I just love the wild places

And have long ago discovered Teddy’s various books about hunting too; I think I started with a book about hound hunting mountain lions in what is now Yellowstone. It should never be forgotten that this, the first national park in the world was declared by this great Republican President – & famous hunter. One of my all-time favourite films is the one about him starring Sean Connery and Candice Bergman; ‘The Wind & the Lion’. Do watch it. What a treat!

The most memorable photo in the book was of a treed ‘lion’ maybe 100’ up a pinon pine with a huge hound baying at him from about 6’ below: “The encouragement of a proper hunting spirit, a proper love of sport, instead of being incompatible with a love of nature and wild things, offers the best guaranty of their preservation.” Theodore Roosevelt. Yes! You might begin your ‘love affair’ with Teddy perhaps with this book, ‘The Wilderness Hunter’ https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Hunter-Classic-Reprint/dp/1332803369

PS: You need a specially trained hound to hunt big cats. I remember years ago when we tried to use our foxhounds to ‘flush’ the alleged ‘Wonthaggi Monster’, a mayhap Tasmanian Tiger or Black Panther said to terrorise that district with mystery stock killings & etc, the hounds would simply howl mysteriously and refused to take the scent – fairly quickly exiting the patch of bush where he was apparently laid up (according to a dairy farmer witness). Other folks have had the same experience. PS: It is rumoured that a Tasmanian Tiger was shot by a sheep farmer at Gelantipy c1972. I wonder is it true, and what became of the remains…There are many mysteries out there in the woods yet!