A crew of us once picked up a golden that had a broken wing. When we had it surrounded, it grabbed a sagebrush with a single foot. We had to break both sides of the trunk off to bag it, as no amount of effort could get those talons loose. Following that experience, I'll never let a large raptor get a grip on me. I believe those talons are physically locked, and it takes a conscious effort for them to let go.
