DONORS:
Muriel Stanke, Kenneth and Nancy Boyd, Steve Sherrod,
Phillip and Lori Smith, P. Timothy Lawson, Barbara
Whittington, Joan Minier, Raymond and Joan Folwell,
Clifford and Janna Kellogg, Lawrence G. Ray, Bruce and
Evelyn Haak, Brad Felger, Doug and Trish Pineo, Scott
McNeff, Erik and Loreca Stauber, Washington Falconers
Association, North American Falconers Association
My name is Clifford Kellogg; I am the North Pacific Director
for the North American Falconers Association (NAFA), and the
Secretary/historian for the Washington Falconers Association
(WFA). On the behalf of NAFA and the WFA, I bring
condolences and wishes for comfort and peace to all who are here.
I first met Les in the early 1970’s, when Brian Sullivan and I
travelled from Union Gap, WA, with Steve Layman to the Boyd
residence in Pullman for a falcon propagation exchange. I was,
at the time, a young falconer in my teens, with a red-tail. Les
did not know me from the guy down the street. I will never
forget that this man, internationally known and admired, treated
me and my friend with the same respect that he afforded all.
So it was for the intervening years. Les was more than an
ICON in the falconry and raptor propagation community: he
was a naturalist; he was an innovator; he was a mentor for
many falconers; he was a gentleman, and he was a friend.
In the early days (1960’s) of falconry organizations in
Washington, Les was instrumental in the Northwest
Falconers Association, having served as Chairman among
other things. He also served as North Pacific Director for
the North American Falconers Association (2010-11).
Les was the recipient of the Cade award (Raptor Research
Foundation) in 1992. I was privileged to be at the meeting for
that presentation. He was made an honorary NAFA member
in 2004. He was made an honorary member of the Washington
Falconers Association in 2010. Les published many papers on
falconry and captive raptor propagation in multiple journals
from the mid 1960’s through 2011. While an accomplished
falconer and raptor propagator, he remained one of the most
humble men I have ever known.
At one of the recent gatherings
of the North American Falconers
Association Les and I had a
lengthy conversation about
life and what it is all about. We
agreed, at the time, that giving
to others was one of the most
important things; in that, Les
Boyd went the distance.
Les was an icon in the falconry and raptor propagation community.
He was also a naturalist, innovator, a mentor for many falconers and he was a friend.
In memory of
Les Boyd
REMEMBRANCES OF LES BOYD by Larry Ray
Les and I made a few shing forays to some of the lakes in the north-central Washington. At one of these, where
we spent about a week camping, we noted that we were catching lots of sh. The discussion turned to how
some guides will guarantee “30-sh days” and we wondered just how many sh we could catch in a day. So,
while neither of us usually counted sh caught, we decided we would do so on this trip. Tur
ned out, for three
days, we each caught over fty trout, or more than three-hundred over the three days during which we counted!
This was catch and release y-shing for west slope cutthroats.
One evening, on that same trip, Les caught a bat on his y! I was afraid of possible rabies and didn’t want it in
the boat, but Les proceeded to handle it like a pro, gently unhooking and holding it for a few minutes to allow
the leathery wings to dry. All the while, he gave a quick dissertation on bat natural history and the varieties found
in that part of the country. Turns out, Les had done a bat study for part of his graduate work. This is just one
example of how wide-ranging Les’s knowledge of wildlife biology really was. Fish species of the South Pacic,
venomous snakes of Australia, raptor distribution and natural history in the Arctic – Les could teach on all those
topics and more. Further, he would do so in that gentle, unassuming patient manner that was unique to Les.
At the end of the trip, Les told me that I “had worn him out” and that he had had enough and simply had to
get back home. I was astounded – Les could leave me in the dust any time he wanted to (especially when
searching for goshawk nest sites!), such was his endurance and physical condition. I had to confess to him that, in
turn, he had indeed tired me out as well! To commemorate the trip, I wrote a Limerick that I shared with him later
– I think he appreciated it, as it referred to me as much as to him:
An ardent fly-fisher am I,
Could spend hours casting the fly,
But the older I get,
Spend more time in my tent,
Stealing a wink on the sly!