A Thing of Dying
In the 89th year of his being, Ben Willow had died where most completely he had lived, upon the hills of home, with a dog and a gun. A little less than midway through this book, iron-willed old Missouri-West Virginian Ben Willow throws himself mercilessly once more...
The Annual Party
As you are reading this, one of the biggest events in America has come and gone — my birthday. That is the day when Mike fires up the grill, tosses on the steaks, bakes some potatoes and serves me a helping of each. Normally crowds of folks arrive to chew on the...
Youth Field Trial Alliance
A Cause We Can All Get Behind I want to give a shout-out to a relatively new organization whose presence on the sporting landscape can’t be viewed as anything but a good thing: the Youth Field Trial Alliance. The brainchild of Chris Mathan, the human dynamo behind...
The Big Predators
With lions, wolves and grizzlies on the increase, I may start wearing a bulletproof vest when I go to these remote areas. I like hiking in fields and forests to sniff about for deer, elk, birds and rodents. Now, however, I must look over my shoulder and stay alert for...
Back from the Brink
I now have my own tale of a brush with death. While the pages of Sporting Classics magazine are filled with tales of near-death battles between man and various beasts, I now have my own tale of a brush with death. No, I did not get charged by a Cape buffalo, trampled...
How Dogs Tell Time
Yes, dogs can tell time. Unless you’ve been living under a rock or deep inside a cave, it’s a well-known fact that dogs can tell time. I know that every morning between 6 and 7am, it’s time to eat. My empty stomach gives me the clue. Then around 10 or 10:30am, I go...
The Great Takeover
Dogs are prone to move in — and take over. Ever since your hooman ancestors — the cave dwellers — pushed aside the huge mastodon skin and invited my ancestors — the huge wolf — into your caves, dogs like me have moved in and taken over. It’s debatable whether those...
Summer is on the Horizon
Warm days, lots of wading rivers to fly fish and being outdoors are soon to come. While winter seems to be dragging on and on, and the temperature was a single-digit number outside my house — known as The Cameron House to many — the other morning, but I smell summer...
Overly Excited for Bird Hunts
I get excited when I hunt, smell and see birds. Doves, for example, really excite me. There’s lots of shooting, often lots of birds flying and sometimes birds falling when Mike finally hits one on the wing. I get so excited I often start spinning around in...
Seeking and Watching Huns
I like huns. Like, a lot. And bacon. While the past fall hunting season has faded, and next fall is buried behind many pages of the calendar, I still like the opportunity to go out and find birds. My new strong interest is seeking huns, alias Hungarian partridges or...