should be wiped out. Likewise, I cannot work up any particular frenzy about the wolves, which have been recently imported into both Arizona and Montana. I understand that wolves do a certain amount of natural damage, and this understandably annoys cattle ranchers. Cougars can be rough on house pets, and they frequently target joggers. And seals eat salmon. And the coyotes now make it practically impossible for us to raise ducks and guineas around the Sconce. So I cannot get upset about wolves. I dare say they do some damage, but they do make a marvelous sound. Anyone who has heard the call of a wild wolf will treasure the experience.
NOTE: The intellectual property of Jeff Cooper is owned by Gunsite Academy and reprinted from Gargantuan Gossip 2 with their permission. Jeff Cooper’s books are available from the ProShop at Gunsite (928-636-4565; www.gunsite.com) and www.jeffcooperbooks.com.
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